RP:A Glimpse of the Abyss

Part of the The Ice Plague Cometh Arc

Deeper Into The Woods

Hildegarde had left the tavern in a terrible state, barely able to see from her only eye as it was blurred by tears which made her stumble around for a while and only frustrated her which in turn only made her more upset, creating a truly vicious cycle. The knight, however, had snuck back into the tavern after a while and donned her usual set of mithril armour; drying her reddened and irritated eye and heading westward to find something to busy herself with. What she had not told Aela during their dinner - before things went downhill and left the two in a terrible state - was that she had felt as if she had been watched as they left, that something or someone was watching her go while that eerie laugh rolled by. But now she was fuelled with her feelings of sadness and confusion, fuelled enough to return and determine some kind of answer or at least do something with herself, rather than fall into a useless state of being. So here she stood, in the middle of the man-made camp, looking at the slaughtered lumberjacks with a feeling of despair. The Silver felt as though she could do nothing: she was no protector of Frostmaw, she thought. She knelt down beside a body and used her fingertips to ease the eyelids shut.

Satoshi had been on the frozen shores of Lake Frysta, looking into reports of numerous fish being found dead beneath the ice, when she'd felt it. Distant, but distinct, the rippling cry of the snows being drowned in blood. Such a feeling is common for Satoshi to feel throughout Frostmaw, certainly, yet the Snowsong speaks of a battle's worth of carnage. The Black Sun Koi's corpse lies abandoned on the ice and the magus is nearly gone from sight before her guard has even registered the sudden change in tension. With a cry, Tharn rushes after Satoshi, powering through the snow whereas she darts across it, light as a bird. And so it's well ahead of the giant that Satoshi arrives upon the lumberjack camp and comes skidding to a halt, eyes wide at the scene. Bodies everywhere, none intact, all washed in crimson. The lumberjacks for the most part had been Frost Giants, natural born warriors, and yet few have weapons in their hands. Whatever hit, struck faster than the camp could organize and react. Footsteps tread with a numb pace as Satoshi pads through the camp, searching and bewildered. "I...I felt it, only moments ago. How could... how could they be dead already?" And why had she not felt the approach of the attackers? There'd been nothing in the vibrations of the ice to speak of a force large or powerful enough to sweep through the camp. A metallic crunch draws Satoshi's gaze down to a broken wood axe hanging from the limp grasp of the craftsman who'd taught her how to tame and harness an owl. Eyes narrowing against the sight, the foxkin turns her head away, only to spot Hildegarde standing among the dead. "...Mithril?"

Hildegarde stood upright as she heard the mention of her designated nickname, turning to look at the Queen with a mournful expression, unable to hide it from her face. It was true, the knight wore her heart on her sleeve, few of her feelings could be hidden; especially from those who had come to know her so well. The Silver drew in a breath to speak, "I found them like this," she said quietly, filled with a dread and sadness but a slowly burning rage lingered in her words, "and I heard no screams. Their blood is still warm; I didn't even smell it until I was in the camp." That basically meant that they had died in an incredibly short amount of time; that something or someone had managed to kill them beyond human speed. The knight seemed as if she was about to say something else, when a devilish laugh wound its way throughout the camp; followed by one of an even higher pitch! Hilde looked to the side as if to discern where the noise had come from, only to suddenly drop to a knee, blood oozing from the back of her knee where she had been cut. "Defense!" she cried as if ordering troops into some kind of action, obviously falling into an immediate battle mode.

Satoshi's ears swivel forward in sudden alarm, whiskers gone as rigid as steel. This near, she can feel the magic in the air now, can feel the tread upon the snow. Even if she could not, there is no mistaking that laughter. "Ice Devils!" In a flash, and a flurry of snow, Satoshi is beside Hildegarde, seemingly closing the distance between each other as swiftly as a thought. A hand clasps the knight's shoulder, silently urging her to stand. "Stay in this form, Mithril. A dragon is at a disadvantage. Back to back, and -don't stop looking everywhere-." The instructions are hasty, clipped, and delivered without Satoshi even looking at the Silver, for she's heeding her own words and not letting her gaze stand still. She's tangled with the Devils enough times to know how they fight, always striking from the direction you're not looking, with arctic claws that burn with frostbite. Out of habit Satoshi extends a hand as if to grasp hold of something... only to realize a moment later that Asorial isn't going to manifest in her grip. The malicious weapon still slumbers. The malicious weapon that has proven to be an ideal tool in slaying Ice Devils. "Well then, improvise it is," Satoshi murmurs to no one in particular. ...Where is Tharn?

Hildegarde stood with a grunt, the back of her knee burning from the sheer cold of those vicious claws that had raked it not so long ago. "Understood," she said, attempting to keep her gaze moving, but her the majority of her left was a blindspot for her; given her lack of an eye. But the knight was not going to let that stop her, especially with her Queen by her side. With Winterheart in one hand, she twirled the weapon in a steady circle as if she were an expert majorette, meaning that if anything wanted to get up close and personal with her; it would need to pass the speeding Winterheart, who also had a viciously icy bite. But as she twirled the weapon as if it were a baton, her free hand was speedily undoing her chestplate - and only her chestplate, leaving the back intact - and holding it across her arm as it were a shield. Held at her left, it was meant to protect her side from any speeding ice devils that she couldn't see. All the while, the laughter continued, as if to goad or perhaps send fear into the pair, gradually growing closer and closer, only to suddenly be so far away! This continued until one shrill laugh was close enough to near deafen the Silver's sensitive ears, leading her to instinctively raise her breastplate and swing her halberd in an arc; left to right, while keeping her eye moving around her limited field of vision.

Satoshi keeps her back facing Hildegarde's in an unconscious declaration of her trust in the knight's abilities. Carefully she watches the surrounding area, patience of a predator winning out over the desire to lash out and fight blindly. "Strike for the center of the chest," Satoshi explains in sidelong tones to the Silver. "Their heart lies there. Destroying it is the only way to slay them. And remember, they strike only where your eye is not focused." Satoshi can only hope Hildegarde catches the hint, for the time for talk is over when that scream suddenly erupts from nearby. An Ice Devil, taking advantage of the Silver's missing eye, flickers into existence to her left. The maneuver, however, costs it a blow across the face from Winterheart's blade that rends off a portion of its jaw. Yet the creature does not falter as its right arm thrusts forward in an attempt to slash at Hildegarde's legs, intending to keep the already injured knight on her knees. Satoshi keeps an ear tuned to the exchange behind her, although her focus is on the treeline ahead. She'd glimpsed movement to the left, the flash of luminescent white that is an Ice Devil's hide, and her gaze follows it... From the opposite direction, the Devil she'd sighted lunges out of the snow with claws extended, only to collide with a wall of spikes: Satoshi had intentionally had her sight drawn away so that it would attack from the right, where her once empty arm now houses a shield half her height and covered in frigid fangs. Cerinii's gift, manifested to defend the Queen at a thought--except Satoshi hadn't calculated for weight, a fact that leads to kit, shield, and Devil being carried into a tumble away from Hildegarde.

Hildegarde listened quietly to her Queen; absorbing the facts on how to kill these things so she can actually put herself to good use and defend her charge, as well as herself. As the creature thrust forward for her legs, the knight kept her eye to the right as she swung the breastplate down to cover her legs while swinging Winterheart in a defensive arc above it. She could not afford to let that thing get too close to her at the moment, especially at the chest region. The knight was not distressed or worried about being in combat with an enemy she could barely keep track of, she only became slightly distressed when she could no longer feel the Queen near her back. It distressed her for a few reasons: it meant her back was exposed, it meant Satoshi's back was exposed and it meant her charge was in danger. "Satoshi," she breathed, turning her back to dart to the Queen. Her race to the kit was aided by the screeching rake of claws against her mithril armoured back, accidentally pushing her nearer the Queen. The knight pivoted gracefully and shoved Winterheart forward with an agitated growl, forcing the spike of the weapon to pierce the chest and heart of the Ice Devil that had launched itself at her; but she heard another laugh approaching from her right and swung the halberd so the deceased Ice Devil would swing against its comrade, pushing it away from the pair to give them some room. "Lean on me!" she told the Queen, in order to help with the issue of balance and weight.

Satoshi catches Hildegarde's approach out of the corner of her eye, although the foxkin can do little to help close the gap, pinned as she is beneath her shield. It is both a blessing and a curse, for the weight and size of the shield immobilizes Satoshi, and yet its protective nature keeps the Ice Devil atop her from being able to deliver a strike, as the kit only has to duck to dodge. The creature is left snarling and slashing at Satoshi, claws skittering off the shield's frigid metal as the spikes embed deeper into the Devil's hide. The game of evasion can only last so long, however, before the Devil becomes wise to Satoshi's antics, which results in the beast taking hold of the shield and forcing it away. Shield spikes take chunks of the Devil's flesh along the way while simultaneously exposing Satoshi. Claws are raised, poised to strike, and the magus is hurriedly murmuring a spell, when the Ice Devil suddenly vanishes amid the scream of metal and bone to be sent sailing into the trees. Panting mightily, Tharn stands over his ward with his pair of axes drawn, one coated in dark blue blood where it had cleaved into the Ice Devil before launching it. Without the slightest effort, the giant grasps Satoshi by the coat, lifts her up, and plants her next to Hildegarde before he takes up a position with his back to theirs. Just once the guard grunts, signalling he is ready to face the remainders of the Ice Devil pack.

Kasyr 's presence in the woods is more coincidental than anything- the revenant having decided to repay the exiles for their slight against Satoshi. Well, that, and a subtle hope that he might be able to find a youth with the misfortune to have been born in the wastes. As it stands, however, the Kensai really isn't having a whole lot of luck, especially given that the twisting feeling in his gut that normally leads him into trouble is directing him -away- from his intended query, and towards the bloodsmeared lumber camp. Satoshi, and those of her entourage are recognized immediately, coaxing the Kensai into briefly neglecting his surroundings in favor of offering a half-assed salute. Which is about the point a number of cackling voices erupt in his vicinity, heralding the sudden impact of a clawed fingers and ridged flesh into his back and arms. "Oh. F-" The trenchcoat, thankfully, doesn't give way beneath their assault- but that doesn't do much to stop one of them from biting into the back of his skull. "-Uuuuc-"

Hildegarde cannot explain how relieved she is by the appearance of Tharn! With the deceased Ice Devil thrown away from them, they are safely out of its range as it violently dissolves into a whirlwind of ice and wind. The laughter and hissing, however, was dying off, either because the Ice Devils were fleeing or they were being effectively dealt with; at least, it seemed to be dying off from their immediate vicinity, perhaps because they found new prey with Kasyr's appearance. The knight yearns to assist the Kensai, but she's seen him fight before, she figures he'll be able to handle himself! Besides, she'd probably feel intensely guilty if she left Satoshi's side in the middle of combat. However, all her thinking seems to have gotten the better of her, as an Ice Devil darts close to her and raises a claw for a strike, only to slash at the snow and cast it up into her face. "Argh!" she cried, the snow in her eye and blurring her vision to a considerable degree. She cannot swing wildly around for fear of hurting her charge or Tharn, so she pulls her breastplate close to her body and continues to blink as rapidly as possible, trying her best to shift the snow from her eye and restore what sight is left to her before she's cut down by an Ice Devil. The sniggering laugh catches her attention, though, to her right but then suddenly to her left! Yet even more suddenly, it's above her as the Ice Devil drops down from above and digs its claws into her gorget, sharp fangs aiming for her ear. Her gauntleted fist reaches up to grip the horn of the creature, screaming angrily as she twisted her hand to break the horn clean off; fingers seeking something else to grab so she might tear it off of her and throw it away.

Satoshi's patience goes out the window when she realizes not only his her revenant here but being buried beneath Ice Devils. With a snarl, the magus is moving. Or rather, leaping, as Hildegarde will notice when there's additional weight put on the knight's shoulders. Satoshi, in a fit of anger or inspiration, has thrown herself on the Devil clinging to Hildegarde, to likewise cling to it. With one hand grasping its remaining horn and the other around its neck, the magus leans backwards and uses her weight to bear the Ice Devil down and thus off the Silver. Satoshi's right arm is already drawn back as the pair fall, her normally daintily fingers extended and thickened into claws of a wickedly curled ice, all to be thrust into the Devil's chest to pierce its heart. She's counting on that whirlwind of glacial shrapnel signaling a Devil's death then, for when it comes Satoshi is already enacting that knack for transporting through snow. What results is her and the whirlwind appearing to Kasyr's left, and where seconds before she had been falling from Hildegarde's height, she's now moving sideways with the same momentum, set to barrel into the trio of Devil's on her husband with a storm of razor ice in tow.

Kasyr winces sharply when the biting sensation upon the back of his skull briefly grows sharper, before issuing a brief sigh of relief when it abruptly slackens- the ice devil which sought to make a meal of him suddenly finding itself rent and tackled by the Magus' arctic assault. Really the Kensai only has a threadbare understanding of what's happening, but he does catch sight of the shrapnel storm Satoshi led in, something which coaxes the Kensai into tucking his head down towards the snow, his trenchcoat shuffling up to interpose itself between himself and the oncoming deluge. Really, it's almost akin to a short lived hail stone- a number of sharp bludgeoning sensations erupting upon his back- and ripping into the Devils that had clung to his arms. The one on the Kensai's right arm fairs especially poorly, as not only is it making an unfortunate porcupine impression, but it also finds itself bearing the combined weight of Satoshi and the devil it had tackled- pinning it at the bottom of a rather haphazard dogpile. Kasyr, for his part- wastes little time in rolling atop the one on his left arm, doing his utmost to startle and briefly pin it- so that he can drive a supernaturally strong punch through it's chest. And Really, if the Revenant doesn't manage to pulverise it's 'heart'? He's going to try and rip it out.

Hildegarde bore the weight of both magus and devil alike, falling to her knee once the magus fell from her shoulders and began her arctic assault to relieve the attack on her husband. The knight leaned on her halberd to pull herself up, only to feel a weight on her shoulder. Her right eye looked up immediately - without even thinking - and saw the Ice Devil holding onto her shoulder with its wicked grin. She didn't even feel the shard of sharpened ice pierce her flesh, the devil was wicked quick. It gave a rattling hiss of delight, which was enough for the knight to snap: looking away as she swung her breastplate to the right to wallop against the head of the devil, the sheer force of the blow emphasised by the 'whomp' of air as it moved and the cracking of bones as half the devil's face caved in, but the knight was not finished. Her halberd moved in time with her makeshift shield, as if she were a Spartan warrior, and speared the supposed heart of the creature. She stood and swung her halberd to force the body away from her, for fear it might dissolve into a horrendous whirlwind of ice. She stood still for a moment, eye darting around and 'shield' held ready for an attack at any moment. Should nothing come at her within those few moments, she would begin to approach the Kensai and kit, in an effort to assist them.

Satoshi had thought herself so very clever for her snow-blink maneuver, up until she realizes it has led to her sprawl upon a pair of Ice Devils. Sure, they were off Kasyr now.. except she's become they're target. On the plus side, one of the three is dead, judging by the ethereal howl and violent burst of ice that comes from where the kensai is. Hopefully said kensai is paying attention, because he's about to have his wife being hurled at him as the remaining two Devil's surge upwards into standing positions. The duo aren't far behind either, blinking out of sight mid-charge to appear one behind Kasyr and the other to his right, horned heads lowered and ready. From the center of the camp, Tharn desperately wants to go to his queen's aid, resisting only for the sake of his fellow queensguard beside him. He can't abandon Hildegarde, not when the Silver's sight is compromised by scar and snow alike, and not when he's caught a glimpse of another Devil closing in. "There's one more here, Silver," the giant says, voice pitched low for only the dragon's sensitive ears to hear, "I'm going to look away from your blind spot. Strike true." Or else knight and guard will both be exposed to the Ice Devil's lunge--for this Devil is of an older sort, enlarged body a mass of cruel spikes, hide tinted with an unholy black, and claws as long as its forearm all ready to drive into the vital joints of giant and dragon alike to rend them apart.

Kasyr was looking altogether pleased with himself, having spared a moment to watch pulped 'ice' run out from between his fingers- until he remembered what ensued -after- one of those glacial abberations died. Even as he moved to twist off from atop it, the devil's body shiver, convulsed and then abruptly burst asunder in a flurry of frost- briefly obscuring the Kensai's vision, and coating his left half in icy shrapnel. Satoshi arrives a moment later, slamming into the offkilter Kensai's chest as he's already staggering back. That said, she's not exactly likely to follow, Kasyr's empathy having essentially revealed her presence- coaxing him into forsaking his own balance in favor of shoving her clear of him. Unfortunately, whilst the blighted and malignant essences of the Devils are not particularily difficult to pick up on, the Revenants not quite able to pull himself clear of their path- something which sees the one behind him slamming it's horns into and through the back of his coat, the joint sound of metal and ice shattering soundly filling the air. Really, the only solace to be found from the situation is the manner in which the Kensai's right arm manages to direct itself from a haphazard flail into a vindictive thrust- slamming into the head of the rightmost devil by a combination of it's momentum and the revenants strength. ...Unfortunately, that sort of impact also gores the revenant even deeper on the devil behind him. Kasyr, for all his affinity with electricity, is the one left looking shocked- even as the devil behind him wrenches it's broken horns clear of his back and shoves him aside.

Hildegarde needed every sense available to be at its peak if she were to strike true, so she dropped her halberd and closed her only remaining eye. Her hand seemed to stretch forward a little and was opened out, as if she were ready for someone to take her hand and lead her off somewhere away from the conflict and bloodshed. But if one were to look more closely at her hand, they would see that her fingers had become scaled and silvery, braced to make some kind of heavy impact by the looks of it. As the elder devil darted to her side, the dragon depended on her hearing and immediate sense of what was near her: temperature change, the sound of breathing, the claustrophobic sensation of someone being a little too close than she'd like. As soon as she felt all those changes, she did not hesitate in shooting her arm out with a mighty roar of anger and strength, as her fist mimicked the Kensai in punching through the spiked chest of the beast - other hand dropping the breastplate - as she used her free hand to grip its shoulder and drag it closer to her and technically drag it down along her arm. Her hand burst through the spiked hide on the other side, hand gripping the heart of the devil with a brutal and crushing grip. She dropped the heart and made to push the body away from, doing her best to ignore the burning sensation in her arm from the sheer cold of the devil's innards.

Satoshi staggers when her feet hit the ground courtesy of Kasyr's push. Even as she's regaining her composure, an Ice Devil wheels past her, skull crushed in by the revenant's punch and arms flailing wildly at its sudden blindness. Almost comically, Satoshi reaches out to poke the Devil's chest and send it toppling to the ground. Or, it would have been comical, had it been a mere poke rather than the icy fingers of Satoshi's right hand turned scalpel thin, all the better to slice through the Devil's skin, and pluck out its heart through the weight of its fall. Hildegarde and Kasyr might be able to punch a Devil's core into oblivion, Satoshi however does it with a cruel finesse. She's almost tempted to preen at the delicate operation, were she not then distracted by Kasyr being impaled and shoved by the other Ice Devil. With a cry, the magus rushes to her husband's aid to take him by the shoulders and try to brace him against her own meager frame. For all intents and purposes, it's your run of the mill scene of one spouse concerned over the severe injury of the other. But Satoshi and Kasyr aren't run of the mill by any stretch of the imagination, which is why the magus is using her current position against the kensai to whisper in his ear while a hand presses to the gaping hole in his chest. From over Kasyr's shoulder, the Devil looms, sneering and ready to finish the job of marital murder. Satoshi's whispers aren't ones of sorrow or urges for Kasyr to 'hang in there', however. They're words to a spell, with a small apology woven in, for she fully intends to use the guardian's blood, forged into a gruesome lance and--hopefully, if he complies with her request--charged with electricity, to thrust it out from his back and impale the Devil's chest.

Tharn, ever dutiful, forces himself to tear his gaze away from the Azakhaers so that he can intercept Hildegarde before the knight can drop to the ground. A look of concern crosses the giant's usually impassive face, for he can already see the frost coating Hildegarde's arm, an element she should have relative immunity to as a Silver. The Ice Devils are a potent species, however, and their bite infects even sturdy Silver Dragons. As does the spear of black ice buried in the dragon's ribcage, which Tharn takes notice of belatedly and rips out after it's already begun to melt. No other Ice Devils seem to be attacking, however, which means they've been driven off or the entire pack killed.

Kasyr can't help but offer a brief malicious smirk, even despite the intense pain and rage he's currently feeling. Of a -very- brief nature, given the manner his features contort once she takes hold of his blood and sends it shearing into the frost devil's form. Whatever savage joy that might be inherent in calling upon that element he's so adept at using, in sending violent pulses of electrical energy arcing up through that improvised sanguine conduit- the displeasure brought about by the magus' taking hold of his blood is far greater. Still, he does not relent, waiting for her word to stop, so that he might be able to relinquish his focus.

Hildegarde almost didn't want the giant to remove the shard of ice that the devil had shanked her with, but she couldn't exactly stop the giant comrade of hers. But she did say to him, "Go over," she nodded towards Satoshi and Kasyr, "I'll live." She was certain she would live, she had sustained far worse than this wound! That said, the knight sighed and made to sit down in the snowy ground while Satoshi and Kasyr finished the last of the pack; feeling confident in their abilities! She wouldn't have been so relaxed if she wasn't.

Satoshi relents after only a few seconds, for it's all that's needed to ensure the Devil's heart has been pierce and electrocuted. At least the magus tries to make up for Kasyr being an improvised weapon by transmuting the bloody lance into a thin shield, so as to guard his back against the death-explosion of the Devil. Once the last of the ice shards rain down to the ground, Satoshi pulls her magic from the kensai, returns his blood to where it belongs, and props herself against him in a mixed gesture of affection, relief, and apology. Yet she's still not entirely at ease, gaze darting around as Satoshi searches for any further signs of attack. While not seeing any Devils, Satoshi does catch sight of Tharn releasing his hold of Hildegarde and making as if to move toward the magus and kensai. A lifted hand forestalls the giant. "Get her back to town, Tharn. Now isn't the time to hang about out here, there may be more on the way." It's as close as Satoshi can ever bring herself to call for a retreat, for as much as she wants to stay, investigate, and meet whatever challenges may appear, she knows it's the wrong choice. After a second ambush in a week, Satoshi has learned when to withdraw and collect herself, rather than stubbornly push on.

Kasyr can't help but look relieved when he finds himself no longer in the position of being used as an improvised weapon- instead allowing himself to just rest against his wife. Really, the only bit of motion that comes from the revenant, is to shift a bit closer to Satoshi, and then drag his right hand over towards his waist. Beyond that, the Kensai simply waits, only now taking heed of the actual display of carnage scattered about the area.

Hildegarde said nothing, for she had nothing to say. She simply pulled herself up and to her feet, giving the pair a respectful nod before wandering away and towards the town.

Satoshi watches Tharn escort Hildegarde, the guard frequently glancing back at his ward. After the fourth glance, Satoshi sighs and says, "Go on. We won't be far behind you, I promise." A frown creases the giant's brow, but he otherwise obeys. For now. Satoshi habitually gives Tharn the slip, after all, and he's grown wise to her ways. He'll be back to drag her to Frostmaw, if he has to. As the foxkin watches giant and dragon depart, her face is unreadable. It remains this way when she turns to regard Kasyr, as well as the remains of the lumberjack camp. "First exiled monks of Aramoth, then a rise in the size of occupants in exile camps, now this raid by Ice Devils outside their usual territory... what is happening to my lands?"

Kasyr is content enough to just watch the remains of those slaughtered lumberjacks twitch and shudder, as the blood within their bodies begins to slither out from their carcasses. Until Satoshi's final words, by which point the revenant tilts his head up towards her, and offers a wholly non-chalant, "Maybe you caught a case of killer cultists. We're overdue for another end of the world, non?" There's a bit of a tired smile there, before he settles his head back down against her lap, and just peers at the streams of sanguine which are crawling forth from every broken body, even as they all begin to converge upon his position.

Satoshi has long since grown used to the strange way blood flocks to Kasyr like stray dogs to a butchershop, although part of why she had shoo'd Tharn away with Hildegarde was to keep them from seeing. She's not entirely sure how the noble dragon would feel about the blood of the dead being used to restore the revenant's damaged body. As the blood does what it does best, the magus stares skyward, lost in thought and Kasyr's comments. "I'm beginning to think that paladin's visions were true. If so, though, then what about the part that says 'the Lady falls'? What more is to come?" An unsteady sigh is heaved by the magus before she looks down at Kasyr. Her brow is marred with a deep frown, gaze distant despite the proximity of magus and kensai. "Was I wrong, thinking this is the Time Lord's doing?"

Kasyr can't help but be grateful for the peculiar knack he's developed, the relief brought from the influx of blood which now seeks to restore his wounds a profound relief. Nonetheless, the revenant can't help but grimace at the Foxkin's query, a genuinely pensive look crossing his features, "It could be. Even this could be, given that the Leech has a habit of employing anyone that will grovel to him. That said, he's never been much for prolonged subtlety, and has quite the penchant for announcing himself. So. J'en sais pas." At this point Kasyr pauses, before casually adding, "But these visions, what exactly did they say, entirely?"

Satoshi looks thoroughly ill at ease, for Kasyr has voiced the worries that have been nagging at her this past week. If this all is the Time Lord's doing, then he has changed his methods drastically and has thus become impossible to predict. If it isn't him, then the threat is a mystery and equally impossible to predict. Whichever is the case, Satoshi has her back against a wall and very little in the way of options for retaliating. The foxkin bristles at the thought of being cornered, lips drawn back to bare fangs as if she can bite the hand of the threat from here. Her expression only softens marginally at Kasyr's question, her response given through teeth still clenched, "The hand of the abyss touches Winter, tainting the snow with blood. Ice meets darkness and the Lady falls. Beware the prideful show of the mighty! Friends and allies heed the call..." Word for word Eliason's predication is recited, for Satoshi has a remarkable memory when it comes to recalling things spoken or read. A requirement, to be a well-learned mage.

Kasyr shudders for a second, as freshly spilled blood continues to force itself into his veins and repair what wounded flesh had been in it's wake. And then, just as quickly, it's done- the last dredges of the massacre abruptly falling quiet, pooling outwards into a circle about Satoshi and Kasyr as it grows still at last. It's during this point that the revenant begins to stir into motion once more, dragging himself up into a sitting position, if only so he can lean forward and touch his head to her shoulder. "Hrm. Maybe it's a title. That, er, 'Hand Of The Abyss'. Peut-etre for one of the things from the ruins? Ou some creature from the depths of frostmaws caverns?" A pause, and the revenant closes his eyes, "There's probably a few around that have a grudge with the Snow Maiden."

Satoshi leans into the point where her shoulder meets the kensai's head, a sort of comfort taken from the simple contact. Not that it does much to wipe the uneasiness off the magus' face. "That... almost makes me wish it -is- the Leech. It's sound, however. I mean, something with those origins would likely have the power to touch the Wraith's remains, as well as bring the Devils under its sway. Perhaps answers are in Frostmaw's history? It's as much a start as anything." And the Coterie live in the perfect house to begin said research.

Kasyr offers Satoshi a brief nuzzle, before he draws back from her and returns to his feet. The lumberyard is given one more glance, before the revenant simply extends his hand out towards the foxkin, "On y va, allors? I can't say I wouldn't mind comfier surroundings."

Satoshi accepts the hand up gladly. "Back to the city, then, before Tharn comes looking to carry me back by my tail." If the guard was insufferably protective since the first ambush, Satoshi can't begin to imagine what he'll be like now.

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