RP:Enthralled

From HollowWiki

Part of the Dissonance Theory Arc

This is a Warrior's Guild RP.


Summary: Khitti and Lionel join Magik on an investigation of a recent chasm, which has appeared near Vailkrin. Things quickly teeter out of control, with Lionel vanishing out of thin air just before a horde of Xicotl’s thralls threaten to overwhelm the others. Khitti is stunned to discover just how powerful their enemy’s zombie-like minions truly are, and it is only through emergency coordination with Magik’s helpful abilities that either of them manage a narrow escape to House Dragana. In the aftermath, Xicotl summons its thralls back beneath the earth, sealing the chasm. The allies may have lost the battle, but Xicotl’s intention to wipe out three specific foes has just barely been thwarted.

Love Letters Between Lionel And Magik (And A Letter Sent To Khitti)

Dearest Lionel,

As if everything wasnt a mess already..I have become aware of a..growing problem..with the earth..why am I actually writing multiple dots..dramatic flair is why. Anyways. On the path to Vailkrin. A mutual friend of ours came to me about a growing problem in Sage but the problem seems to be spreading. It's been years since I've caught up with you. I'll bring some snacks. See you there?

-The Last Lyastri

---

Lionel studied the letter for a moment before blinking with dawning realization. The Last Lyastri -- Magik! He was tempted to think it had been a long, long time since he'd heard the name, but momentary pause reminded him that that wasn't true at all. He'd been hearing it all year, maybe more, from the mouths of babes and Draganas alike. "Right," he said to himself, a soldier standing guard outside his castle quarters briefly wondering why her commander had such a strong tendency to talk to himself. "This is good. The more the merrier. Plus, snacks. Who can say no to snacks?" Placing a hand to his chin, he mused, pondering whether or not a Lyastri's snacks would be in sync with his own. Thankfully, he knew how to be careful on that score. Getting out his ink and quill, the Catalian cleared his throat and penned two quick letters.

---

Dearest Last Lyastri,

Ellipses are awesome. Snacks are equally profound. Not to be outdone, I'll definitely be bringing a few snacks of my own. Let's meet at the so-called desolate path in three days' time. I think you'll agree once we've arrived that it's not so desolate any longer. That is, if we're counting chasms as newfound occupants. If we aren't, I reckon it's still a desolate path. I digress.

-The Last Prince

---

Dearest Only Sister,

Magik wants to meet up along the path to Vailkrin. I told him I'd be there in three days. There's a fresh chasm over yonder and I'm thinking Xicotl. I'd appreciate your aid if it's not too much trouble. You know these folk better than I do if the rumor mill is spinning my way. Do mills spin? Wait, I'm thinking about windmills. Is windmill a compound word? The point is, I need help. I'd love for that help to be you.

-Your Only Brother (I think)

PS Bring snacks.

---

"That ought to do it," Lionel surmised. He opened his door and hoisted both letters upon his guard. "Damn it, prince," the guard protested. "I'm a guard, not a letter carrier." Lionel shrugged. "Today you get to be both!" The woman narrowed her eyes, studied her commander, became uneasy at his cheeky grin, and scampered off as ordered. "Three days isn't a lot of time, so I'd better get going by dawn. What to bring, what to bring..."


The Desolate Pass, Vailkrin

Khitti || Thankfully, Khitti didn’t need three days to get to Vailkrin. She never did. That’s the perks of living in Cenril and having an eight foot sabrecat as a mount, after all. She’d started writing a letter back to Lionel. She’d started a few different times, in fact. She started so many that there was a small pile of crumpled up paper in one corner of her and Brand’s room on the Tranquility that Dominic kept jumping into like it was a pile of leaves. But, her thoughts were all over the place. Why couldn’t things happen at an opportune time? Like, you know, when she finished her quest of unlocking the two advanced forms of the Black Tides? So she could be useful? Why did something more with Xicotl happen now? When she should be worrying about getting Quintessa back? Why did fate always try to frak with her? When she was so close to getting the revenge that she currently craved? And now? Now something else was happening.

Khitti had eventually given up on writing a response to her brother and once the day got there for the three of them to meet up, she dressed as usual and went to the armory in the belly of the ship to retrieve Tenbatsu Kaji and Embershard. The latter, she had no problem with. The other? Khitti went to grab Tenbatsu Kaji and was promptly shocked by its magic--or rather, the sprite within it. “Seika? What the hell!” The sword glowed a deep red; Seika did not respond to her in any other way, as she normally had. There was no pleasant chiding, nothing. The red aura faded to orange and then gold. Khitti was hesitant, but eventually tried to take up the sword again and… nothing happened. It was fully greeted with a furrowed brow and a frown. She tried to convince herself that now wasn’t the time to dwell, but dwell she would on the way to the City of the Dead. Amongst all of this chaos in her mind though, Khitti hadn’t let Lionel down. She had definitely brought snacks--this time, it was in the form of ginger snap cookies, an obvious staple at her bakery. She might’ve stolen Brand’s flask too and filled it with cinnamon whiskey. She knew it wasn’t going to last the whole time she was gone, but at least she had enough to take the rage-worry edge off as she waited for the Catalian and the Lyastri to show up at the meeting spot. Her charcoal grey tikifhlee had long since shifted to its form to one more akin to a house cat and curled up on the ground next to its owner who was alternating between stress-eating and stress-drinking.


Magik || The reply from Lionel was exchanged quickly between hands after the prince's guard set off for delivery. Eventually, the note would reach the hands of an Unseen Hand member who had direct access to the Syndicate of Shadows headquarters just below Kelay Way, a strategic and very convenient location. The unnamed man slid down the ladder leading to the meeting room and looked about, "Is there a Shadow present?" Magikrios raised his hand into the air to make himself visible from behind the large meeting table. The hand didn't linger long. The Unseen made his way towards the Lyastri to find him comforting his sick daughter, Mirshann. Mirshann looked about 18 and resembled both her mother (Maere) and her father equally. Ohtar, Mirshann's trusted black wolf lifts his head from Mirshann's lap to bare teeth and snarl at the Unseen. Magik had made an extremely comfortable makeshift bed for his daughter while construction on their new house was under way. Only the most comfortable cushions, pillows, and fuzzy warm blankets for his only child. Mirshann looked up at the Unseen and brushed her dark hair to the side. She laid a hand on Ohtar's head and whispered to him softly. The wolf immediately returned his head to her lap but kept his emerald green eyes locked on the man before them. Magik looked up to the Unseen as well, "Yes?" The man carefully handed Magik the reply note from Lionel while keeping eyes on Ohtar. As the note exchanged Magik simply stated, "If he wanted you dead, you would have been gone as soon as you laid foot down here. Thank you." The Unseen turned and exited immediately. "What is it, Papa," asked Mirshann. The elf read over the words quickly then ruffled Mirshann's hair, "Time to go to work, kiddo." As much as Mirsh hated when he did that, they agreed to a one ruffle per day rule. Mirshann already knew the general rules when Magik needed to head out. Ohtar with her always, whisper to the shadows in an emergency only, and stay away from Larket. In her current condition, Mirshann tried to not venture too far away from hq. As made stands, Ohtar lifts his head once again, "No, Ohtar. Stay. We'll get into something soon enough." The world huffs before snuggling up closer to Mirshann. "I'll be back in a few days. Tell Rinn and Tessa I'm meeting with Lionel." With that, Magik gathers up his bow and pack and makes his way towards the ladder leading to the streets above. "Oh..Snacks.." He makes his way to the HQ's goodie table to put together a platter of sushi that is hid away in his pack then finally made his departure. He didn't bother changing his clothes as they would suffice for such a meeting. Black boots, leather pants, and a simple black vest with a white dress shirt under it. Oh. And his sleeves rolled up to reveal a totally neat phoenix outline tattoo on his left forearm. D'Chath, yo.

Magik || The Last Lyastri makes his way towards Vailkrin to the agreed upon meeting spot. Spotting the Whisper of the SoS, he makes his way towards her, "Khitti. How are ya now? What're you doing here?..not that I have any control over who happens to be where..just.." Shut up, Magik. "You haven't seen Lionel around here by chance, have you?" The elf places his pack down next to him and adjusts his bow secured to his back as he scans the area over.


Lionel hadn't brought his tikifhlee, nor his guild's wyvern, nor even his horse. He'd hitched a ride inside an unassuming merchant carriage all the way from Venturil through Kelay. It was something he liked to do from time to time. His scouts were excellent, but they only numbered so many; this was a clever little way of keeping tabs on warring goblins, remnants of Kahran's armies, Xicotl's possessed slaves, common thieves, and all sorts of affiliated rabble. A lone carriage was an easy target until a half-crazed Catalian swordsman came hopping out of it. As it happened, this occurred twice during this week's trip -- the first time it was thieves who ran into the woods howling at the sign of his katana and the second time it was a drug addict ogre too big for her britches who had decided that slamming into the carriage with her club was the order of the day. This, in fact, hurt Lionel, such that the ogre was rather bewildered when furious profanity erupted from within. Coming off her high, she fled for the mountains without further ado, screaming that her gold and silver prizes were sentient and the world was coming to a close. All told, it was a substandard experience, but the merchant didn't seem to think so. "If this is what the roads are coming to, we might as well still be fearing Kahran," the bearded old man mumbled between hasty sips from his flask. Lionel wished he could empathize, but he knew too well there was an exponential difference between Kahran and… Oline.

Lionel || The desolate path earned its name, especially today. Having bid the old man farewell on the eastern outskirts of Kelay, Lionel traipsed through increasingly barren land as the sun went down and the temperature dipped. A loose collaboration of imprinted rocks marked the road toward Vailkrin here, and the dirt between the rocks was still damp from the recent thunderstorm. Occasionally, things with glowing eyes gazed upon Lionel from afar, but with his sword at the ready none of them dared emerge. It was standard practice for this area to always hold one's weapon firmly, because there were plenty of possibilities as to who those eyes belonged to. In time, and in shadow by then, he spotted Magik and his sister. Keeping a high profile to avoid misunderstandings, he jogged the remainder of the way. "I brought these fascinating fried potato contraptions," he said by way of greeting, digging into his traveler's satchel and procuring chips. But between Khitti's cookies and the prime sushi of the Last Lyastri, Lionel damned near dropped the chips altogether. "Now this is a feast." So there they were, three capable warriors, a quarter-kilometer or so from a recently-erupted chasm where all manner of darkspawn potentially awaited… exchanging foodstuffs in a dreary land like picnickers.


Khitti || The redhead eyed Magik as he wandered his way up the path, to which he was greeted mostly by her knocking back a bit more of that whiskey in her flask, but also with a nod. “Lionel is my brother and the guy I am second in command to in the Warrior’s Guild… so he asked me to be here. I have not been on as many “adventures” as the rest of the guild when it comes to this Xicotl, but I’m well aware of the situation.” Khitti pushed herself up off the ground, brushed herself off, and picked up her pack. Despite her rather confident response, it was clear Khitti was distracted, her attention shifting away from Magik to focus on Lionel briefly as he too approached. “And it’s the only thing keeping me from burning down Larket at the moment…” She shoved the pouch of ginger snaps at Lionel, took a few of his crispy thin poh-tay-toes, a piece of Magik’s sushi and started eating them in not quite a feeding frenzy manner, but quickly enough to get her hands free in case she needed them. Aside from that, she wasn’t going to say much or do much else for the moment, allowing Lionel to take the reins on leading the little expedition. For once, she wasn’t the one to do any of the researching for this whole thing. Quintessa had long since successfully usurped Khitti’s place as the guild’s resident bookworm and Khitti still wasn’t quite sure if she cared or not.


Magik || The Last Lyastri obviously held the platter in one hand as he picked snacks from the other two. With a stuffed mouth he manages to mumble a coherent sentence, "We should do this more often. These are tasty treats." He manages to snag a fried potato thing from Lionel. The elf looks at it carefully from all sides, "This is unique.." Without further hesitation he pops it in his mouth and munches, "Oh. Crispy." He offers a thumbs up to Lionel. "Oh. I didn't know you two were related. That's fun," admits the elf upon hearing Khitti's quick explanation. Her mentioning of Larket burning wouldn't warrant a reaction from the Shadow but it was absolutely noted. After the three have had their full share of the delicious variety of pre-battle snacks, if this adventure leads to that of course, Magik hesitates on what to do with the empty platter. He holds the platter awkwardly as he looks between the two. He thinks to himself, "Please don't judge me," before slowly putting it down next to him but not in his pack. That is littering. Don't litter, kids. "I'll get this on the way back.." He won't. He'll forget. But he'll remember it when he's back at his hideout about to make another delicious plate for whatever occasion may warrant sushi next. Would he come back out here to gather it? Probably not. It'll be lost forever. "So," before things get awkward. He wipes his hands on his black shirt. That was a mistake. His leather pants next. "Crap.." Get it together already.."Split in the earth, yeah?" There we are. Back to business. Magik reaches to his back to release his bow from its hook. Holding Death Stimulant loosely infront of him in one hand, he traces the air with his other where a bow string should be to create one of his own magic. The thin line of black fire remains at a minimal blaze. "Walk and talk?" His pack is thrown over his shoulder as he tries to hold his giddiness from the two. Adventure time was the best time.


Lionel || "Walk and talk," Lionel agreed. Evidently, there was more to be discussed than he'd anticipated, and he was no longer certain a quarter-kilometer was going to cover the chatter mileage. Studying Magik's grounded platter with a shrug, the Catalian began leading the way toward the chasm. "No judgment," he told Magik. "I once -- totally accidentally, I promise -- forgot what I'd been led to believe was an uyeer bomb near a playground in Larket. You can imagine my fear. It wasn't until Kreekitaka assured me that I'd been ripped off by the shifty merchant who'd sold it to me that I was made aware that the so-called grenade was secretly an ordinary toy ball. I guess it wound up where it needed to be." Maybe Magik's sushi was right where it needed to be as well. Despite the darkening sky, it was mere moments before the three of them could espy the far side of the chasm; it was wide enough by far not to creep up on them unexpectedly. "Speaking of Larket, I just overheard something about you wanting to burn it down?" Lionel eyed his sister as they continued walking. "Far be it for me of all people to stop anyone from owning those royal nerds with flame, but this sounds like a recent bit of ire. What did Macon the Goblin King do this time? Condemn all peacocks as traitors to the Crown?"


Khitti || The Lyastri would drop his plate on the ground, and while Khitti didn’t judge about just dropping it there, she would trail behind the two and kick the platter aside so that it was off the path. Her mom instincts were kicking in and they told her someone was going to get hurt. It probably would be her, later on, when she went back to Cenril, but who knows. Lionel would go on about his uyeer bomb story and Khitti would only half pay attention. It wasn’t until he was eyeing her and questioning the things she’d said earlier until she became a little more invested in the conversation. Even then, she briefly looked towards Magik, crimson brows furrowed and her signature frown ever-present, but ultimately she returned her attention to her brother. “There was some kind of an issue with the Mage’s Guild… something that, despite the fact that Magik and I hold the same rank there, I was not made privy to even an ounce of information, as per usual with the things that go on around me. I’m sure my lack of being in that tower most days doesn’t help things, but it’s not -my- fault I still have reservations about being around that many mages.” The fear of being poked and prodded and experimented on because of her shadow magic had not left her in the five years she’d been in Lithrydel. And now with her being able to use holy magic too? She was certainly a weird one; even Quintessa had had thoughts about experimenting on Khitti, even if the girl hadn’t voiced them. “I honestly don’t know if I care about whatever ridiculous politics are going on between the guild and Larket. Knowing might further taint my views towards the guild. Regardless of all that, however, Macon had Quintessa arrested and taken back to Larket.” Khitti knew things would have gone differently if she’d been there, but it also could’ve gone much worse. That didn’t stop her blood from boiling though every time she thought about Quintessa being shoved into a carriage and hauled all the way back to that horrible city. She hadn’t seemed to have been tortured, from the way she spoke over the Syndicate’s communication devices, but that didn’t mean Khitti didn’t have nightmares about it. “Brand and I fought about it. I drank about it. And the only thing that’s keeping me from burning that entire place to the ground is the fact that I don’t trust that “king” to not show up in Xalious with a goddamned catapult like he did at the fight on the bridge. More people are going to die because of those two, but I mean to end it this time. This time I’m not going to be held back by Hildegarde’s want to preserve her little frakking friendship with Josleen.” Khitti didn’t serve a crown anymore and she was going to keep it that way. Once she’d said all she needed to say, she drained what was left of her whiskey, muttered a few curse words, and stuffed the flask into her satchel. Next time, she’d just bring the whole bottle.


Magik walked and talked with the prince, trying to not fan girl too much. His demeanor remained calm and collected as he listened to Lionel's story as they travelled onwards. Various mhms, nods, and that's crazys is how Magik kept initiated in the story. At some point, he even started walking backwards and shrugged to Khitti before turning back around with a simple, "Yeah, I think so too!" as Lionel wrapped up the short but enjoyable story. Lionel then acknowledged his sister. Magik still thinks it's neat that they are related. He never knew! As darkness grew, he contemplated lowering his new goggles down from his head that should have been mentioned earlier in the story, but they've been there the whole time. Trust me. The elf's fiery eyes never focused one on thing for too long as he scanned the area for threats as the trio pushed forward. That is, until the rockstar chimed in. Magik started walking backwards once again which isn't a bold strategy but his words needed to be heard, "To be fair, Khitti. The only reason I caught wind of what was going down was because I seen the gathering from above before I headed to Kelay to call it a night. You would think as individuals holding the Veneficus Auxilia rank we would have been notified. Shame on the Council for leaving us in the dark." As for Quintessa's capture, "I do not know how Tessa got captured to be honest. I had to pull back from the front line to deal with a quickly unfolding situation behind me." Magik could drone on and admit that he messed up as Kaaname dragged Karasu off to behind the barrier. He was just inches away from stopping Kaaname dead in his tracks but that damn SpellBlade Corpsman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two collided violently, sending Magik tumbling off course and losing sight of Karasu. Magik panicked and took to his smokey form to zip about the battleground. He didn't see Tessa or Kasyr get captured because he kicked up too much dust to accidentally cover the capture. What a mess. Anyways. He did not drone on about that information. Magik sent Khitti a subtle wink during her few last sentences before turning around to get back to the walk as they approached the chasm. "Ah. Mhm. This is absolutely new," the Lyastri said as his eyes falls upon the open chasm. "What's the plan? Kill? Observe?" He paused then elbowed Lionel, "Both perhaps? Eh?...Ehhh?" There's that giddiness creeping up. However, as excited as Magik was with every step closer to their destination, he was careful to not grip his bow too tightly around the handle.


Lionel || In the past, these chasms had seemed eerily dormant, as if the earth had been rendered for no reason at all. It was not until Lionel and his fellow crazies mounted expeditions into the abyss that anything unsavory had been found. One could never be too certain that patterns existed for a reason, but prior experiences were at least enough to keep Lionel from tensing up and readying himself for immediate action when the group reached the chasm's edge. Along the way, he'd listened to his sister's explanation and their ally's subsequent reply, his heart beginning to race when Khitti mentioned Quintessa's capture. The last time Lionel had seen the girl, the two of them had been almost precisely where he had just met up with tonight's companions. They had, at last, reached an understanding. In that unlikeliest moment, the Catalian had decided that he was going to protect her no matter what it took. Naturally, as befitted a lifetime of disappointments as ironic as they were irritating, she had now been kidnapped. He had only a few words for Khitti, not because she hadn't prompted a smorgasbord of thoughts and emotions in him, but because there was only one thing that truly mattered in his mind now. "Neither will I," he growled. The time for Hildegarde's delicate discretion had long been over. Much as he didn't fancy a real war with Macon when there was never not an abundance of apolitical threats to the world at hand, that sentiment only went so far, and Larket's transgressions through the years had only worsened no matter what its reigning queen would claim. Khitti knew Lionel well. She knew him better than most -- perhaps she knew him best of all. Even in deadly situations, he was tempted to maintain a sarcastic wit. On rare occasions when his spritely timbre had up and vanished in favor of something colder, it was a sure bet that plans were brewing in his mind. Decisive plans. Dangerous plans. But Khitti also knew, as Lionel knew, that this was not the place to detail their future operations. Tonight was about Xicotl, a subterranean menace who awoke in set cycles to feast on the living. Tomorrow could concern tyrant kings. "The plan," Lionel told Magik, "is to observe." He felt like he'd been robbed of an unspoken limelight; Magik had listed both the things he had planned on listing himself. "And maybe also to kill," Lionel added slowly, puffing himself up a little bit as if he were the first one ever to say such a thing. "I wanted you to gain a measure of familiarity with these abrupt holes in the land. I also want to warn you that wicked, zombie-like creatures likely dwell deep within. Ideally, I'll imprint upon you the need for your full assistance in the months to come, as we count down toward an unfortunate roughly-estimated date in which 'Not Another Apocalyptic Scenario' plagues us all." That summed it up quite nicely, Lionel thought. In all likelihood all they would do here is gauge the chasm's depths, suss out ideal points for the tossing of rope, and make arrangements to come back in force.


Khitti did indeed know Lionel well and that growl in agreeance was fully expected. But, much like her adopted brother, Khitti said nothing more on the subject, instead focusing on the task at hand. “I think we’re all quite capable of observing and killing--and zombie killing is my specialty--so let’s get to it.” These thoughts Khitti had been having of late had certainly not gone unnoticed. She went to unsheath both Embershard and Tenbatsu Kaji, but she could not do both right away. The gladius came free easily, the weapon pulled from its spot on her right hip. The other though… While the three had had their attention on Larket and the upcoming possibility of a fight down in that seemingly never-ending abyss before them, Tenbatsu Kaji’s aura had strengthened again. What had been the usual subtle gold was now as red as the bloodthirsty vision she usually had when Khitti wanted revenge. The sword seemed to radiate that need to kill now… except it wasn’t quite like that. No. Khitti went to grab Tenbatsu Kaji’s hilt and when she did, it felt like it’d been infused with the fire of a thousand suns. It felt like… when Rorin all but killed her accidentally with his holy magic several years ago in Venturil. It felt like… when Arkhen’s “light” purified her. The moment she’d killed Amarrah, as they both fell from Cenril’s bridge, Khitti too burst into flames. She’d been changed. She’d been human again before the end. But between her own flames starting to consume her and the damage she’d taken on the bridge, there’d been no way for her to survive even if there had been water to break her fall beneath that bridge. “SHIT!” The shout came from behind the elf and her brother, as she’d decided to guard their backsides so she could properly brood mostly out of sight. The shock given by Tenbatsu Kaji was instantaneous, but the memories it brought back were so much worse. Tears had brimmed the redhead’s eyes and promptly spilled over. Even after her most recent death, Khitti talked about it nonchalantly to anyone. ‘Oh yeah, I used to be a vampire. I sort of miss it. Just not the death part.’ It’d been a great achievement! One that not many people could boast! (Except Magik, of course.) But, perhaps she’d blocked out how terrible it truly had been. Having to hear Brand and Lionel and Meri scream for her as Khitti let go of the bridge and plummeted into darkness. She’d adopted Brand’s method of compartmentalizing and only now as she stared at her somewhat singed right hand did it all flood back to her. The pain in her hand paled in comparison to the pain she had to endure when she left them all and the tears that continued to flow were proof of it. It was the pain others would feel if she’d burned down Larket entirely. The pain was a warning. From the sword. From Seika, the sprite within in.


Magikrios took Lionel's words into consideration. Almost maybe killing time! The excitement grew as they approached the chasm but he remained calm on the outside. "Please let this develope into something being killed," is all the elf could think about. He needed a way to let this bottled up frustration out. It's just not healthy to keep it all in. Meditation works but only to an extent. Anywho. Magik nods at Lionel's words, "I will be sure to pass on any gained knowledge tonight to," he pauses and chooses his words carefully, "..anyone that would need to know about these happenings when the time comes for my further assistance." A bit stiff but okay..And then there was Khitti bravely bringing up the rear and alarming the elf with her quick outburst. He turns around, bow remaining low. He arches a brow but doesn't question the sudden exclamation. Back to the chasm. As they finally approached, Magik checks the ground near the edge to make sure when he peers over he doesn't fall in. A couple swipes of the ground with his boot sends a few rocks into the unknown. He listens for any contact with the ground to judge how deep the gaping earth goes. "Hmm...Oh!" He suddenly remembers the nifty night vision goggles that our dearest Quintessa made for him. The dark tinted lenses would provide a cover for his glowing eyes. Magik, given his particular gift of manipulating and creating fire came with a perk of sensing heat signatures. The runes etched into the goggles provided him with the ability to see these heat signatures as well. The goggles are lowered with his free hand and the elf peers over the edge once more. A sudden outburst of heat is sent bouncing through the chasm walls as the elf opens his palm towards the new crack in the earth. Magik watches the wave of heat as it travels down, waiting for it to hit the bottom to reveal anything that may be waiting for the trio.


Lionel || On any other evening, Lionel would have lamented that his sister was remembering the pain of drifting away, hearing the screams of those closest to her. He would have welled up with sorrow that there was nothing that Brand, Meri, or himself could do during the fateful encounter on the bridge to save Khitti from certain death. On any other evening, he would have successfully reached out to her, well aware that his comfort would only be so helpful but willing to take whatever he could. On any other evening, he'd have then studied Magik's savvy fire-tossing trick, complimenting him accordingly and awaiting the results. Oddly, Lionel O'Connor sensed what lurked beneath the earth before Magik's experimental flames found purchase upon other forms of heat. Oddly, Lionel O'Connor sensed the very pain and torment that engulfed Khitti's hand and heart alike. Oddly, Lionel O'Connor knew in that single salient moment what it was like when she drifted away. Testing what he suddenly feared, he reached out to his sister where she had been singed. But his own hand grew pale, and then… transparent? "They're coming," Lionel told Magik, his back turned against the newfound ally and his blue eyes staring meaningfully at Khitti's face and then Tenbatsu Kaji. He drew his katana, slowly swiveling around to face unwelcome arrivals, but somehow he knew he wouldn't be here to slay them. A horde of ghastly creatures, grey-skinned and wrinkled, naked, lanky to a fault, claws and fangs overgrown to the point of deadliness, suddenly emerged from the chasm.

Lionel || They did not crawl, but rather, sprung forth from the earth like a sentient geyser. The pupils in their yellow eyes were slanted vertically, adding to a predatory air. In springing, they swelled in number first by the dozens and then by the hundreds. There was something about them, the blink-and-you-miss-it aspect of humanity and elvenhood and even vampirism long lost, as if they weren't always this way. As if they had been men and women and children once, decades ago, centuries ago, perhaps even millennia ago. They wielded no weapons but for those on their own person, slashing vengefully with claws like caged beasts finally freed. Some pounced so swiftly that they would be upon the trio of investigators by the time they returned to the ground. A pocket of them was aflame, doubtless thanks to Magik, yet even as they burned they did not care. Even as they crumbled into bone and ash, they flung themselves forward, dive-bombing Khitti, Lionel, and Magik with their last, breathless seconds. None of these things seemed to breathe. "Thralls," Lionel said. He didn't seem to draw breath either. He was keenly aware of that unsettling factor as he lifted his sword in high hopes of doing something -- anything! -- before he was gone. How did he know he was leaving this plane of existence? He couldn't say. Only flashes of other places, other times, consumed his thoughts. A seamstress at Vigilanti Semper, shocked when he vanished there as surely as he was vanishing now. Krice, gliding into action in a vain bid to stop this from happening elsewhere as well -- a forest, maybe, or perhaps a jungle. Tenbatsu Kaji entered his vision, but only his; was he hallucinating? The sword was not floating through the rampaging horde of thralls, but rather, it remained with his sister. Gospel then joined the famed blade in his mind's eye, and then Hellfire, a sword he knew beyond doubt had been shattered into thousands of shards. Why did he see them? Why did he then see an island? A cave? Restless blade-sent spirits dancing on the cavern walls like silhouettes of every color? Quintessa? Why did he see Quintessa, peering into him across time and space? "Run," Lionel pleaded, not even bracing for impact when the airborne thralls began their descent and the many other foes came running. "I'm -- another plane. Not Shadow. Something else?" He looked to his sister as his transparency came to an end. "I'm sorry." He was gone. His sword fell to the mud. No trace of Lionel remained. On any other evening, he would have fought bitterly alongside the others. Now, it seemed he might never live to fight again.


Khitti || Everything seemed to go in slow motion for Khitti, as Magikrios tossed a bit of flame down into the chasm, as she recovered from her inward ordeal with Tenbatsu Kaji and the memories it stirred, as Lionel announced the thralls and soon after told them to run. “Run…?” Khitti stared at Lionel with wide eyes, confusion obvious. Shrieked as he started to fade from existence. Screamed his name as she reached forward, as if she were able to grab him and pull him back into this realm. Khitti’s luck failed her today apparently. Nothing like reliving your death in memories, only for your brother to suddenly disappear as if he’d never even existed. Another plane… but not Shadow? A small part of her thanked the gods; there was enough tangled up in that plane of existence still for a lifetime.

Khitti || Run? Oh, Lionel. You know Khitti better than that. Did you really think she was just going to leave? The oncoming horde was still making its way to them and Khitti casually picked up Lionel’s katana. Tenbatsu Kaji wasn’t going to cooperate? Well… then she’d have to do this the old fashioned way. One of the child-like thralls leapt at her, all gnashing teeth and clawing fingers, but her gladius found its chest easily, like skewering tomatoes onto a kabob, only for its head to be promptly disconnected from its shoulders with Lionel’s sword. “If you’re fighting, then do so. Otherwise, do as he says and run.” Those were her only words to Magik for the moment as she continued stabbing and slashing at the thralls that approached. It didn’t last for long however. They would overrun her--and did. But that didn’t mean she was done for. No, they were in the City of Darkness and much like with the Shadow Plane, her magic was strong here too. Khitti -let them- overtake her. Khitti took a lot of hits, a lot of scratching and clawing and biting and gnawing but when she was certain there was enough around her, the darkness closed in around them. It was like a light fog at first, as the shadows gathered around her and the large mass of thralls that aimed to rip her apart, but it soon became more like a dark bubble. The acidity of Khitti’s shadow magic seeped out of the darkness she called to her, like a plague making its way through a quarantine zone. The darkness was stifling and the acidity of it all would choke and burn the thralls that surrounded her.


Magik || A sinister grin quickly formed as Lionel announced their arrival, "Good." A simple welcoming word for the hoard that would fly out of the chasm to try to take down the trio. For some reason, Magik refuses to raise his bow just yet. "Thralls," is heard and welcomed as well. That word seemed to have triggered something in Magik. His adrenaline started flowing as his heart started to race. Maybe it was the thrill of knowing that there were many foes heading towards the small company. However, "Run," threw the elf for a loop. "Run?" Magikrios repeated with confusion. As he looked to the prince for further instruction, he witnessed him disappear and Khitti grab for him, "Where the hell is he going?!" He couldn't wait for an answer though. A bunch of tightly knit together thrall quickly jump up from the chasm aimed at tearing Magik apart. However, the elf had other ideas. Magik jumps up as well to match their height before they can descend on him. The closest thrall receives a forceful dropkick that sends the group off course and back down to the chasm. Magik gets sent flying backwards away from the hole in the earth and does one of those super dramatic high in the air backflips. The elf lands in a knelt position not too far from Khitti and tightly grips Death Stimulant as he brings the bow up to aim at the swarm of incoming thrall. The bow bursts into his signature black fire. The flames lick towards the incoming enemy as Magik pulls back on the fiery string. The arrows on his back would be rendered useless against these creatures. The elf starts rapid firing the bow at whichever thrall is at the front of the pack at the time. Black arrows form midair to pick them apart one by one. The arrows impale these rabid creatures and spontaneously explode, sending body parts flying throughout the air. The elf could only move so fast though. With one removed from the equation, two more fill the space until they are too close for comfort. Magik quickly gets to his feet and once again kicks a thrall backwards to give him just a bit more space. Death Stimulant is quickly turned into a melee weapon to slash, bash, and barbeque any that dare to try and surround the elf. The Lyastri ends up being quickly overwhelmed though. There were just far too many. A flying thrall from the side collides with Magik, sending him toppling over and knocking down a few more. The swinging of his bow continues until one unlucky thrall attempts to rip the bow from the elf's hands. Whatever sound one of these thrall would make as black fire jumps up it's arms and quickly engulfs it, instantaneously turning it to dust is what can be heard in the surrounding area. A ear piercing screech than a poof, perhaps? Regardless, Magik grips his bow and slams it down on the ground before him to send a sudden powerful pillar of fire to burst from the ground below him and into the skies above. Magik leans hard on his bow as he tries to catch his breath. Between any thrall getting burnt to a crisp should they dare try to enter this surrounding wall of fire, the elf searches for and calls out to his clanmate. Maybe this'll be a bonding moment for the two if they make it out alive, "Khitti?! Khitti! Did you RUN?! Come on!!" As he waits for an answer, he starts formulating an escape plan in his head.


Lionel || Only… it didn't work. Khitti Herzegler had called forth a tremendous surge of magic in an area she thrived upon. This should have been enough. Why didn't they dissolve? The thralls seemed only reinvigorated by her darkness. This bubble had sucked so many creatures in like a wicked whirlpool not so long ago. Creatures more akin to zombies. They were not the same, it seemed. These were stronger. Or at least, they were more resilient. The acid couldn't choke what did not draw breath. And the burning? The burning, at least, should have had an effect. What was this see-through, aquamarine-hued field that covered every thrall in a protective sheen? It coated them, sparkling them in its gleam. Despite its pristine appearance, it felt cold. Black. A dark magic clashing with Khitti's own. Maybe that self-same dark magic, much like her own spell which had unfortunately failed, would help her not to be crushed beneath the wave of thralls. The same thing which defended them against her was much akin to her own abilities; it was a stalemate, and all the slashing and gnawing that the thralls committed to could not get through. But if she were still beneath them, having counted on her magical talents to destroy them, then it could have been she who suffered breathless now. What of Magikrios? His arrows had punctured and imploded a fair number of foes, and his own fancy footwork had felled a few as well. What became of his black fire once the gleaming field blanketed the horde? Arrows bounced effortlessly from their torsos and spindly arms and legs, then exploded harmlessly in dazzling displays of white and black. If Magik could be harmed by his own weaponry, he might have been feeling less than stellar right about now. As his pillar of fire erupted from the night sky, a blazing star to brighten the battle, an outer layer of the horde climbed upon the shoulders and backs of their brethren. Their own gleaming fields dissolved, reappearing by wrapping around every thrall beneath them, adding to their seeming invulnerability; they were cooked to a crisp, but they numbered merely two dozen at best. The vast majority still roamed, and they seemed united in understanding that the elf was the better target. They surrounded him, hissing and flailing. And then they leapt.


Khitti || It didn’t work? It didn’t work. -It didn’t work-. The game had changed, apparently, and no one had decided to send Khitti a memo. It always worked. IT ALWAYS WORKED. And now, when she needed it most, her magic was pointless. There -was- the holy magic but… right now, trusting the light and working with it was a difficult task--she’d even told Krice as much recently. She had no idea if the sprite within Tenbatsu Kaji could take away the holy magic too. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d gotten magic “taken away” in general anyway. She really should have run. Why does Khitti never do as she’s told? Why does she have to be so self-sacrificial? Well, today’s the day when it truly bit her in the ass. In the seconds that passed as she realized her magic wasn’t working and that she needed to step up the hacking and slashing, she couldn’t stop thinking about how worthless she was. It was like those days with Amarrah all over again. Oh sure, there was a little part in the back of her head that was like ‘No, dummy. Things have changed, clearly. You could not have expected this.’ And yet… the self hatred was reaaaaal. “No. No! NO! This is not happening. Not again!” The instant she had room to breath and room to think for a split second, Khitti shadowstepped out of the mob as too many of them shifted their attention to Magik. Somewhat like the second wave of thralls, she gave zero fraks and started her trek towards the elf on top of the crowd, still shadowstepping here and there. “Hi, I know we don’t know each other well and I’m really really sorry to get into your personal space but this is extremely necessary,” she said rather quickly to Magik, the words spewing out probably faster than he could comprehend at the moment. If he seemed ready (in the few seconds she allowed anyway), she’d shadowstep the both of them just far enough away to the north that they could make a run for it, that signature ‘bamf’ sound of her short-range teleportation magic sounding as they disappeared and then reappeared. “House Dragana! NOW!” And then she’d run. Whether or not she got very far, was a different story. She was just a human after all. And her adrenaline was going to start running out very very soon.


Magik || The black fire continued to surround the elf regardless of the failed efforts. Magik let out a disgusted scoff at the lack of results regarding the exploding arrow strategy, "What the f.." He did notice the fire did have 'some effect on the thrall but nothing worth mentioning. "Time to go," he thought for himself. This battle had to be chalked up as a loss. However..A Khitti arrived! As she rushed through her words there was little protest from the Lyastri, "Fine let's.." BAMF. "..go?" Magik could see where the thrall leaped to overtake him were he still there, "Yikes.." Khitti's words caused a delayed reaction from the elf as he was trying to put together what just happened. "How did you.." He turned to Khitti but before he could finish his question, Khitti was already high tailing it out of there. "Right. House Dragana." After a slip on the loose rocks under his feet brought him to a single knee he shook his head. "Screw this." However it was almost a perfect pose for what he was about to do next. From his kneeling position, he forcefully pushed off of the ground. The elf was quickly consumed by his black smokey form. The black cloud rushed forth to match Khitti's running speed. From the cloud a single hand reached out to grab Khitti by her arm, "Forgive me, Khitti.." With that, he held onto her arm, and pulled her into the cloud of smoke. This was Magik's favorite method of travel lately. Once Khitti was pulled in she would feel almost weightless. The grip on her arm would ease up but had to remain tight enough so she wouldn't fall as they took to the sky immediately. The two rushed to House Dragana, leaving a trail of broken tree limbs as they skimmed the tree tops. Once House Dragana was in sight, Magik descends quickly and places them just in front of the manor's gates. The black smoke quickly dissappears to leave the two in their natural forms. After a quick swipe of Khitti's smoking shoulder he asks, "You alright? I know, it's strange taking on that smokey form.." Before she could answer he hits her with another series of questions, "Where the hell did Lionel go?! Why were those 'things' unaffected?!" The elf wasn't necessarily panicking. He was just trying to process what the hell just unfolded.


Lionel || As quickly as it had begun, the battle was even quicker to end. Khitti and Magik were no longer here. Lionel was gone before the fighting had even started. The targets had evaded the ambush. "Bizge oralıñız. Qaytw. Bizdi joqqa şığarma. Bizdi joqqa şığarw - ölim. Bizdi ärqaşan esimizde saqtañız." The words rang through the exposed eardrums of each and every thrall -- a whisper from ages long past, gnawing at them body and mind alike, dizzying and impossible to ignore. It was master; it was Xicotl; it was God. The horde returned to the chasm in a rush as fierce as its approach. The relative few whose corpses lined the muddy path disintegrated on command. The chasm itself shook and then closed, only smoke and vapor to mark the spot where the earth had given way only a few nights ago. Burrowing through dirt and sand, scratching across limestone, Xicotl's minions scurried where not even drow could travel, finding their regeneration pods which each branched off from branch-arms of their master, of Xicotl, of God. There, they stayed, yellow eyes wide open in stasis, no dreams, no sleep, only insufferable aching and waiting, but most hallowed waiting, most holy waiting, most righteous waiting, held in the arms of God, soon to strike the surface world in its entirety. Soon to kill en masse. Soon to find their purpose.


Khitti… didn’t look alright, but it was clear it wasn’t from Magik’s smoke form though. She was unsure of what emotions she was supposed to be feeling. Rage? Worry? Sadness? Guilt? For the moment, she just felt -tired-. The adrenaline was wearing off; the cuts, claw marks, and bites from the portion of the horde that surrounded her bruised or bled freely. She’d need to deal with it all soon, as there was no telling what sort of diseases those things had. Every inch of her hurt and yet she felt nothing. There was a numbness there was a familiar one; it was always the same whenever a member of her family (whether blood-related or not) was taken or had disappeared. “I’m fine.” She really wasn’t. Khitti’s face was void of emotion for now, but there were still definitely tears in her eyes, and when she realized it, she turned quickly to peer through House Dragana’s gates to stare into the yard. “I don’t know where Lionel went but that disappearing was not of his making. He doesn’t have any abilities like that, no teleportation or anything. I have killed those thralls before. Or ones like them. They attacked the Warrior’s Guild headquarters in Venturil. Quintessa and I had to defend the entire keep from them.” Ihrakah was there too of course, but Khitti still had no idea what to make of that strange undead. “I set them on fire. I froze them. My shadows swallowed them up and they -died-. This… is different. My shadows, they’re acidic… they did absolutely nothing to them. I could feel a similar magic radiating off of them.” Khitti wiped her eyes and kicked at the gate. There was the rage. “I could’ve opened a portal to the Shadow Plane to drop them all in there but… not here. I can’t in Vailkrin. There’s an entire city on the other side here. It’s massive--bigger than Cenril and Rynvale combined!” Sigh. “I have to go home. Lionel said he thought he was in another plane… but it wasn’t the Shadow one. I-I have to go tell my husband, Brand. I’m going to have to hold a meeting with the Warrior’s Guild.” Oh god. Did this mean she was in charge of the guild now? She barely felt like a leader sometimes in the Devout’s Guild, but not for any bad reason. But the Warrior’s Guild? Could she actually command the entire thing on the road to finding her brother? The rage subsided and the worry leaked through and the tears returned. Khitti was not Lionel. She wasn’t all of these people from Lionel’s past that led armies and did great deeds. For all she knew, Magikrios was likely among those people. “I have to research things… I…” She had so many things to do and yet she had no idea where to start. She sighed, tried her best to calm herself enough, and finally turned back to the elf, “When I do hold this meeting… do you wish to be involved? I can send word when it’s almost time.” Likely to the Syndicate’s base. “Once again, the guild has gotten itself into something bigger than what it alone can handle. But, obviously I know there’s other problems elsewhere, with the Mage’s Guild and Larket. That in itself is going to be enough for one’s plate.” Meaning, she would obviously leave it up to him if he wanted to attend the meeting, whenever the hell it was going to be held.

As she spoke to the elf, something lurked in the darkness nearby, violet eyes watching the two carefully. That something was Khitti’s tikifhlee and the beast-in-housecat-form leapt from the bushes and moved to Khitti’s side. For a moment, it became engulfed in shadows, and in a moment more, it was once more an eight-foot-tall sabrecat. Khitti’s mount nuzzled the fence, and nuzzled Khitti, and it even would go so far as to nuzzle Magik if he obliged--the cat could sense a shadow-loving kindred spirit in the elf.


Magik frowned at Khitti's overall appearance. Upset. Tired. Hurt. All of it was taken in by the elf. Before he could offer her some slightly uplifting words she had turned to face the manor. The elf dusted himself of the lingering smoke as he checked for his own wounds. Luckily, the only damage was the mental image of the thrall being unaffected by his magic from the black fire and the arrows. He could have easily bombarded Khitti with more questions while she spoke but she was already drained. As she finally turned back to face him, Magik simply nods, "Yes. I would like to attend this meeting. Absolutely." As he confirmed his willingness to be fully involved with this growing problem the house cat jumping into sight startled the elf a bit. He quickly reaches to a dagger at his side but releases it due to the non-threatening mannerisms. The elf tilts his head at the cat and even more so when it becomes the large mount. Pets? The large cat wants pets. Pets were given with a warm smile, "You are an interestingly cute thing, aren't cha?" Magik continued to pat, scratch, and pet the sabrecat as he had some final parting words with Khitti, "Get cleaned up. Try to, as hard as it may be, relax so you can collect your thoughts. If you need some quiet please feel free to use the Syndicate's meeting room. Any Unseen that may be present are more than willing to give you your space. Just tell them D'Chath is giving you the room for a bit." He tries to offer Khitti a comforting smile, "We'll get him back. Now go get some rest. I'm going to head in to get a drink then head back to Sage. You know how to reach me."