Jord made a slightly disgusted face because of the licking. He quickly turned around to see what the wolves were up to and what he could do against them.
The wolves attack as one might expect wolves to attack, with perhaps a little more… precision. This attack is quick and in unison, advancing from three different directions. One wolf goes to seize Jord’s favored weapon arm. The second lunges at his… crotch. The third leaps to bite at his neck.
Gwen doesn't visibly react, though her shawl is knocked further askew by the rough treatment. She uses her free hand to lift it to her face.
Suddenly, with a motion one might use to snatch something from an unruly child, and an unreasonable amount of strength for it, she attempts to wrench her arm free, or perhaps free it from her glove.
All them charging animals don't feel too bothered to continue their pursuit of them hounds once they'd gone off running with their tails between their legs. All them animals eyes turned to the big void up the street as it disappeared to reveal a mansion set in the side of the plateau. Once they had their fill of seeing that particular curios sight, all their eyes then turn to the frightened little bird girl, Gwen, instead. Now, under normal circumstances, them farm animals wouldn't have given a second thought to that girl being dragged off like she was, but being as they were under a spell Ezmond had placed on them, they looked none to kindly on what was happening to her. All but one of them animals now start running after Gwen, intent on stopping whatever invisible person was taking her against her will.
The one animal that didn't follow with the others was a big ol Bull named Ben, who just so happened to notice Aella sneaking around close by. That big ol bully strut on up to the girl carrying a bow in her hand and let out a big ol huff of hot air from his flared nostrils. He then stomped one of his front hooves on the ground real hard to show he meant business, and then asked her his pressing question -
"Whooooo... arrrrrre..... Youuuuuuu?"
As the words came out of his mouth, his big nose came right up close to Aella's face, eyes all cross-eyed and glaring at her for a prompt answer.
Aella didn't pay attention to this big bull until he stomped one of his hooves on the ground, though she turned towards him once he asked this question. However due to the smell of this animal she stepped back a little bit, though she didn't really indicate that the smell wasn't pleasant. "My name is Aella, and you are?" she asked calmly, though a little carelessly. She kept her bow aimed at the ground, with her eyes fixated on the bull's eyes calmly. She has dealt with stranger things before, than a talking bull. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
Gwen’s unreasonably strong effort to free her forearm serves only to strengthen the grip the entity has on her, like a noose made tighter by the jolt. The grip is now so very tight that her bones may feel like they will be crushed by the pressure. In this very same instant, the second hand of the entity seizes her ankle, and in this fashion she is raised from the ground by an incredible force, swung in a swift motion and released. As her body jettisons through the air in direction away from the encroaching livestock, the three wolves emerge from the buildings. They are moving at great speed, eyes on their prey, following Gwen’s trajectory to land.
There is at this time no doubt that Aella has witnessed the commotion taking place, more specifically the three black wolves giving chase to Gwen as she is launched high and far into the air by an unseen force. Perhaps small-talk with a bull should not be her foremost concern.
High above the livestock a raven releases a menacing screech, unfitting of any bird. A pure white, lone wolf, near twice the size of an average wolf, emerges from within a building and enters the livestock. It is undaunted by their presence, its head held low, skulking through the numbers, sniffing, scrutinizing, inspecting the horde.
Ace flicks their wrist, scattering the crystals from their hand, which never hit the ground. Their tube-shaped barrier flashes into existence as the wolves strike, intersecting a few muzzles and paws and one corner of their own cloak, neatly shearing it off. The barrier starts to spin steadily as they toss off their hood with both hands.
"No," they say, curtly.
Repelled, the snapping jaws of the wolves are dashed by the barrier. All three animals recoil with a yelp, though they have not conceded. Each of the wolves are instantly enveloped in a violet light before the light is discharged in a pulse toward the sky, where it is absorbed by the raven high above.
“Ahh….” The voice of the unseen entity is heard, sounding like a man who has learned something important and… perhaps even exciting. In the sounding of his voice, the raven returns the pulse of violet light upon the wolves. Absorbing the light they quickly regroup, their eyes now aglow with the same hue of light while they commence to circling Ace as one might expect wolves to daunt their prey. Once a full revolution about Ace is made, the voice is heard again, yet sharper, demanding. “Break through!”
By command of their handlers’ voice, all three wolves stop circling and turn in at their opponent, yet only one instantly proceeds to progress its attack from behind. With a powerful strike, its open mouth penetrates the barrier. The disruption to the barrier is accompanied by a flash of more light and the sound like that of a cracking whip as the wolf’s front teeth clamp down, pinching the flesh at the small of Ace’s back.
Vernon gives Boris a lengthy stare, like one mildly disturbed by the progress of a child's newly learned skill. He then turns a wry look to Silas, waiting for the old man to laugh and note his piece, before responding, “Your wait is soon over.”
He then resumes interest with Jack, while behind Vernon, Annie steps into the hall. Her motions seem leery, toes first touching down with each step, an approach defied by the intensity of her glare, her eyes taking turns to bore into every person.
“Speak your mind.” Vernon tells Jack, angling his head as if listening to distant sounds. “The void without the mansion is lowered. We can wait for the wolves to come, or we can take the fight to them.”
Annie arrives beside her father, one hand is resting on the small bulge of her stomach, her eyes now fixed on Betty as she speaks in multiple voices, the tones of Silas, Boris, Ei and her own, all speaking in harmony; “Ours is a boy.” She then looks up to her father, like one lifting their eyes to the heavens and speaks in a voice all her own. “We should go outside, papa.”
Vernon agrees with Annie; a firm nod to proclaim his appeal for the idea. He looks to Jack as he starts walking down the hallway in direction of the foyer. “Talk to me as we walk, Jack.” He then calls out to all others present; “Come if you’re coming. A battle awaits us.”
As they pass by the doorway to the dining room, Annie pauses to look in at Ei. “Come with me.” She says, and continues to follow Vernon, maintaining a short distance behind.
While Gwen is flapping them arms and whistling with those there wolves chasing after her, it just so happens a fine looking cow steps out of thin air about thirty yards ahead! That cow is then followed by another then another, and then some horses and pigs and sheep too! Before she knows it, there's a whole gosh darn huge herd of farm animals stampeding up the street towards her!
Now, this over 200 strong herd of ungulates soon become none too little aware of Gwen and them wolves chasing her down. They all seem mighty concerned about it too and start hollering at the top of their lungs, "Wolf-wolf-wolf!". But they don't turn tail and run, no sir! They keep on running and aiming to trample them wolves into the ground!
Meanwhile! The cow who appeared first, steps in front of Gwen to block her path, giving that bird girl a big ol eyeballing, and speaks - "haaave moooooo seeeen Beeeeeeetttyyyyyyyyyyy? Eeeeeeezmoooooond?" It could be determined that that cow is looking for two people who go by the names of Betty and Ezmond!
Gwen exhales sharply, turns to run- and slips, her boots skidding from beneath her as she lands with a thud. For a few seconds, one foot continues to scrape against the ground, as though it had missed that she was no longer running. Her eyes flicker to the figure of the cow above her and she makes a weak little choking noise, dragging her shawl around so she can bury her face in it.
The advancing wolves respond in a similar fashion to Gwen, sliding to a halt at the unlikely appearance of many… farm animals. When it is clear this very large domesticated herd are directing their charge at the wolves, the wolves release a whimper and retreat quickly. They scatter out of sight down the alleys of nearby building. As these farm animals do or… do not give chase, the dilapidated voice of a presence unseen is heard to yell out as if in frustrated torment. The yelling out is accompanied by the piercing shriek of a Raven high in the sky above. A moment later Gwen is seized roughly by one arm, supposedly grabbed by the hand of the unseen entity - who then proceeds to drag her fast across the ground and away from the cow which was… apparently speaking to her.
Ace shuffles uneasily into a wider stance, digging a handful of something out of one of their pockets. "And who sent you?" they ask, the earth trembling ever so slightly beneath their feet.
The wolves grade their advancement. They lower their heads, ears pivoting forward, nostrils flared. They are cautiously aware of the trembling earth, yet their eyes remain fixed on Ace as they continue to close in. Their behavior now appears surreal in slowed motion while the voice behind Ace replies. This time, however, the voice seems to be speaking over itself, each word duplicated many times and trailing off like an echo.
“We are the Order. You are our witness. We will not suffer you to live. Lower your defense… do not make this difficult.”
As the final word echoes out, the air surrounding Ace comes alive with transparent imagery, revealing a recounting of Ace in the graveyard outside of town where they first laid witness to a member of the Order –
The recount lasts but a moment before the image disperses and the three wolves suddenly break their surreal motion, snarling wildly as they pounce at Ace in unison.
“I am too much man for you.” Vernon winks at Betty, indicating he is merely jesting, yet his persona shifts considerably to add; “Besides, by the aroma you’re giving off, I would suggest you have recently conceived.”
(Pandolen, please note I took a great liberty with this. Therefore, if you do not wish for your character to be with child, then I do not mind at all. Was merely a ploy to create further drama)
Vernon does pause to regard the dragon indulging in the taste of blood, before shifting a glare to Boris. “Withholding facts is not a lie. You have no idea of the powers you hold. Your scent is extremely sweet…. If you only knew of the abilities that lie waiting within you, you, and you alone, could vanquish the threat to this town. Boris… let it be known right now, for the good of yourself and all others present, you are the son of a God. It may be time for you to acknowledge that.”
He now turns his attention to Jack: “You’ve chosen your words well, Jack. The people you refer to are called The Order. I was part of them, but no more, I will no longer let them have their way with the innocent. We are spawned of a different planet. Our abilities are… natural, inborn. Each of us have our own. Some of us have many.”
Vernon regards Jacks equipment, as someone might regard the archaic tools of centuries past, than asks; “You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you, Jack, of civilizations mysteriously disappearing from the face of the planet… no trace… no evidence? Now you know who is responsible. You, and many in this town, have been witness to the Order, though it be no fault of your own. Nevertheless, The Order don’t allow any witness to live. They pride themselves on secrecy. …There is no way to destroy The Order entirely, at least not here and now. But yes, there may be a way to counter their current efforts.”
He steps away from Jack, now addressing each person in the room.
“You may have heard the wolves outside. They are here to eradicate those who have witnessed the cloaked men. But they are not at all men and the wolves are merely the first wave; a relatively inconspicuous measure of attack to prevent further witnesses. Yet they are, in effect, only wolves. I assume you won’t have an issue killing wolves? But don’t get too cocky in this knowledge, the wolves don’t ride alone. We have a battle ahead of us. If their first assault fails them, they will not hesitate to deploy a second, more powerful wave.”
It may be apparent to Jack and the others in the hall at this time, Vernon has still not answered Jack’s question with any specific indication on how to counter The Order. By the look in Vernon’s eyes, it may however be clear that he lacks the faith in those present to succeed in what is needed to perform the task.
While Ei contemplated the matters at hand, Annie gives her a kiss on the cheek then walks to the entrance of the hall, one eye revealed as she peeks around the door-frame to watch her father speak.
"Well, I hadn't expected to meet your father, but judging by your expression you didn't either." Ei says, looking at Annie as she finally puts the clothes on as intended. When Vernon resumes talking, Ei resumes paying attention.
"Speaking of the Order, I had the... Pleasure of speaking with them, though not by my own will. Long story short they declared that they would take no action against us if we do not take action against them. While I do not consider the Order to be an ally, I do believe it is a good idea to leave them be, mostly because I do not feel like it's worth the effort to fight them. Theirs is a doomed endeavour anyway."
"As for stopping them from killing the witnesses, that is something that would not only cause direct conflict, it is also something I don't think of as being worth the effort. I personally feel that Humans deserve to die, no matter how. This group is no different, and they also have the added benefit of being replaceable."
"Marvelous."
Vernon was indifferent for hearing of the Order's recent conduct with Ei. He was well aware of their tendency for deceit, yet he was not ready to explain their intricate nature to Ei. Doing so would take a great deal of time, and time was of the essence at the moment. Perhaps Ei would, in time, learn that the Order do and say nothing unless it serves their cause, even if by doing so lies must be bequeathed. As for humans... Vernon appeared less than bigoted for Ei's personal disdain towards them. He has had his fair share of disagreements with humans, but does not pigeonhole the entire race for the deeds of those relative few who have performed misdeeds towards him.
"I am of a different opinion." He is straight with Ei, though lacking emotional commitment. "Most humans I have become acquainted with are petty, judgmental, discriminate and self serving. Yes. The majority of this group, in case your antipathy has blinded you, are detached from the run-of-the-mill humankind."
Vernon regards his daughter while giving the matter further thought. He than addressed Ei to conclude:
"To simply say, the order have lied to you. But as you have mentioned without sufficient knowledge to substantiate such a claim, the orders endeavor may be doomed to fail, or not.... I for one prefer to make sure it does. Let it be known right now, they have succeeded in their cause far more than you realize throughout the ages. On either accord, I will not allow them to succeed in the ineffectual destruction of more lives. Stand back and allow these few and rare decent humans to die if you must. I will not."
He now gives a stern look to Annie. "For reasons I have explained, I deeply regret not being a direct part of your life until now, but I did what I had to do. I don't deserve your love, I don't deserve your obedience. All I ask now is that you consider following me into battle to defend these humans, some of which you have even chosen as father to your child. I could use your help, Anne, you and that shaman you have growing inside you.... The decision is yours." He looks to Ei with one last word. "If you are intent on abandoning these humans then... I will need to assist in your cause once I'm done defending their honor. Now would be a good time to remove the void from outside this wretched house."
Walking away without granting Ei the room to respond, Vernon enters the hallway and looks kindly upon all present.
"In case you haven't noticed, your lives are in danger. I will help you fight."
Annie listens intently to her fathers words, but displays no emotion until he has departed, at which point she turns to Ei, a look of great acumen in her narrowing eyes.
"The fathers of my unborn will not die. Remove the void."
Fred is wearing a flannelette shirt and torn jeans but no shoes, sitting on the brick wall of an island garden outside of a pizza shop, slurping a cola slurpee.
Gwen stiffens, her shoulders tensing and her fingers digging into the wood she sits on.
With a sharp [i]crunch, [/i]her boots hit the ground. She darts between the wolves with the speed of a bird in flight, arms outstretched as though to catch the air. A high-pitched whistle leaks through her gritted teeth as she runs.
Bark is scraped from the branch as the invisible entity quickly pursues Gwen. The wolves, for an instant, regard each other with blank expression before also giving chase. Gwen can no doubt hear the patter of paws begin to close in, their formation spanning out in an attempt to encircle her. The hasty sound of human-like footsteps are approaching more directly behind her.
Ace stares blankly at the wolves, letting their arms fall to their sides. Their eyes calmly slide from the wolves to the shadow and back again. "What are you here for?" they ask, flatly.
“Blood of the witnesses shall be purged.”
Ace hears the dilapidated voice come not from any of the wolves, rather from an entity standing close behind. Accompanying these words is a shot of hot breath and the stench of flesh decay.
The wolves now begin to close in on her position. They move steady, watchful, cautious.
Ei, as promised, follows Annie into the dining room, glaring at Jack as she passes him. "Smells like you?" Ei asks Annie, slightly confused. "How do you know that? Besides, why would he smell like you in the first place?"
As Ei enters the dining room after Annie does, she pulls the door closed behind them to ensure those outside don't get to hear the conversation going on. "So, you wanted to speak to us, Vernon?"
Vernon excuses his manners and focus's his attention on Annie for the moment, demeanor calm and soothing.
“It’s apparent that you have identified me by scent, Annie. You’re correct, I am a member of the Order, or so I should[/i] have been. Like yourself I was born in Waise and made to follow in the footsteps of my parents before me. I however did not succumb to their will. At a young age I rebelled against their teachings. In turn, the Order turned the townspeople against me by way of mind manipulation. I escaped this town by killing many of the townsfolk that perused me. For many years I managed to elude the Order and lived much as nomad travelling many lands. Eventually, however, I returned to Waise on account of an irresistible urge to procreate with a member of my own kind. I met a woman of the Order here. We loved each other… for a time. She swore to keep my existence a secret. Eventually, the powers in the child we bore alerted the Order of my presence. I was forced into hiding again, but this time I didn’t leave town. Instead, I changed my physical appearance and hid within the towns itself, taking up the role of the local Blacksmith. I didn’t flee because… I felt the need to keep a watchful eye on my daughter…. Annie, I was the first in a long line descendants to defy the Order. They have long since given up on me.” Vernon winks at her. “It is good to see my own daughter has followed in my footsteps.”
Annie takes a pace back, a deep breath denoting the impact of what she was hearing. She covers her nakedness by buttoning up the coat in the way it was meant to be worn. In turn, Vernon gives her a nod of approval.
“Your mother no doubt told you I had perished, or perhaps that I had left when you were young. …She lied to you.”
Annie does not speak, her face scrunches up in immense deliberation, eyes fixated on Vernon
Vernon now turns his attention to Ei.
“My daughters… pregnancy aside, I am grateful for the protection and kinship you have provided. I will endeavor to assist you in any way I am able in your purpose. There is a, uh… little problem, though. You may have heard the wolves outside. No doubt you did. They are not actual wolves, only the representation of them. They’re an extension of the Order, referred to as the Sanction. Members of the Sanction are represented in a way that proves safe in manner of murder without concern for the Order being further identified. Anyone in town who has been witness to the Order will perish at the hand of them today. Ei, before commencing on your personal pursuit, I suggest we take care of this problem. These people don’t deserve to die like this.”
Jord, upon feeling the touch on his shoulder by something, slowly turned around while using his left hand to unsheath his steel sword.
Jord turns to see no visible sign of anyone, only the reeking breath on his face confirms their presence. The distinct sensation of a tongue is then felt to move up the side of his face. The surface of the tongue is coarse, similar to that of a cat. While this is taking place the patter of paws quickly close in around him. The wolves are making their move.
Gwen shuffles uneasily, but doesn't move. Slowly, she lifts her legs over the branch, turning herself around in order to better watch the wolves. A silver-gray feather drifts from one of her sleeves.
The lips of the snarling wolf fold back over to hide its teeth, though its eyes remained narrowed. It now seems to be inquisitive, angling its head sideways to watch the feather drift from Gwen's sleeve. The other two wolves, still positioned on either side of her, remain quietly watchful, paying no mind to the feather. It is in this moment that Gwen becomes aware of another presence, made known only by a shot of warm breath against her cheek. The breath of the invisible entity carries with it the stench decayed flesh.
Ace freezes, standing statue-still, eyes carefully roving over the wolves. Finally, they withdraw their hand, letting their fingers drop to show that nothing is in it.
The lead wolf rises to all fours. It's tail sways to one side and back, not completing a full wag while it continues to snarl at Ace. The wolf on its left remains seated, unchanging. The wolf to Ace's left shuffles a foot closer, lowering its head, eyes rolled up at her as a low reverberating growl escapes its mouth. The shadow of a raven flickers over Ace, making itself known as it circles overhead. If Ace is thinking, this of itself would seem peculiar, for the morning sun is still low in the sky and could not be responsible for casting shadow from above.
Jord kept watching the wolves, ready for any strike they might make. Suddenly he realized that the wolves seemed smarter than ordinary wolves, and thought it might be better to try to communicate with them rather than trying to find them. "Good boys," he said, "now stay while I go find something to eat." He said as he attempted to pass the wolves.
The ears of all three wolves shift and tweak at Jord's words, listening intently. The wolves on either side of Jord follow alongside him while the lead wolf moves to block his path when he attempts to pass them by. The lead wolf then raises its head in an exerted manner, as if maybe it were attempting to pick up the scent of distant food.
It is now that Jord becomes aware of a fourth presence, made known by what could have possibly been a hand pressing gently down on Jord's shoulder from behind. The contact is accompanied by a shot of warm breath on his neck, the smell of decayed flesh, and a deep, decrepitude voice.
Ei sighs. "You haven't finished what I had you do yet, but Ki still lives so all is fine I suppose." She says, glancing at Ki while Vernon attempts to calm Boris.
Then Vernon speaks again, suggesting Ei and Annie follow him. Ei looks at Annie to see how she responds.
"I think it's best we follow him, see what he has to say. After all, if he is a threat to us he can be dealt with, no?" Ei says, waiting for Annie to head to the Dining Room to follow her.
Annie's interest is still captured by Vernon, watching his every move with deep interest. Not one of those affected by his spellbinding words, she is nevertheless willing to follow him.
She gives Ei a glance, stating; "He smells like me." and starts her short trek down the hallway. Passing Jack along the way, she provides him a flirtatious wink while biting her lip. She then enters the dining room to face Vernon, checks over her shoulder to ensure Ei has followed.
Vernon has his arms nonchalantly folded, back rested against the far wall of the room. He wears an emotionless face.
Ei simply smiles at Jack. "Don't worry, I already know your name, Jack. Anyway, that cat." Ei points at Buttons. "How much for it?"
Ei turns her attention back to Annie. If Jack and such were willing to sell Buttons, they'd mention the price even when Ei's attention was elsewhere. If not, she'd just take Buttons in a not-so-peaceful manner.
"Well, sort-of. I wanted to speak with you about what they said, and how it matters to us." Ei says, unaware that Annie's attention is currently vested on Vernon. Only when Vernon speaks does she actually notice he's there. "And I see that you are still alive, so you've succeeded at protecting Ki so far. Though, I never did get your name, did I?" Ei asks, grinning towards Vernon. Before turning her attention back towards Annie "But yes, Annie, you really should wear something less... revealing."
"Well, that makes things convenient, then. As for the cat, it wouldn't be my call; it belongs to Bob, so you'll have to negotiate prices with him."
Jack looks around as he hears the call of the wolves. "Wolves... or perhaps another set of monsters?" Either way, once they had left the mansion they would have to exercise caution; it would be a shame, after all, to have survived everything that had occurred over the course of the previous day only to die to mundane wolves.
When the group reached Ei, Annie, Jack and whoever else was still within viewing distance, Chisille changed her position from next to Betty to behind her instead. Too many new others stood before her, including Vernon. She caught a strong whiff of someone that smelt oddly familiar, even though she didn't recognize anyone directly before her. In between her nervous glances and constant checks of the others behavior, she narrowed the scent down to two individuals. The cloak wearing Annie, or Ei.
Chisille couldn't quite pinpoint when or where she recognized the scent from previously, and she was not feeling brave enough to figure out which of the pair was the culprit either.
Bob didn't pay too much attention to the howling wolves outside, after all they were just wolves and nothing too unusual, but he is getting a little antsy about Buttons. It was clear that Jack wasn't about to give Buttons away without permission, since it wasn't his cat to give, but Bob didn't trust Annie or Ei, and the arrival of the newcomers, Vernon, some odd looking farm and a young dragon, wasn't helping his comfort levels. He had originally asked Jack to retrieve the cat because being unarmed and dressed in a tattered evening wear wasn't exactly a condition to be making any bold moves in the face of two powerful beings, but the time had come to suck up some courage and save his cat from possibly being catnapped by force.
Hoping he wasn't going to interrupt the ensuing conversation between Ei and Vernon and draw attention to his advance, he takes a deep breath and walks quickly to Jack, taking the cat from his arms.
"Thanks, Jack." He whispers, and taking a few steps back.
Buttons didn't seem very relaxed either. Bob wasn't even sure if the young cat even recognized him and his little body was shaking nervously, unable to get comfortable in Bobs arms.
"Don't worry, Buttons," He strokes the cat behind the ears to try and subdue him; "everything is gonna be fine."
Boris steps up beside Bob, smiling broad at the kitten in his arms. "Awwww... that sure is a cute little cat. I wish I had a cat just like that."
Then Boris' attention is drawn to the young dragon hiding behind Betty. He recognized the dragon from dinner, and was happy to see it, but he didn't recognize Betty, Vernon or Ei. Annie of course was till being her very naughty self, but Boris for some reason didn't feel like begrudging her at that moment. It was possible all the many things taking place, plus the joy of seeing the dragon, was overriding his disdain for the girl.
Unfortunately, as Boris angled his head to take a better look at the dragon, he noticed the bloody bandage around her tail. Someone had hurt the little dragon! His heart suddenly sunk in his chest as his jaws clenched shut and teeth began to grind. The sound of the grinding was kinda loud as his blood pressure caused his eyes to bleed red with fury. His hands became white-knuckled fists as he then broke from his stance and strode towards the Farm girl and dragon. Paying no consideration to the conversation between the others, his feet stomp heavily into place as he stops a meter from Betty and Chisille, and raises his voice to demand answers.
"Who hurt you, baby dragon?! BORIS CRUSH THEIR SKULL!"
At the other end of the Hall, Herman forgets about Silas and doesn't even notice when the guy disappears. The green coils of energy continue to make their way up his/her arms while he concentrates his focus on Annie, but the sudden arrival of Vernon and the others makes him think twice. He puts a stop to his spell and the power rescinds. The coiling energy moving up his arms disperses harmlessly into the air.
He frowns disappointed, shaking his head and giving his chest a caress to comfort himself. "In time then.... A better opportunity will come."
Vernon throws a glance down the hallway at Ki, then regards Ei with a look of obvious assurance.
"Call me Vernon. Should I be feeling pleased to see you again at this point?" He was obviously referring to the fact that his mission was not yet complete, but he now looks to Boris who has made no small measure of bringing attention to his presence as he stomps heavily to a close in front of the young and frightened dragon. He waits for Boris to declare his intentions to Chisille before responding.
"Careful there, lad. Try not to spook those you aim to protect." He looks back past Betty, and raises his hand at Chisille in a calming gesture. "Don't worry, he's no threat to you, Darl'n." His voice is smooth and mildly sedative. If Chisille was provoked by Boris' outburst, she would have no doubt been strangely set at ease by Vernon's voice.
While Annie continues to stare at Vernon as though he were a fascinating painting on a wall, Vernon speaks once again with Ei. His tone of voice is now... peculiarly seductive. ...Bewitching. Ei would most likely find his suggestion near impossible to refuse:
"Speaking of chats, I would like to have a private one with you...." His eyes turn to Annie; "...and Anne of the Redferne. Follow me."
As he walks down the hallway toward the entrance to dining room, he raises his voice in an unnaturally spellbinding, persuasive manner to all others present in the hallway. "The rest of you remain here."
Vernon enters the empty dining room and awaits Ei and Annie to join him.
Jord, after looking around for a bit, suddenly spotted the wolves. "Three wolves huh? How odd." He said to no one in particular. He quickly checked his gear to see if he had any food left, but he had none.
He then took his silver sword out of its sheath and stabbed in into the ground so he could be ready if the wolves were to attack. Jord leaned on it, and stared back at the wolves with as much, if not more, intensity as they were staring at him.
The black wolves react to Jord's movements with the greatest intrigue, watching his every move. The center wolf reveals three sets of canine teeth when Jord draws the sword. Its glare, now oddly displaying more intelligence than the eyes an average wolf, is fixed on Jord's, while the wolves on either side of it break off; one taking a position to the left of Jord, the other to the right.
Uyir glances up from towards the gaping hole, sighing quietly. He never really liked wolves, they travelled in packs. Difficult to fight alone, and whatnot. However, he was getting bored sitting here in this room, and may as well go onwards! He grabs his shield and glances around the room, before climbing out of the hole to Waise at large.
Uyir steps out to Waise at large and can no doubt see Jord nearby. Jord is being confronted by three black wolves, however, so is Uyir. The three black wolves with scarlet stares are seated before him, positioned between Jord and himself. Their fixed stares are intense, yet they do not show any current sign of hostility.
Gwen tenses, staring at the wolves with bloodshot eyes. With sharp, dainty motions, she tugs on her gloves, first one, then the other, her pigeon tumbling from her arms and taking to the air. It lands on a nearby rooftop.
None of the three wolves give attention to the fleeting pigeon. They are however alerted by Gwens sharp, tugging motions. The two wolves on either side break away as the center wolves snarls, revealing three sets of canine teeth, while its narrowed eyes now reveal more than just animal intelligence. The other two wolves take a standing position to the left and to the right of Gwen.
Ace stares blankly at the wolves. Carefully, so as not to startle them, they reach into their cloak. Their dark eyes flicker to Jord and back.
The three black wolves scrutinize Aces every move, as if perhaps awaiting a treat. Once the hand of the person of yet undisclosed gender reaches into their cloak, the center wolf curls its lip to expose three sets of canine teeth. It's eyes now seem oddly enhanced, a narrowed glare that depicts more than animal intellect. It's new demeanor is noted by the wolf to its right and accordingly breaks off from the three, circling around and taking a standing position to Aces left. The lead wolf continues to snarl, its glare fixed upon Ace's eyes. The wolf to its left remains in its former state of scrutiny for Ace.
When Aella noticed the white wolf she turned her attention towards it, looking at it with intrigue. She is worried upon hearing the other wolves throughout the town of Waise and takes a step back, in preparation for any possible conflict that might occur.
The white wolf is attentive, watching Aella's every move. Once she takes a step back, it flares its nostrils, raises its snout, eyes narrowing slightly while analysing the girls scent. It now seems... uninterested in Aella as it back-steps, disappearing into the darkness beyond the threshold.
Edit:
OOC: K9, for those who are not aware, is an abbreviation for Military canine, or army dog. In this case, the abbreviation was made in haste and was meant to relate the canine teeth, while simultaneously proclaiming the wolves military status. It has, however, been brought to my attention that my efforts to be... cryptic, for lack of a better word, was only seen as confusing. I have edited according. If there are ever any questions in regards to the content of my posts, please do not hesitate to PM me for clarification.
Uyir nods to Vernon, heading over to one of the crates and prying it open to examine its contents. Perhaps there would be something useful. He glances over back at Vernon. He did not truly trust the man, which was something he learned back in Lordran, but he was an experienced traveling companion, and far from the least trustworthy in the group.
While Uyir continues to slowly ponder Vernon in front of the crates, his deep concentration is broken by the chorus of howling wolves. The sound of their song can clearly be heard through the gaping hole in the rubble that Ace had left in their wake some hours earlier.
"Oh, hmm... Nothing much... I guess?" says Allie, quietly looking downwards and brushing off the mud stuck to her dress. "Anyway, do you know where the rest of the people in this place is? Maybe you can take me to them..."
The girl scratches her head.
"To be completely honest, I've only seen one person in the past week, and he didn't look like a resident to me... Anyway, it's late, do you plan on spending the night in a random house here, or what? It's not safe to be out on the streets at night."
Allison, her associate, and her new lady friend, hear the eruption of wolves howling. The eerie sound can be heard coming from all directions, yet not one wolf can yet be seen.
Gwendolyn stares at the mansion, her eyes glinting balefully in the dull light of the night sky. She can feel it, shining on her like a sun, bathing her in invisible light that crawls beneath her skin and claws at the insides of her veins. Her gloves are forgotten, draped on a nearby branch. Her hands itch.
I should run, she thinks, absently. A trickle of blood tickles her lip as another wave of energy washes over the building. The pigeon sits in the crook of her arm, staring glassily at nothing at all.
She smiles, reveling in the silent stillness of a bird caught in the cat's teeth. It is a silence born of a place beyond fear.
While Gwen stares through the void in direction of the mansion, she hears the heavy patter of paws behind her. Soon after the chorus howl of wolves is heard throughout the town. If she were to turn around, she would find three large, black wolves have gathered five meters from her position. The three wolves seat themselves in a row, staring at her with scarlet, scrutinizing eyes.
Ace's eyes blink open in the dark. They drift to where Vernon and Sunset had been sleeping.
Flicking their gaze to the still-blocked door, the empty spot, and back again, they scramble to their feet. For a second, there is silence.
The altar wrenches itself from the ground, its carvings and decorations shattering and peeling like bits of shed snakeskin. With an unsettling, unnatural motion, it abruptly plows through one of the walls. It leaves a gaping hole before smashing into the ground outside.
Ace gingerly steps through the gap and into the light of the stars outside.
Before the church of Waise, a strange blue rift suddenly opened. It began growing larger quickly, and soon the anomaly was affecting the area around it as strange enemies emanated from it. Suddenly a loud flash, and Jord, very confused, fell out of the rift. Soon after the strange rift in space dissapeared as quickly as it had appeared.
Jord stood up and looked around, confused, but soon realized he was back at the church, not sure if he even left the building.
Three abnormally large, black wolves with eyes of scarlet spectrum are seated in a row on the steps of the church. These wolves display no current hostility, yet their intensely inquisitive stare is set on Jord, and nothing else. The sound of chorus howling is heard throughout the town.
Perhaps... if Ace is also present after freeing themselves from the rubble, they too would lay witness to three other wolves matching the same description. They would be seated nearby and staring at her intently.
After a long journey from Tiago, Aella was resting next to a house in Waise. She takes a deep breath of the cold, crisp morning air and smiles slightly. She smells something sweet and pleasurable nearby; the familiar scent of a flower. The scent leads her attention to where it stands. The flower seems almost lonely as it reaches to the sky from a crack between cobblestone nearby. With her bow gripped close to her side, she stoops low to absorb more of its sweet scent. She caresses its petals with tip of her finger while she continues to survey the area.
The town is like she expected from the rumors she'd heard. There wasn't anybody in sight. Most of the houses appeared empty and abandoned, but one close to where she was had the door left wide open. The town of Waise seemed oddly calm and silent, eerily so.
It may have not been noticed at first glance, the presence of an animal. It may have been that Aella’s eyes needed to adjust to the distortion within the darkness, before she could properly discern the face of a wolf staring out from the open doorway. Its coat was pure and white as snow. Its eyes glowed a spectrum of purple hues. It would also appear the size of its head is considerably larger than that of a standard wolf.
The wolf does not withdraw to the house, move farther outside, or display any sign of hostility. It merely stares at Aella from the threshold of the house.
Once Aella acknowledge the wolf more wolves make themselves known, not visually, but rather by the sound of howling. The sound of their howls are heard coming from many directions throughout the town. It would seem Aella is not the only new visitor to Waise.
"Well sure! We could use all the help we can get!" Betty replies as her and little Chissy start following. "Sure a strong handsome son of a gun like yourself will come into use."
Betty then closes her mouth, realizing what the hell she just said to Vernon. WHY YOU GO AND CALL HIM HANDSOME FOR FOR YOU IDIOT! FIRST THE ANGEL AND NOW SOME VERY SUAVE OLD MAN - GOSH DAMN IT! WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO DAMN EASY ANYWAY! YOU HAVE ARIEL NOW, SO STOP LOOK'N AT THIS OLD MANS PERFECT BUTT!
Betty pulls her eyes off Vernon and looks down at Chissy when she asked the question. Her face is all kinda distorted because she's trying not to have all them thoughts about the old man!
"A physician? Oh - bub, We call them doctors back where I come from. Someone who deals with medicine and helps heal people. But I kinda agree with Yumon - I mean Vernon! You should really probably see a doctor or something like that."
Betty then addresses Vernon again, but tries real gosh darn hard not to look at his suave posture strutting its stuff down the hallway.
"So where'd you say we were going, you not so good look'n man? And don't go getting any funny ideas either, buddy - I've already got myself a man!"
Just then they hear some big old beastly voice yell out the word No from somewhere else in the mansion.
"Let me guess, we're headed to where all that 'I'm gonna damn well die right now' noise is coming from. Am I right or am I right?"
Vernon regards Betty with humor, sounding a soft chuckle as he continues to lead her and Chisille through mansion, but refrains from speaking any more until they arrive at their destination....
Ei happily returns the kiss, not caring about being in plain sight. After all, all those who'd witness it are doomed anyway, no reason to care about the thoughts of a dead man.
"That one huh? I'll figure out a way." Ei whispers, looking at Buttons while she does so. "But first, can I talk to you in private? It's a bit important, but you can talk with these people afterwards, okay?"
As Annie seems to either not figure out or not care about the purpose of the cloak, Ei sighs. She considers correcting Annie, but that can wait
...Annie seems disappointed in Ei's request. She screws her mouth to one side, thinking on the matter while watching Jack leave with buttons in arm. As she watches Bob and Buttons reunite, the distinctive sound of wolves howling can be heard from outside the mansion. The sound penetrates the walls of the mansion like a haunting melody as Annie turns her attention back to Ei.
"They spoke to you, didn't they? They made you feel safe.... They told you what you wanted to hear... didn't they?" She extends her arm and gently runs her finger down Ei's nose. "The dogs have come, Ei. The cleansing has begun. No one who has seen them will survive. I want to speak with the-"
Annie's mouth claps shut as her eyes turn to look past Ei at Vernon, as he enters the hall alongside Chisille and Betty.
Vernon stops his walk when he arrives behind Ei in the hallway, his eyes immediately meeting with his daughters glare. Though Annie may have recognized his face as a familiar resident of Waise, possibly even a member of the Order, she couldn't have yet known she was looking at her own father.
"Don't be getting pessimistic on me, Annie," Vernon speaks in a firm yet gentle tone. "It isn't over till the fat lady sings." He lowers his eyes to her stomach and nods. "Congratulations.... Now put some clothes on."
Ezmond sure is glad Bob has his soul back, be he sure ain't none too pleased to see the complications. The appearance of Herman in Trixie's body was more than just a little troubling, and made him wonder what other yet unseen effects the spell had on the people around the place. He kinda feels regret for persisting with the spell when he knew something was hot diggity wrong. While Jack and Annie and the others are being all skeptical about one another, Ezmond just kinda stands around analyzing everyone's behavior to see if he can't pick up on where the previous occupant of Bob's body snuck off to. He had a feeling this occupant was one of a demonic kind, and it wouldn't have gone too far since demons don't like traveling great distances in their search for another body and all that sort of stuff.
He also feels a little gosh darn reluctant to approach Ei when she arrives in all that smoke. He'd had his fair share of dealing with them mysterious magic kind before, and most of them turned out to be bad news in the end. So he just kinda held his tongue and figured she'd come on over and introduce herself if she really wanted to get to know him.
But then he wasn't too happy to see that Annie girl making a mockery of decency either, he wanted to give her a good piece of her mind, but on account of those other matters of importance going round in his head, he held his tongue on that one too.
But then it happened! the big ol crack from the next room, followed by that loud beastly yell, which kinda gave Ezmond some indication of where that Demon went off too. Sounded like whoever was in the next room was encountering a bit of trouble for themselves. Now since he was feeling all responsible for setting the Demon free of its previous spell, he went on ahead and opened the door to the next next room, which just so happened to be the kitchen. Just as the door opened, he saw a great ol beastly creature charging at some poor little man in a golden cape. Didn't seem to Ezmond like that little man had much of chance. Ezmond so too saw some other guy with wings, and judging by the look in that guys eyes, Ezmond knew exactly where that demon soul had gone!
First things first though! Ezmond had to stop that little man from getting hurt by that big beastly thing with a sword stuck in its neck, so without even a gosh darn second to lose, he raised both hands open and yelled out, STOP! -
Instantaneously, the charging beast was frozen in its tracks, and was the only one effected by the spell. He looks at the Demon possessed man and the other golden cloaked man down on his knees and asked them straight up:
"What in gosh darn tarnation is going on around here??"
Renard grimaced as feelings of regret begin to surface upon sight of the beast charging him.
"Spent," hissed Renard angrily, referring to his now-empty pistol sword. This was it for him. He would die without any feats to speak of. His consciousness ebbed with every second. Black mists swirled at the edges of his mind, bringing him to his inevitable oblivion. Fuzzy, indecipherable images began to bleed into his vision. Every jostle sends ripples of pain through his entire body. It occurred to Renard during this that a few fractured ribs could not possibly be painful enough for hallucinations to appear.
There were no more gambits, and no more tricks up his sleeve. Renard gathered enough will to try to move his frozen body and make possibly his last move. His perception of time seemed to slow down as he watched the beast move incredibly fast towards him. If it was smart, it would most certainly catch him if he tried to roll out of the way. He curses his sword, which hadn't stopped violently shaking and had now started to produce a ominous red glow.
'This kind of sucks,' he thought to himself as he launched into a defensive lunge, his sword directly aiming to pierce the beast. Something that takes a matter of a few seconds seems like hours to him. His eyes close tightly.
Renard hits the floor face-down with a dull thud. His sword, still shaking violently, clatters on the ground. Had he missed the beast? How was he still alive? He recalls a single word having been yelled whilst he lunged at the beast, though he couldn't make the hazy voice out in the heat of the moment.
He rolls over and faces the ceiling with a sigh. The pain was getting worse, but at the same time it was starting to become number. After a short few moments he hears a voice speak out, questioning what was happening, in a strangely familiar accent that he had heard before.
"I ask myself that question everyday," he mutters to himself.
While Renard comes to lay face up on the floor and the demon prolongs his next move, the haunting chorus of wolves breaks Ezmond's spell on Ezra. In less than an instant he realizes he has been freed, then in one continuous motion he removes the sword from his neck, takes three long strides towards Renard, and drives the sword down through his stomach, pinning him to the floor.
With a hair raising screech of victory, he takes his sights to Ezmond while cocking his head to listen at the wolves.
"I have been relieved of duty."
In his closing words, Ezra glances at the demon in Arial's body before changing to his ethereal form, fading into the air and passing out sight through the nearest wall.
All those in the town of Waise have heard the call of the wolf.
We have an empty box, a moody book, and we have a monitor. Our options are thus limited. With these... limited options at hand, I suggest the monitor is touch sensitive.
We will touch the screen. If this fails, we will place the book against the screen to see if the screen and the book are interactive components. If this however fails, and in the stringent belief that the empty box will not assist our cause, we have nothing to lose by kicking said box in frustration. Alas, if all these things do fail, I am certain another gamer will provide a more... colorful possibility.
With just talking happening between the pair of humans, Chisille didn't really have much to do apart from just watching and listening, not just to the conversation in front of her, but to the other occurrences around the mansion as well. The explosion vibrating through the floorboards and up her legs was obvious to everyone, though what wouldn't have been obvious was the certain smell that she could detect wafting into the hall. Being forced to live with a wizard taught her certain things, like what the smell of an alchemical formula exploding was like. Usually it didn't smell like fresh pine, but it always had something about it when it went wrong.
'More reasons to keep alert I suppose, not that I'm ever going to stop needing to look in this place... There are smells of humans and... other things everywhere. So many of them in this place. We should leave when we can...' she thought to herself as she noticed that Vernon was watching her quite intently. He seemed to have this particular look on his face, though she had absolutely no idea what it could mean. In any case, being watched like that halted any intentions of going up to him and giving him a nip. 'I wasn't really going to do it anyway, so... why did I even think about it?' she mentally sighed. 'Must be to do with all that mind stuff that's been going on. Has to be.' she assured herself.
As Vernon turns to leave down the hall, she figures that's her and Betty's cue to start leaving as well. Provided Betty follows as well, she sticks close to her. Not too close though, she might be friendly with Betty but there's no reason to smother her legs with her own scales. Along the way Chisille looks up at her farm girl companion. "What's a physician?" she asks in a barely audible whisper.
Out of character: Will respond once Pandolen has replied.
Ei curiously listens to The Order's information, their promises and their threats until she finds herself back in the attic again. She looks around the room, cautious about the potential risk of another illusion. After she concludes that there is no other illusion, she looks around the room. It takes her all of three seconds to realise Annie is gone and that it's daytime, but she soon figures out that Annie probably woke up and is in another part of the building. Deciding that it's probably a good idea to go and find her, Ei fades into a thin, black smoke, leaving the attic empty.
"You want a kitten? We could get a kitten if you want one." Ei says, her voice coming from behind Annie as the black smoke gathers and Ei emerges from it, holding a large cloak which she gives to Annie to wear until they find actual clothes. "Sorry for not being present earlier Annie, I had some business that needed finishing but I'm here now." She says, smiling. "Shall we go, or do you want to chat with these... people some more first?" Ei says, glaring at the other people in the hallway.
Jack continues to avoid looking at Annie as she speaks to him. "...there's been quite a bit of... excitement as of late, though I'm not sure 'fun' is the word I'd use to describe it," he states somewhat reluctantly as he kneels to pick up Buttons; as he feels the now-known to him sensation of being licked, he grimaces, remembering the false Boris from before. Almost instinctively- and against his better judgement- he glances at Annie's face, stumbling backwards slightly as he manages to stand back up rather than fall backwards to the floor again as he realizes Annie hadn't moved at all from her position a few feet away, not to mention the grin on her face and the change in the color of her eyes. He blinks as he hears the voice of the child, uncertain what it is saying- or how it is saying it.
As the voice subsides, he rubs his face with his free hand in an attempt to wipe Annie's saliva off of it, and as his hand brushes against his nose he realizes that the sharp pain in it has disappeared completely; he presses his nose with his finger, confirming that it has healed. Looking at Annie, evidently confused, he asks, "You... fixed my nose?", uncertain what could have motivated her to do such a thing.
Jack backs off as Ei glares, something about her presence making him particularly inclined not to incur her wrath. Given her behavior with Annie, he can only assume she's both the lover that she had mentioned before, and the one that Maras had referred to as Lady Ei. He takes a breath, building up his composure before stating, "I take it you are the one that Maras and Lyudmila serve... Lady Ei?"
Amusement could be described as Annie's demeanor while watching Jack's response, yet at the posing of his question as to why she might be inclined to heal his nose, she simply tilts her, oddly curious, replying;
"What?"
Ei now arrives.
Annie spins about about, like a child turning after a long awaited surprises to face Ei. Her expression the purest picture of delectation.
"Ei!" The name is spoken as though Ei had been the water found after days lost in the desert. She springs from her place, ignoring the cloak for now, practically lunging as she wraps her arms around her lover, immediate locking their mouths for a lengthy and passionate kiss. Once the moment has ended, Annie does not question Ei's absence. Before pulling away, she brings her mouth to Ei's ear, and whispers softly these words:
"I want that cat."
Now standing back to allow Ei room to answer Jack's question, but first stating for all to hear "I will stay and talk with these people", she takes the cloak from Ei's hand and puts it on while Ei and Jack converse.
Annie, however, does not wear the cloak as a cloak was intended to be worn, but rather like that of a cape. Securing the top button, the cloak is draped over her shoulders, her arms not sleeved, her frontal region still uncovered.
It was soon after this, while Annie is admiring her new attire, that the crack from the adjacent kitchen sounds. Yet she does not flinch. She noes not seem surprised at all. She simply raises her face, shifting her eyes down the hall to meet those of Herman's. Once Herman returns her look to Annie, Herman receives a voice in his mind. Herman may have been too far away for the others to hear his words, but apparently that was not the case for Annie....
"Uh.. yeah, thanks Boris." Bob replies and turns his look to Ki. "And hi there, kid." He holds out his hand to her, "Bob's the name, good to meet you."
It was then that the loud crack erupted from the room next door. Buttons arched his back, hissed, and dug his claws into Jack's boot. Bob jumped with a little surprise, but just kinda raised his eyebrows with a look of 'whatever', keeping his hand extended to Ki. Boris chuckled.
Since assaulting Silas, Ki has been quietly and patiently watching, waiting. After careful deliberation, she decides to take Bob's hand and gives a small shake.
Renard, noticing the convenient opportunity, carefully tries to line up his shot. The sword shakes in his hands-- mostly due to the agonising pain in his ribs. He pauses for a few seconds in order to catch his breath and hold it long enough to keep his aim steady, a short period of time that may unfortunately leave enough time for some damage to be done to Ariel's wings.
"The two don't look too different from each other," mutters Renard as a passing observation. "Demon and beast..."
His moral compass starts to spin wildly out of control. Whoever he shoots, the outcome would not be good either way. There was no right choice to make-- only his loyalty for his friend could make his decision.
The pistol sword shoots and the air shatters with a loud crack. The bullet tears through space, and silence falls in its wake.
The demon is fast, but the beast Ezra is equally fast and powerful, apparently more powerful than those Order drones, one of which he had killed with ease earlier in library.
Before he knows it, Ezra is behind him and viciously pulling at Ariel's wings. The pain is excruciating, like someone attempting to pull bones out from his back. He can feel the flesh begin to rip under the strain, and Ezra's hold on him allows for very little movement. But this body wasn't the demons, and he could soon find another body to dwell in if this one died, so making a possibly damaging effort to loosen Ezra's hold was seen as his best course of action.
With all the power his angel body could generate, and despite doing so may result in losing a wing, the demon thrusts one shoulder away, causing both him and Ezra to spin in unison as the blast from Renard's weapon shattered the room.
A moment of silence fell.
The demon stood still, now in a position to stare wide-eyed at Renard as then the sound of Ariel's voice broke the quiet moment -
"Be careful with my body!"
Renard, the demon, and Ezra would have heard his voice coming from somewhere near the ceiling, echoing out as if desperately escaping the confines of another dimension just long enough to make himself known.
A second later, a fleeting ghostly image of a manlike form passed in front of Renard.
At the same time, the demon came to terms with the fact that one of Ariel's wings had come close to being torn completely from his back, but looking down at his body and feeling no other pain besides that of his wings, it was clear that Renard's shot had missed him.... But where did it strike? He turns his eyes to Ezra who had loosened his grip, and assuming that Ezra had been struck by Renard's fire, the demon raised Ariel's sword in one swift movement and drove it into Ezra's neck for a finishing blow.
The demons move caused Ezra to loosen his grip and become off balanced while the sound of Renard's shot stunned the room. Ezra releases one wing to move back his arm and regard the smoke billowing from the small hole in his side. No blood is present. Simultaneously, the demon makes his next move, thrusting Ariel's sword into his neck -The sword exits the other side as Ezra stumbles away screeching, turning as he does so and causing the sword to be yanked from Ariel's grip. He continues to stumble to the center of the room, away from the demon and raises his arms in a cross formation as he yells out the word NO loud enough for all in the mansion to hear.
Ezra's wounds do not appear to be fatal, only serving to anger him. Without first removing the sword from his neck, he sets his sights on Renard and starts charging at him with great speed, his massive clawed hands ready to rip the small man apart.
Sam's suspicious. It wasn't normal for a guy to act so damn calm with the threat of death in his face. But that doesn't necessarily mean he was responsible for the things taking place around here, all it meant for now is that he wasn't any common sort, and that could prove to be dangerous.
Braun spins the knife thoughtfully in his hand while Sam rises to his feet.
"Late for a meeting?" Braun asks when Sam looks at his watch. When Sam requests a name, Braun shakes his head with a humored sneer. "No-no... I ain't that easy, and I fail to see the point of names at this stage. Tell me; you have something to do with whats going on around here?"
"No."
Sam's response is simple and to the point. No emotion is yet shown. He shifts to his right, seemingly losing temporary interest in the conversation, and opens the drawer of the desk. He then looks up from the contents of the drawer at Braun;
Chisille can feel her senses once more going on edge as she sees Ezra and Vernon's fight break up, preparing herself for when Ezra might return and finish off the fight. However until that time comes, she has Vernon himself and Betty to address. With the presence of another unknown humanoid nearby, the shy feeling when it came to talking peaked again, so instead of saying anything in reply to Betty asking if she's seen him before, she simply shakes her head before returning her attention to Vernon.
With Betty's threats to get information out of Vernon, he had responded by warning them that it would be worthless to do so. Chisille didn't exactly want to beat them up for information anyway, so she felt somewhat relieved at what he said. Just like the previous question, she kept her mouth closed and let Betty answer. She figured that letting her speak for the both of them wouldn't have any catastrophic consequences if it was just introductions.
Though Chisille did have a strange thought at the back of her mind that she couldn't get rid of, just lingering for the moment. She sorta wanted to bite Vernon. Not savagely though...
Betty keeps her hands smartly on his hips while Vernon gets around to answering her question. When he finally gets around to doing just that, Betty holds out her hand for some unknown god forsaken reason to shake Vernon's. Assuming that Vernon shakes her hand, she goes ahead and introduces herself as well.
"My name is Betty, and this here dear friend of mine is Chissy. Now Chissy here is a little shy and has been through a whole gosh darn lot these last few days and I'm aiming to put a stop to it. Seems to me like you're not one of the creeps causing these problems, but if you have any information that might help us out, any information would be appreciated!"
Just then a big ol explosion is heard in another part of the mansion! Trying to ignore the noise, Betty asks Vernon again;
"In case you haven't noticed, which I gosh darn to heck think you have, there's a whole lot of weird crap going on around this town. Now you're obviously someone tough enough to handle yourself! So are ya gonna go ahead and help us or not?"
Vernon queers, dropping his glance to the young female dragon, possibly aware of her urge to take a bite of him, yet he does not respond with words. He may almost appear humored by the dragons instincts. He does continue to listen to the farm girls rantings. Though it was not an entirely long speech, he poises in a moderately exhausted fashion near the closing of her words. Perhaps he is restraining his impatience. In the end, he gives the girl a candid wink.
"I know more than I'm willing to share at this stage, Betty. I have my own issues with the species you are after. But right now I have a young girl to reunite with, maybe we can work something out along the way. How does that sound?"
Without waiting for a response, Vernon provides the young dragon a comforting nod and turns to make his way down the hall.
"Keep your senses keen." He tells them, expecting them to follow. "And you might want a physician to take a look at those wounds, dragon."
"I do not believe you have the right to call Annie your 'child'. I believe slave would be a more accurate term. As for if she is the one I seek to avenge? No, for she still lives. Those I seek to avenge have long since ceased being among the living."
"We are not so unalike." The entity draws ever closer to Ei, as yet displaying no hostility. "I, The Order, understands a sense of vengeance. But Vengeance must be tempered.
The entity does pause for a moment, before reverting to the topic of Annie:
"We have every right to call Anne our child, for that is what she is. Do not think of her as human, for she is not. She is our child. As much as a princess is daughter to a King, a Prince a son to a Queen, Anne is of direct royal bloodline to our species. This fact can not be denied, especially by ignorance such as yours. You have no idea who she is or what you are dealing with. This is why we have found it in ours and your own best interest to terminate her existence... However!"
The entity takes a further moment to allow the information settle with Ei, then continues:
"We have found you to be neither born of the light or born of the darkness. You are... what we call... Rogue. We therefore would have no interest in you had you not shown interest in our daughter. This has never happened before. An outside relationship of intimacy with one of our royal members is unprecedented. But an unprecedented event must be treated accordingly. We have therefore come to a decision that treads upon new ground for us. You may consider our decision a test of your virtue....
...I, the Order, hereby grant you pass. I assign Anne of the Redferne to your keep. Consider her your... companion from this day forth. But rest assure, Ei, if our test in your virtue fails us; If Anne's existence outside the Order creates problematic instability to the universe, and we are almost certain it will, then we will hold you solely responsible. If that happens... we will return and terminate both of you without mercy. Believe me... we have ways to terminate even those who can return from that fickle thing called death.
Furthermore, we will continue to eliminate from Waise all witnesses to our cause, with you and Anne as the only exceptions. Ei, as your own gesture of good faith in return for what we have granted you this day, we expect you will keep word about the Order silent. You will speak of us to no one, and you will not stand in the way of our task to eliminate any remaining witnesses from Waise. I hope I have made myself clear....
SO GO!" The entity waves one arm in Ei's direction, creating a tornado-type wind that encompasses her person. "Return to your lover! But take heed to what I have said this day. We will be watching. Do not fail her. Do not fail us. Do not fail the balance of life.... Or we will return with our own vengeance."
Upon the closing of the entities speech, Ei finds herself standing in the attic of the mansion, her feet planted in precisely the same place she had been taken from.
Jack watches as Herman walks off towards Silas, his prior uncertainty compounded by the kiss he had received- which, as far as Jack could remember, would be the first. Some might consider that an achievement, though he didn't feel much of a sense of pride in being kissed by the soul of an old man inhabiting the body of a horse that had been turned into a woman. Regardless, he turned his attention back to Bob when he replied to Jack's offer and, when Bob asked him to retrieve Buttons for him, Jack took a brief glance at the kitten before turning back to Bob. "I'll see what I can do."
Jack walked over to the cat, keeping some sense of caution in case Annie did anything while avoiding glancing at the naked teenager that stood further down the hallway, watching them. He knelt down, attempting to pick up Buttons and- if the kitten hadn't run off or jumped out of his arms- makes his way back to the others.
Buttons lands beside Annie. Annie rises to her feet, caressing her rounding belly. Her lack of concern denotes the explosions ineffectiveness in harming her unborn child. She stares down at the cat, partially smiling as it speaks to her in its native tongue.
"You're a cute little thing." She replies to the kitten in a gentle whisper. "I would hope for a pet like you...."
Jack approaches cautiously from down the hall. Annie is aware of his intentions. She watches intently. When Jack is near to her, she speaks in a soft and... undeniably seductive tone:
"Hello Jack. Having... fun?"
Jack crouches down to pick up the kitten, as he does so he feels something wet probing his cheek, it moves swiftly to his nose, then whips about to tickle his ear. It is Annie's tongue. Though she did not move from her position, she had extended its length the few feet it took to make contact with Jack. If he were to look up at Annie in this instant, her tongue will snap back into her now grinning mouth. One of her eyes are purple, the other red. Another voice can also be heard. This voice is unmistakably coming from within Annie's belly. The voice of the child within her womb, though its words are unknown, perhaps heard by Jack as nothing more than playful gibberish.
As the voice within her grows quiet, Annie remains perfectly still, watching Jack with only the movement of her eyes. She is allowing him to take the cat. What may then come as a surprise to Jack, is the pain in his nose... it is no longer present. His broken nose has been healed.
In the kitchen, where Ariel is still waiting for Renard to respond in the face of attacking Ezra, the loud explosion out in the hallway is also heard. In the wake of the blast a dark shadow enters and crosses the room like a body of black smoke. It moves so fast and quietly that Ariel didn't even see it coming. It entered his body with a jolt that sends Ariel to his buttocks on the floor. He sits there in a daze for a moment as his eyes bleed red, his wings turn a deep shade of grey and his skin is covered in black, web-like lines. Two canine type fangs extend down from his upper jaw at the corners of his mouth. In an instant he's on his feet, his sickly looking wings fluttering as he stares at Ezra and then turns his attention to Renard, and says;
"Stay!" His voice is deep and ominous, completely unlike that of Ariels voice; "I've got this...."
Turning from Renard, Ariel, inhabited now by the demon, heads into battle against Ezra, floating above the floor as he swings his the sword at Ezra's neck with lightning speed.
The soul of Ariel, meanwhile, was thrown from Ariel's body when the demon entered, and is frantically circling the room invisible to everyone, desperately trying to come to grips with the fact that he is now no more than a ghost.
Renard stands still for a few moments as his gaze wavers between Ariel and the beast, completely unaware that he was taking much too long and that the beast would surely make its move very soon. He deliberated on whether he should be the one to go-- as he was the smallest and therefore most likely the most agile of the two of them, but he was unsure of whether he could really withstand the pain from the injury he had just taken. Finally, having made his decision, he shakes his head and turns to Ariel.
"Well, given the circumstances, you should--"
Suddenly, Renard is pushed back as if a large gust of air had hit him, joined with a loud explosive noise that reminded him of the times guns had exploded in his face conveniently when he showed them off to an audience. His impractically extravagant golden coat flutters in the air briefly. As he tightly closes his eyes, he suddenly feels a great sense of dread wash over him.
The dark voice that comes from Ariel jolts him awake-- directly looking at the 'angel', he stands there dumbfounded. He really had to throw away all his preconceptions about angels; was they really different from the fairy tales that his ma had told him, or was this man just an outlier? Frozen in confusion, he watches as Ariel rushes towards the enemy.
"So, this is how you play piggy in the middle," he thinks to himself vocally. "As long as it works, I suppose..."
As the pain in his ribcage was starting to pulsate, threatening to send him into a state of agony, he quickly kneels down. Mostly out of habit, Renard faux-unsheathes his sword from the air it had been occupying, accompanied by a 'shiiiiiing' sound that he makes with his mouth. He takes aim at the duo, waiting for a clear shot as to not hit his friend.
For what are probably not obvious reasons, Ezra remains still in wait, possibly evaluating the dialogue between the pair, for his inhuman ears continue to flicker and twist with analysis until the moment of the explosion in the adjacent hallway. At this, Ezra flinches to a crouched position then pauses, remaining as such while his beastly eyes observe the changes in Ariel. On completion of Ariel's transformation, Ezra appears cautious. Possibly to the point of showing a trace of fear. This change in him may denote his knowledge for what has happened to the angel. For a moment, his eyes turn as if to follow something unseen around the room.
When Ariel... the demon... finally makes his move, Ezra releases an inhuman shriek and moves with equal speed from the demons path of attack. In a moment Ezra is behind the demon with his back facing Renard, while using his powerfully clawed hands to grab hold of the demons wings in an attempt to rip them savagely from his back.
Betty and Chissy leave the bedroom, and Betty is about to release all fury on them two monsters fighting in the hallway when they suddenly stop fighting and one of them disappears through a wall and runs away or something. A little while after that Annie girl can be heard laughing. Then, which was really just gosh darn strange, the monster left in the hallway changed into the form of a man. But he wasn't any man Betty had ever seen before.
"You ever seen this gosh darn freak before?" She asks Chissy.
Then turning back to the freaky shape shifting man, she puts her hands smartly on her hips and demands some answers; "Now you hold on just one gosh darn minute there! You better go ahead and tell us just who you are and explain just what the heck is going on around here - or me and my cute little friend here are gonna open up a big ol can of whoop butt on ya!"
Vernon is still smiling at the sound of his daughters laughter when he turns to the young lady and dragon. He gives them a brief look over, no more deliberation than had he seen two strangers in passing on the street. His mind seems to be elsewhere as he scratches his chin and looks away down the hall, yet nevertheless answers Betty's question, mumbling;
"You'll waste your energy attempting to harm me, unfortunately." He looks back at the dragon, then up to the girl, now apparently present in thought. "Call me Vernon if you want. Uh... you are...?"
Braun stops upon entry, staring back at Sam for a while. Neither of the men revealing any emotion for the unexpected meeting. Seeing that this kinda weird looking guy is showing no signs of speaking, Braun finally opens his mouth with a deadpan voice.
"Make any sudden moves and I'll open your neck."
Sam seems... unperturbed by Braun's threat, lacking any sign of emotion.
He stands slowly from his chair, hands open and by his side. Eyes remain unblinking on Braun. Once standing, he pulls his sleeve with a lift on one arm and stares at his watch for several seconds. He drops his arm back down, slowly, both hands by his side once more while recommencing a minute long impassive look at Braun.
Annie listens to the responses, not moving from her place. She is unaffected by the slander. Tilting her head with peculiar speculation, a hint of humor, she proceeds to watch Ezmond's... operation.
As Ei finds herself in this strange hallway, she first takes her time to look around for anything of interest. Unfortunately, her inability to move makes that a rather... difficult thing to do, and she simply settles for simply staying where she is.
As the entity that claims it's the Order speaks, Ei slowly tilts her head to the side, staring intently at the entity.
"I seek to get revenge and protect those few I care about."
The Order entity draws ever so slightly closer, showing no hostility, rather appearing to show sincere interest.
It responds: "We are aware of your infatuation for our child, Anne of the Redferne. Is she also one you seek to avenge?"
Ei will continue to be under the aforementioned influence. Lies are not an option or even to be considered.
Ezra, in completion of his testimony, remains in his place on the other side of the room. He is of heaving breath and bearing his teeth, apparently remaining hostile, though further advancement has ceased momentarily as his inhuman ears twist and flicker, listening to the quiet conversation taking place between the two individuals.
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The wolves attack as one might expect wolves to attack, with perhaps a little more… precision. This attack is quick and in unison, advancing from three different directions. One wolf goes to seize Jord’s favored weapon arm. The second lunges at his… crotch. The third leaps to bite at his neck.
Gwen’s unreasonably strong effort to free her forearm serves only to strengthen the grip the entity has on her, like a noose made tighter by the jolt. The grip is now so very tight that her bones may feel like they will be crushed by the pressure. In this very same instant, the second hand of the entity seizes her ankle, and in this fashion she is raised from the ground by an incredible force, swung in a swift motion and released. As her body jettisons through the air in direction away from the encroaching livestock, the three wolves emerge from the buildings. They are moving at great speed, eyes on their prey, following Gwen’s trajectory to land.
There is at this time no doubt that Aella has witnessed the commotion taking place, more specifically the three black wolves giving chase to Gwen as she is launched high and far into the air by an unseen force. Perhaps small-talk with a bull should not be her foremost concern.
High above the livestock a raven releases a menacing screech, unfitting of any bird. A pure white, lone wolf, near twice the size of an average wolf, emerges from within a building and enters the livestock. It is undaunted by their presence, its head held low, skulking through the numbers, sniffing, scrutinizing, inspecting the horde.
Repelled, the snapping jaws of the wolves are dashed by the barrier. All three animals recoil with a yelp, though they have not conceded. Each of the wolves are instantly enveloped in a violet light before the light is discharged in a pulse toward the sky, where it is absorbed by the raven high above.
“Ahh….” The voice of the unseen entity is heard, sounding like a man who has learned something important and… perhaps even exciting. In the sounding of his voice, the raven returns the pulse of violet light upon the wolves. Absorbing the light they quickly regroup, their eyes now aglow with the same hue of light while they commence to circling Ace as one might expect wolves to daunt their prey. Once a full revolution about Ace is made, the voice is heard again, yet sharper, demanding. “Break through!”
By command of their handlers’ voice, all three wolves stop circling and turn in at their opponent, yet only one instantly proceeds to progress its attack from behind. With a powerful strike, its open mouth penetrates the barrier. The disruption to the barrier is accompanied by a flash of more light and the sound like that of a cracking whip as the wolf’s front teeth clamp down, pinching the flesh at the small of Ace’s back.
Vernon gives Boris a lengthy stare, like one mildly disturbed by the progress of a child's newly learned skill. He then turns a wry look to Silas, waiting for the old man to laugh and note his piece, before responding, “Your wait is soon over.”
He then resumes interest with Jack, while behind Vernon, Annie steps into the hall. Her motions seem leery, toes first touching down with each step, an approach defied by the intensity of her glare, her eyes taking turns to bore into every person.
“Speak your mind.” Vernon tells Jack, angling his head as if listening to distant sounds. “The void without the mansion is lowered. We can wait for the wolves to come, or we can take the fight to them.”
Annie arrives beside her father, one hand is resting on the small bulge of her stomach, her eyes now fixed on Betty as she speaks in multiple voices, the tones of Silas, Boris, Ei and her own, all speaking in harmony; “Ours is a boy.” She then looks up to her father, like one lifting their eyes to the heavens and speaks in a voice all her own. “We should go outside, papa.”
Vernon agrees with Annie; a firm nod to proclaim his appeal for the idea. He looks to Jack as he starts walking down the hallway in direction of the foyer. “Talk to me as we walk, Jack.” He then calls out to all others present; “Come if you’re coming. A battle awaits us.”
As they pass by the doorway to the dining room, Annie pauses to look in at Ei. “Come with me.” She says, and continues to follow Vernon, maintaining a short distance behind.
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The advancing wolves respond in a similar fashion to Gwen, sliding to a halt at the unlikely appearance of many… farm animals. When it is clear this very large domesticated herd are directing their charge at the wolves, the wolves release a whimper and retreat quickly. They scatter out of sight down the alleys of nearby building. As these farm animals do or… do not give chase, the dilapidated voice of a presence unseen is heard to yell out as if in frustrated torment. The yelling out is accompanied by the piercing shriek of a Raven high in the sky above. A moment later Gwen is seized roughly by one arm, supposedly grabbed by the hand of the unseen entity - who then proceeds to drag her fast across the ground and away from the cow which was… apparently speaking to her.
The wolves grade their advancement. They lower their heads, ears pivoting forward, nostrils flared. They are cautiously aware of the trembling earth, yet their eyes remain fixed on Ace as they continue to close in. Their behavior now appears surreal in slowed motion while the voice behind Ace replies. This time, however, the voice seems to be speaking over itself, each word duplicated many times and trailing off like an echo.
“We are the Order. You are our witness. We will not suffer you to live. Lower your defense… do not make this difficult.”
As the final word echoes out, the air surrounding Ace comes alive with transparent imagery, revealing a recounting of Ace in the graveyard outside of town where they first laid witness to a member of the Order –
The recount lasts but a moment before the image disperses and the three wolves suddenly break their surreal motion, snarling wildly as they pounce at Ace in unison.
“I am too much man for you.” Vernon winks at Betty, indicating he is merely jesting, yet his persona shifts considerably to add; “Besides, by the aroma you’re giving off, I would suggest you have recently conceived.”
(Pandolen, please note I took a great liberty with this. Therefore, if you do not wish for your character to be with child, then I do not mind at all. Was merely a ploy to create further drama)
Vernon does pause to regard the dragon indulging in the taste of blood, before shifting a glare to Boris. “Withholding facts is not a lie. You have no idea of the powers you hold. Your scent is extremely sweet…. If you only knew of the abilities that lie waiting within you, you, and you alone, could vanquish the threat to this town. Boris… let it be known right now, for the good of yourself and all others present, you are the son of a God. It may be time for you to acknowledge that.”
He now turns his attention to Jack: “You’ve chosen your words well, Jack. The people you refer to are called The Order. I was part of them, but no more, I will no longer let them have their way with the innocent. We are spawned of a different planet. Our abilities are… natural, inborn. Each of us have our own. Some of us have many.”
Vernon regards Jacks equipment, as someone might regard the archaic tools of centuries past, than asks; “You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you, Jack, of civilizations mysteriously disappearing from the face of the planet… no trace… no evidence? Now you know who is responsible. You, and many in this town, have been witness to the Order, though it be no fault of your own. Nevertheless, The Order don’t allow any witness to live. They pride themselves on secrecy. …There is no way to destroy The Order entirely, at least not here and now. But yes, there may be a way to counter their current efforts.”
He steps away from Jack, now addressing each person in the room.
“You may have heard the wolves outside. They are here to eradicate those who have witnessed the cloaked men. But they are not at all men and the wolves are merely the first wave; a relatively inconspicuous measure of attack to prevent further witnesses. Yet they are, in effect, only wolves. I assume you won’t have an issue killing wolves? But don’t get too cocky in this knowledge, the wolves don’t ride alone. We have a battle ahead of us. If their first assault fails them, they will not hesitate to deploy a second, more powerful wave.”
It may be apparent to Jack and the others in the hall at this time, Vernon has still not answered Jack’s question with any specific indication on how to counter The Order. By the look in Vernon’s eyes, it may however be clear that he lacks the faith in those present to succeed in what is needed to perform the task.
While Ei contemplated the matters at hand, Annie gives her a kiss on the cheek then walks to the entrance of the hall, one eye revealed as she peeks around the door-frame to watch her father speak.
0
"Marvelous."
Vernon was indifferent for hearing of the Order's recent conduct with Ei. He was well aware of their tendency for deceit, yet he was not ready to explain their intricate nature to Ei. Doing so would take a great deal of time, and time was of the essence at the moment. Perhaps Ei would, in time, learn that the Order do and say nothing unless it serves their cause, even if by doing so lies must be bequeathed. As for humans... Vernon appeared less than bigoted for Ei's personal disdain towards them. He has had his fair share of disagreements with humans, but does not pigeonhole the entire race for the deeds of those relative few who have performed misdeeds towards him.
"I am of a different opinion." He is straight with Ei, though lacking emotional commitment. "Most humans I have become acquainted with are petty, judgmental, discriminate and self serving. Yes. The majority of this group, in case your antipathy has blinded you, are detached from the run-of-the-mill humankind."
Vernon regards his daughter while giving the matter further thought. He than addressed Ei to conclude:
"To simply say, the order have lied to you. But as you have mentioned without sufficient knowledge to substantiate such a claim, the orders endeavor may be doomed to fail, or not.... I for one prefer to make sure it does. Let it be known right now, they have succeeded in their cause far more than you realize throughout the ages. On either accord, I will not allow them to succeed in the ineffectual destruction of more lives. Stand back and allow these few and rare decent humans to die if you must. I will not."
He now gives a stern look to Annie. "For reasons I have explained, I deeply regret not being a direct part of your life until now, but I did what I had to do. I don't deserve your love, I don't deserve your obedience. All I ask now is that you consider following me into battle to defend these humans, some of which you have even chosen as father to your child. I could use your help, Anne, you and that shaman you have growing inside you.... The decision is yours." He looks to Ei with one last word. "If you are intent on abandoning these humans then... I will need to assist in your cause once I'm done defending their honor. Now would be a good time to remove the void from outside this wretched house."
Walking away without granting Ei the room to respond, Vernon enters the hallway and looks kindly upon all present.
"In case you haven't noticed, your lives are in danger. I will help you fight."
Annie listens intently to her fathers words, but displays no emotion until he has departed, at which point she turns to Ei, a look of great acumen in her narrowing eyes.
"The fathers of my unborn will not die. Remove the void."
She giggles like a child anticipating play.
Fred is struck by a freak bolt of lightening.
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Bark is scraped from the branch as the invisible entity quickly pursues Gwen. The wolves, for an instant, regard each other with blank expression before also giving chase. Gwen can no doubt hear the patter of paws begin to close in, their formation spanning out in an attempt to encircle her. The hasty sound of human-like footsteps are approaching more directly behind her.
“Blood of the witnesses shall be purged.”
Ace hears the dilapidated voice come not from any of the wolves, rather from an entity standing close behind. Accompanying these words is a shot of hot breath and the stench of flesh decay.
The wolves now begin to close in on her position. They move steady, watchful, cautious.
Vernon excuses his manners and focus's his attention on Annie for the moment, demeanor calm and soothing.
“It’s apparent that you have identified me by scent, Annie. You’re correct, I am a member of the Order, or so I should[/i] have been. Like yourself I was born in Waise and made to follow in the footsteps of my parents before me. I however did not succumb to their will. At a young age I rebelled against their teachings. In turn, the Order turned the townspeople against me by way of mind manipulation. I escaped this town by killing many of the townsfolk that perused me. For many years I managed to elude the Order and lived much as nomad travelling many lands. Eventually, however, I returned to Waise on account of an irresistible urge to procreate with a member of my own kind. I met a woman of the Order here. We loved each other… for a time. She swore to keep my existence a secret. Eventually, the powers in the child we bore alerted the Order of my presence. I was forced into hiding again, but this time I didn’t leave town. Instead, I changed my physical appearance and hid within the towns itself, taking up the role of the local Blacksmith. I didn’t flee because… I felt the need to keep a watchful eye on my daughter…. Annie, I was the first in a long line descendants to defy the Order. They have long since given up on me.” Vernon winks at her. “It is good to see my own daughter has followed in my footsteps.”
Annie takes a pace back, a deep breath denoting the impact of what she was hearing. She covers her nakedness by buttoning up the coat in the way it was meant to be worn. In turn, Vernon gives her a nod of approval.
“Your mother no doubt told you I had perished, or perhaps that I had left when you were young. …She lied to you.”
Annie does not speak, her face scrunches up in immense deliberation, eyes fixated on Vernon
Vernon now turns his attention to Ei.
“My daughters… pregnancy aside, I am grateful for the protection and kinship you have provided. I will endeavor to assist you in any way I am able in your purpose. There is a, uh… little problem, though. You may have heard the wolves outside. No doubt you did. They are not actual wolves, only the representation of them. They’re an extension of the Order, referred to as the Sanction. Members of the Sanction are represented in a way that proves safe in manner of murder without concern for the Order being further identified. Anyone in town who has been witness to the Order will perish at the hand of them today. Ei, before commencing on your personal pursuit, I suggest we take care of this problem. These people don’t deserve to die like this.”
Jord turns to see no visible sign of anyone, only the reeking breath on his face confirms their presence. The distinct sensation of a tongue is then felt to move up the side of his face. The surface of the tongue is coarse, similar to that of a cat. While this is taking place the patter of paws quickly close in around him. The wolves are making their move.
0
The lips of the snarling wolf fold back over to hide its teeth, though its eyes remained narrowed. It now seems to be inquisitive, angling its head sideways to watch the feather drift from Gwen's sleeve. The other two wolves, still positioned on either side of her, remain quietly watchful, paying no mind to the feather. It is in this moment that Gwen becomes aware of another presence, made known only by a shot of warm breath against her cheek. The breath of the invisible entity carries with it the stench decayed flesh.
The lead wolf rises to all fours. It's tail sways to one side and back, not completing a full wag while it continues to snarl at Ace. The wolf on its left remains seated, unchanging. The wolf to Ace's left shuffles a foot closer, lowering its head, eyes rolled up at her as a low reverberating growl escapes its mouth. The shadow of a raven flickers over Ace, making itself known as it circles overhead. If Ace is thinking, this of itself would seem peculiar, for the morning sun is still low in the sky and could not be responsible for casting shadow from above.
The ears of all three wolves shift and tweak at Jord's words, listening intently. The wolves on either side of Jord follow alongside him while the lead wolf moves to block his path when he attempts to pass them by. The lead wolf then raises its head in an exerted manner, as if maybe it were attempting to pick up the scent of distant food.
It is now that Jord becomes aware of a fourth presence, made known by what could have possibly been a hand pressing gently down on Jord's shoulder from behind. The contact is accompanied by a shot of warm breath on his neck, the smell of decayed flesh, and a deep, decrepitude voice.
"No...."
Annie's interest is still captured by Vernon, watching his every move with deep interest. Not one of those affected by his spellbinding words, she is nevertheless willing to follow him.
She gives Ei a glance, stating; "He smells like me." and starts her short trek down the hallway. Passing Jack along the way, she provides him a flirtatious wink while biting her lip. She then enters the dining room to face Vernon, checks over her shoulder to ensure Ei has followed.
Vernon has his arms nonchalantly folded, back rested against the far wall of the room. He wears an emotionless face.
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Vernon throws a glance down the hallway at Ki, then regards Ei with a look of obvious assurance.
"Call me Vernon. Should I be feeling pleased to see you again at this point?" He was obviously referring to the fact that his mission was not yet complete, but he now looks to Boris who has made no small measure of bringing attention to his presence as he stomps heavily to a close in front of the young and frightened dragon. He waits for Boris to declare his intentions to Chisille before responding.
"Careful there, lad. Try not to spook those you aim to protect." He looks back past Betty, and raises his hand at Chisille in a calming gesture. "Don't worry, he's no threat to you, Darl'n." His voice is smooth and mildly sedative. If Chisille was provoked by Boris' outburst, she would have no doubt been strangely set at ease by Vernon's voice.
While Annie continues to stare at Vernon as though he were a fascinating painting on a wall, Vernon speaks once again with Ei. His tone of voice is now... peculiarly seductive. ...Bewitching. Ei would most likely find his suggestion near impossible to refuse:
"Speaking of chats, I would like to have a private one with you...." His eyes turn to Annie; "...and Anne of the Redferne. Follow me."
As he walks down the hallway toward the entrance to dining room, he raises his voice in an unnaturally spellbinding, persuasive manner to all others present in the hallway. "The rest of you remain here."
Vernon enters the empty dining room and awaits Ei and Annie to join him.
The black wolves react to Jord's movements with the greatest intrigue, watching his every move. The center wolf reveals three sets of canine teeth when Jord draws the sword. Its glare, now oddly displaying more intelligence than the eyes an average wolf, is fixed on Jord's, while the wolves on either side of it break off; one taking a position to the left of Jord, the other to the right.
Uyir steps out to Waise at large and can no doubt see Jord nearby. Jord is being confronted by three black wolves, however, so is Uyir. The three black wolves with scarlet stares are seated before him, positioned between Jord and himself. Their fixed stares are intense, yet they do not show any current sign of hostility.
None of the three wolves give attention to the fleeting pigeon. They are however alerted by Gwens sharp, tugging motions. The two wolves on either side break away as the center wolves snarls, revealing three sets of canine teeth, while its narrowed eyes now reveal more than just animal intelligence. The other two wolves take a standing position to the left and to the right of Gwen.
The three black wolves scrutinize Aces every move, as if perhaps awaiting a treat. Once the hand of the person of yet undisclosed gender reaches into their cloak, the center wolf curls its lip to expose three sets of canine teeth. It's eyes now seem oddly enhanced, a narrowed glare that depicts more than animal intellect. It's new demeanor is noted by the wolf to its right and accordingly breaks off from the three, circling around and taking a standing position to Aces left. The lead wolf continues to snarl, its glare fixed upon Ace's eyes. The wolf to its left remains in its former state of scrutiny for Ace.
The white wolf is attentive, watching Aella's every move. Once she takes a step back, it flares its nostrils, raises its snout, eyes narrowing slightly while analysing the girls scent. It now seems... uninterested in Aella as it back-steps, disappearing into the darkness beyond the threshold.
Edit:
OOC: K9, for those who are not aware, is an abbreviation for Military canine, or army dog. In this case, the abbreviation was made in haste and was meant to relate the canine teeth, while simultaneously proclaiming the wolves military status. It has, however, been brought to my attention that my efforts to be... cryptic, for lack of a better word, was only seen as confusing. I have edited according. If there are ever any questions in regards to the content of my posts, please do not hesitate to PM me for clarification.
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...................................................................The Day of the Wolf
While Uyir continues to slowly ponder Vernon in front of the crates, his deep concentration is broken by the chorus of howling wolves. The sound of their song can clearly be heard through the gaping hole in the rubble that Ace had left in their wake some hours earlier.
Allison, her associate, and her new lady friend, hear the eruption of wolves howling. The eerie sound can be heard coming from all directions, yet not one wolf can yet be seen.
While Gwen stares through the void in direction of the mansion, she hears the heavy patter of paws behind her. Soon after the chorus howl of wolves is heard throughout the town. If she were to turn around, she would find three large, black wolves have gathered five meters from her position. The three wolves seat themselves in a row, staring at her with scarlet, scrutinizing eyes.
Three abnormally large, black wolves with eyes of scarlet spectrum are seated in a row on the steps of the church. These wolves display no current hostility, yet their intensely inquisitive stare is set on Jord, and nothing else. The sound of chorus howling is heard throughout the town.
Perhaps... if Ace is also present after freeing themselves from the rubble, they too would lay witness to three other wolves matching the same description. They would be seated nearby and staring at her intently.
It may have not been noticed at first glance, the presence of an animal. It may have been that Aella’s eyes needed to adjust to the distortion within the darkness, before she could properly discern the face of a wolf staring out from the open doorway. Its coat was pure and white as snow. Its eyes glowed a spectrum of purple hues. It would also appear the size of its head is considerably larger than that of a standard wolf.
The wolf does not withdraw to the house, move farther outside, or display any sign of hostility. It merely stares at Aella from the threshold of the house.
Once Aella acknowledge the wolf more wolves make themselves known, not visually, but rather by the sound of howling. The sound of their howls are heard coming from many directions throughout the town. It would seem Aella is not the only new visitor to Waise.
Vernon regards Betty with humor, sounding a soft chuckle as he continues to lead her and Chisille through mansion, but refrains from speaking any more until they arrive at their destination....
...Annie seems disappointed in Ei's request. She screws her mouth to one side, thinking on the matter while watching Jack leave with buttons in arm. As she watches Bob and Buttons reunite, the distinctive sound of wolves howling can be heard from outside the mansion. The sound penetrates the walls of the mansion like a haunting melody as Annie turns her attention back to Ei.
"They spoke to you, didn't they? They made you feel safe.... They told you what you wanted to hear... didn't they?" She extends her arm and gently runs her finger down Ei's nose. "The dogs have come, Ei. The cleansing has begun. No one who has seen them will survive. I want to speak with the-"
Annie's mouth claps shut as her eyes turn to look past Ei at Vernon, as he enters the hall alongside Chisille and Betty.
Vernon stops his walk when he arrives behind Ei in the hallway, his eyes immediately meeting with his daughters glare. Though Annie may have recognized his face as a familiar resident of Waise, possibly even a member of the Order, she couldn't have yet known she was looking at her own father.
"Don't be getting pessimistic on me, Annie," Vernon speaks in a firm yet gentle tone. "It isn't over till the fat lady sings." He lowers his eyes to her stomach and nods. "Congratulations.... Now put some clothes on."
While Renard comes to lay face up on the floor and the demon prolongs his next move, the haunting chorus of wolves breaks Ezmond's spell on Ezra. In less than an instant he realizes he has been freed, then in one continuous motion he removes the sword from his neck, takes three long strides towards Renard, and drives the sword down through his stomach, pinning him to the floor.
With a hair raising screech of victory, he takes his sights to Ezmond while cocking his head to listen at the wolves.
"I have been relieved of duty."
In his closing words, Ezra glances at the demon in Arial's body before changing to his ethereal form, fading into the air and passing out sight through the nearest wall.
All those in the town of Waise have heard the call of the wolf.
1
We have an empty box, a moody book, and we have a monitor. Our options are thus limited. With these... limited options at hand, I suggest the monitor is touch sensitive.
We will touch the screen. If this fails, we will place the book against the screen to see if the screen and the book are interactive components. If this however fails, and in the stringent belief that the empty box will not assist our cause, we have nothing to lose by kicking said box in frustration. Alas, if all these things do fail, I am certain another gamer will provide a more... colorful possibility.
0
Out of character: Will respond once Pandolen has replied.
In Character:
Amusement could be described as Annie's demeanor while watching Jack's response, yet at the posing of his question as to why she might be inclined to heal his nose, she simply tilts her, oddly curious, replying;
"What?"
Ei now arrives.
Annie spins about about, like a child turning after a long awaited surprises to face Ei. Her expression the purest picture of delectation.
"Ei!" The name is spoken as though Ei had been the water found after days lost in the desert. She springs from her place, ignoring the cloak for now, practically lunging as she wraps her arms around her lover, immediate locking their mouths for a lengthy and passionate kiss. Once the moment has ended, Annie does not question Ei's absence. Before pulling away, she brings her mouth to Ei's ear, and whispers softly these words:
"I want that cat."
Now standing back to allow Ei room to answer Jack's question, but first stating for all to hear "I will stay and talk with these people", she takes the cloak from Ei's hand and puts it on while Ei and Jack converse.
Annie, however, does not wear the cloak as a cloak was intended to be worn, but rather like that of a cape. Securing the top button, the cloak is draped over her shoulders, her arms not sleeved, her frontal region still uncovered.
It was soon after this, while Annie is admiring her new attire, that the crack from the adjacent kitchen sounds. Yet she does not flinch. She noes not seem surprised at all. She simply raises her face, shifting her eyes down the hall to meet those of Herman's. Once Herman returns her look to Annie, Herman receives a voice in his mind. Herman may have been too far away for the others to hear his words, but apparently that was not the case for Annie....
"Not if you die first, Herman."
Since assaulting Silas, Ki has been quietly and patiently watching, waiting. After careful deliberation, she decides to take Bob's hand and gives a small shake.
"Ki."
The demons move caused Ezra to loosen his grip and become off balanced while the sound of Renard's shot stunned the room. Ezra releases one wing to move back his arm and regard the smoke billowing from the small hole in his side. No blood is present. Simultaneously, the demon makes his next move, thrusting Ariel's sword into his neck -The sword exits the other side as Ezra stumbles away screeching, turning as he does so and causing the sword to be yanked from Ariel's grip. He continues to stumble to the center of the room, away from the demon and raises his arms in a cross formation as he yells out the word NO loud enough for all in the mansion to hear.
Ezra's wounds do not appear to be fatal, only serving to anger him. Without first removing the sword from his neck, he sets his sights on Renard and starts charging at him with great speed, his massive clawed hands ready to rip the small man apart.
0
"No."
Sam's response is simple and to the point. No emotion is yet shown. He shifts to his right, seemingly losing temporary interest in the conversation, and opens the drawer of the desk. He then looks up from the contents of the drawer at Braun;
"I thought that would be obvious."
0
Vernon queers, dropping his glance to the young female dragon, possibly aware of her urge to take a bite of him, yet he does not respond with words. He may almost appear humored by the dragons instincts. He does continue to listen to the farm girls rantings. Though it was not an entirely long speech, he poises in a moderately exhausted fashion near the closing of her words. Perhaps he is restraining his impatience. In the end, he gives the girl a candid wink.
"I know more than I'm willing to share at this stage, Betty. I have my own issues with the species you are after. But right now I have a young girl to reunite with, maybe we can work something out along the way. How does that sound?"
Without waiting for a response, Vernon provides the young dragon a comforting nod and turns to make his way down the hall.
"Keep your senses keen." He tells them, expecting them to follow. "And you might want a physician to take a look at those wounds, dragon."
"We are not so unalike." The entity draws ever closer to Ei, as yet displaying no hostility. "I, The Order, understands a sense of vengeance. But Vengeance must be tempered.
The entity does pause for a moment, before reverting to the topic of Annie:
"We have every right to call Anne our child, for that is what she is. Do not think of her as human, for she is not. She is our child. As much as a princess is daughter to a King, a Prince a son to a Queen, Anne is of direct royal bloodline to our species. This fact can not be denied, especially by ignorance such as yours. You have no idea who she is or what you are dealing with. This is why we have found it in ours and your own best interest to terminate her existence... However!"
The entity takes a further moment to allow the information settle with Ei, then continues:
"We have found you to be neither born of the light or born of the darkness. You are... what we call... Rogue. We therefore would have no interest in you had you not shown interest in our daughter. This has never happened before. An outside relationship of intimacy with one of our royal members is unprecedented. But an unprecedented event must be treated accordingly. We have therefore come to a decision that treads upon new ground for us. You may consider our decision a test of your virtue....
...I, the Order, hereby grant you pass. I assign Anne of the Redferne to your keep. Consider her your... companion from this day forth. But rest assure, Ei, if our test in your virtue fails us; If Anne's existence outside the Order creates problematic instability to the universe, and we are almost certain it will, then we will hold you solely responsible. If that happens... we will return and terminate both of you without mercy. Believe me... we have ways to terminate even those who can return from that fickle thing called death.
Furthermore, we will continue to eliminate from Waise all witnesses to our cause, with you and Anne as the only exceptions. Ei, as your own gesture of good faith in return for what we have granted you this day, we expect you will keep word about the Order silent. You will speak of us to no one, and you will not stand in the way of our task to eliminate any remaining witnesses from Waise. I hope I have made myself clear....
SO GO!" The entity waves one arm in Ei's direction, creating a tornado-type wind that encompasses her person. "Return to your lover! But take heed to what I have said this day. We will be watching. Do not fail her. Do not fail us. Do not fail the balance of life.... Or we will return with our own vengeance."
Upon the closing of the entities speech, Ei finds herself standing in the attic of the mansion, her feet planted in precisely the same place she had been taken from.
Buttons lands beside Annie. Annie rises to her feet, caressing her rounding belly. Her lack of concern denotes the explosions ineffectiveness in harming her unborn child. She stares down at the cat, partially smiling as it speaks to her in its native tongue.
"You're a cute little thing." She replies to the kitten in a gentle whisper. "I would hope for a pet like you...."
Jack approaches cautiously from down the hall. Annie is aware of his intentions. She watches intently. When Jack is near to her, she speaks in a soft and... undeniably seductive tone:
"Hello Jack. Having... fun?"
Jack crouches down to pick up the kitten, as he does so he feels something wet probing his cheek, it moves swiftly to his nose, then whips about to tickle his ear. It is Annie's tongue. Though she did not move from her position, she had extended its length the few feet it took to make contact with Jack. If he were to look up at Annie in this instant, her tongue will snap back into her now grinning mouth. One of her eyes are purple, the other red. Another voice can also be heard. This voice is unmistakably coming from within Annie's belly. The voice of the child within her womb, though its words are unknown, perhaps heard by Jack as nothing more than playful gibberish.
As the voice within her grows quiet, Annie remains perfectly still, watching Jack with only the movement of her eyes. She is allowing him to take the cat. What may then come as a surprise to Jack, is the pain in his nose... it is no longer present. His broken nose has been healed.
For what are probably not obvious reasons, Ezra remains still in wait, possibly evaluating the dialogue between the pair, for his inhuman ears continue to flicker and twist with analysis until the moment of the explosion in the adjacent hallway. At this, Ezra flinches to a crouched position then pauses, remaining as such while his beastly eyes observe the changes in Ariel. On completion of Ariel's transformation, Ezra appears cautious. Possibly to the point of showing a trace of fear. This change in him may denote his knowledge for what has happened to the angel. For a moment, his eyes turn as if to follow something unseen around the room.
When Ariel... the demon... finally makes his move, Ezra releases an inhuman shriek and moves with equal speed from the demons path of attack. In a moment Ezra is behind the demon with his back facing Renard, while using his powerfully clawed hands to grab hold of the demons wings in an attempt to rip them savagely from his back.
0
Vernon is still smiling at the sound of his daughters laughter when he turns to the young lady and dragon. He gives them a brief look over, no more deliberation than had he seen two strangers in passing on the street. His mind seems to be elsewhere as he scratches his chin and looks away down the hall, yet nevertheless answers Betty's question, mumbling;
"You'll waste your energy attempting to harm me, unfortunately." He looks back at the dragon, then up to the girl, now apparently present in thought. "Call me Vernon if you want. Uh... you are...?"
0
Sam seems... unperturbed by Braun's threat, lacking any sign of emotion.
He stands slowly from his chair, hands open and by his side. Eyes remain unblinking on Braun. Once standing, he pulls his sleeve with a lift on one arm and stares at his watch for several seconds. He drops his arm back down, slowly, both hands by his side once more while recommencing a minute long impassive look at Braun.
Sam eventually responds:
"I request your name."
0
Ignores dementia praecox. Opens the book indeed... at a random page.
0
Annie listens to the responses, not moving from her place. She is unaffected by the slander. Tilting her head with peculiar speculation, a hint of humor, she proceeds to watch Ezmond's... operation.
The Order entity draws ever so slightly closer, showing no hostility, rather appearing to show sincere interest.
It responds: "We are aware of your infatuation for our child, Anne of the Redferne. Is she also one you seek to avenge?"
Ei will continue to be under the aforementioned influence. Lies are not an option or even to be considered.
Ezra, in completion of his testimony, remains in his place on the other side of the room. He is of heaving breath and bearing his teeth, apparently remaining hostile, though further advancement has ceased momentarily as his inhuman ears twist and flicker, listening to the quiet conversation taking place between the two individuals.