RP:Reborn From the Ashes

Summary: Irenic and Valen take their plans to action in liberating an innocent witch from the confines of a jail cell. It mostly goes off without a hitch.

Jail

As you walk into the jail, you see nothing intact. The once whitewashed, stucco walls are now coved in ash and soot. The furniture that once sparely filled the room now lay in ashes. there is an acrid odor of recently burned flesh. Was the damage an act of the fates above or done in an swift cover up of a crime. As you look around you see an open cell door, in front of the door and to the right and in the corner you see several piles of ashes and another in the archway that leads to a hallway. On the wall about halfway up was a spike hammered into the wall. As you feel yourself drawn into the cell, you hear chatter of several people. A small glisten hits your eye before you make your way. You can exit north into the cell, and east out.

Valen would be making his rounds at his new 'job', that evening. Now it should be said that even though he was only here to help bust someone out, there were certainly other aspects which he took very seriously as far as his new responsibilities. To the rest of his fellow guards, he was perhaps one of the most model employees they could have ever seen. If something needed cleaning, he volunteered. If someone was unable to work for the day, he would do their work plus his in a bid for some overtime. One thing he would not have done, however, was overstep any boundaries. He could not risk being found out so therefore there was only so much he could do when it came to how his new friend was treated though he would most certainly always have visited sometime in the late hours, just to check up on her. This would have gone on for the few nights before the one we are at, and this happens to be a very special one. It is special, in the sense that this is the night when an attempt will be made to rescue and free the witch, and friend, Valrae. As it stood, the sun had just dipped behind the horizon, and the Vampire was ever alert now as he waited for some sign to book it to Valrae's cell. Outwardly he would appear calm, but on the inside he was anxious to get this over with. Even though she had told him to not attempt this if it would put them both in danger...he knew that -she- knew that was a futile thing to ask, or at least he hoped she would come to that conclusion. Mind-wandering aside, all that was left was really to await the proper signs. The runes were in place, invisible until glowing upon activation, around that one window in her room, and he already had a plan in case the guard in her room did not abandon his post for the disturbance that was about to take place.

Outside the Jail

Outside of the stone barracks known as the jail, the road is populated with many people who all seem to scatter themselves amongst the various different discussions. Stone steps lead west through double doors that guide strangers of all kinds into the jail. At the base of the steps, a board littered with assorted footnotes attracts the attention of dozens of by standers, revealing recent cases or cases to be carried out in the future. To the north the trees begin to thin out and die, leading towards the stockades. The courthouse towers towards the east and the voices from the busy intersection float from the south.

Irenic feels that familiar excitement and adrenaline rush wiring through his brain as he waits for the skies to darken a little more. He stalks his way from the bar to the jail of Cenril while taking a large swig of the rum contained in his silver flask which reads 'Edlin' in fancy engraved lettering, but the swig was swished and spit out while he dabbed a couple dots of the liquor on his neck like cologne. He didn't need liquid courage for this 'heist', but only to appear to be a drunken fool and he tossed the flask off during his stroll for where he was going he wasn't going to be using either of his names. For identity reasons he looks a little beat up already with his eye swollen larger than before, his lips swollen and a bit bloodied on the other side. His hair and feathers appear darker while his tattoos invisible to make sure he had all of his bases covered; he even has Valen holding onto Valrae's book of shadows as a last resort so she can bring down the barriers herself - granted the tiny healing potion he 'slipped' her worked in enough time to give her a bit of strength. Showtime and all eyes on Edlin as he swaggers and staggers his way up to the doors of the Jail to start pounding on the door to "Open up! Let me see the pretty dancing women!" His gruff voice booms throughout the cool night air and draws attention of the patrolling guards outside because he starts quite the commotion out there, but makes sure not to lay one hand on the officers… The on duty guards may not want to lay a hand on the large Avian either seeing as he is stark naked and sporting quite a nasty stitch job where his member should be - for the weaker stomached guards this may make them a bit light headed. Edlin was starting to get louder and more belligerent while trying to chase around one of the guards all in hopes to draw more of the attention outside.

Valrae had been slowly healing thanks to Irenic's clever smuggling of healing potion. The witch was in better condition than she'd been left in both physically and mentally. Valen's nightly visits were so precious to her. They easily made the best part of her otherwise lonely days. His hardworking nature and general disinterest in being cruel to the woman had even started to slowly influence the other guard's own behaviors. Cool disinterest was hugely preferred over cruelty. Though, the most zealous of witch hating guards, including the one who's memories she had be caught altering, were still very happy to make her life miserable. As it happened, on the night that Irenic and Valen had planned to attempt her rescue, it was that very guard who paced beyond her iron bars. The commotion that was happening outside only served to further agitate the man. As he paced, he alternated between raking his hands through his hair and running the hilt of his sword along the bars. Valrae couldn't help but move anxiously in her chains as she waited. Was this the night? Could the commotion have anything to do with Irenic or Valen? "Always left out of the fun, aren't we?" The witch taunted. Because Valrae had all but refused to speak for several weeks, the guard's pacing came to an abrupt and surprised stop. He snarled at her, "Shut it, wench." She gave him a sweet smile. "It's probably because it was so easy for a street witch like me to taint your mind," The guard's face was turning red. Val had been a silent, long suffering, but generally behaved prisoner for the entirety of her stay here. All of the taunting and torture had always been met with stubborn silence and quiet resignation. To have his own jeering, taunting methods thrown back at him so abruptly had left the man stunned. "What's wrong? Not so tough now that I've decided to talk back? No wonder. As easy as it was to toil with your memories, I'm actually more surprised you have the guts to stand it the same room as me at all. Even with those little bars between us." Suddenly, with a frustrated howling sound, the guard snatched the ring of keys from his pocket. Hands shaking with anger, he unlocked the door to her cell and crossed to the witch in chains before him. Valrae's sudden smile of relief as the lock clicked open was mistaken as mocking and it only served to further infuriate the man. It was a gamble, but if it were truly her Calvary making that awful commotion she had just removed one of the locks standing between her and freedom. Now she only had to figure out what to do with the angry man towering over her in her cell. "I said shut it!" His hand fisted in the top of her hair and with a quick, angry motion he slammed her head into the concrete wall behind her. As the world spun into pictures of two and her ears were ringing from the blow, she prayed she'd been right and that her rescue would come soon. 

Valen could hear the commotion starting outside and knew that it was time to spring into action as he melded into the shadows, sure that he was not being noticed though it would matter little anyways after all this was done as he was going to resign due to 'hardships'...'trauma'...and hopefully receive a nice pension from the lawsuit. Upon reaching Valrae's cell, the doors would suddenly slam shut to that room as the runes he had placed on it would start to glow with a soft pale blue light, signaling that the room was silenced. Shadows now seemed to loom everywhere as the witch struggled to keep her senses and this guard would hopefully start to feel uneasy as the thirsty predator was now stalking it's prey. All around the room would be a deep echoing laughter, much deeper than Valrae had heard come from the normally feminine vampire, and out from the shadows, still in his guard uniform but with shadows covering his face would emerge from a corner...red eyes now leering at the guard as he was, in an instant, behind him. "Excuse me Sir, would you awfully mind letting her go...?" There was after all, no need to not be polite about the whole affair. Should this man wish to pick a fight with him though, there would be no fury in hell or earth or heaven that would match his own at the mistreatment of his new friend. In fact...there it was. "Never mind." He quickly said with a soft sigh, before he would make to grab the man in a full nelson, hands placed directly over his head if the grapple was successful, and such a placement would surely keep him from moving, while two deadly sharp fangs would pinpoint the jugular and go to start draining him of his life...taking it for his own, not to kill, but simply to just weaken.

Irenic's laughter carries it's maniacal-drunken-sounding-ness through the Jail as he was causing quite the scene outside with more than half the guards trying to tackle the large naked Avain as if he were some wild chicken. "Oh-ho! Ha-haa! Lookzit this pansy boy 'ere!" He slurred out about the couple of guys throwing up about Irenic's nether-region situation. Once he's surrounded by the lot of the guards now he trots around them while gently petting each one playing some sort of 'duck, duck, goose' game with them; replacing it with… Not nice words, of which could get me muted, so lets not go there… One of the guards starts to have enough, takes a deep breath and charges right for Irenic. "Whoa-ho-ho! Weez gotta winnah!" He's like a brick wall though… Won't go down and this encourages more of the guards to help the efforts and soon he has five guys trying to push-pull him down to the ground or subdued. "Ey! Who's 'and is dat!?" He faked a bit of a giggle, but that was cut short by a fist of one of the guard flying a fist right at Irenic's already battered face and Irenic heard a loud crack as the blow landed on his nose. This complicated matters to the point where he had to show a gracious amount of restraint not to kill the guy with his bare hands right then right there, so due to this Irenic let out a loud warrior like grunt/yell. He started batting his wings and the last few guards rush out to help as this was starting to just get sad and out of hand. They come out to see this naked Avain with blood flowing down his manic smirk, hovering in the air with guards holding onto other guards who are holding onto other guards in attempts to anchor this man down. One guard quickly comes to the idea to shoot one of the wings of this arse to help and the arrow soars brilliantly through the air until it was through the man's left wing. Irenic's face would show pain if it could, but only rage was seen while falling through the air.

Valrae|| The guard had jerked away from Valrae the moment he heard Valen's voice. As if he were nothing more than a child who's had had been caught in the cookie jar. And as he was unexpectedly caught in a grapple he couldn't escape his clenched hand suddenly dropped the ring of keys he'd been holding. They clattered to the floor as the vampire drank from him. He writhed and screamed, managed to kick poor Valrae in her ribs despite her efforts to avoid it, but it was futile against the superior being. Even witnessing her first and only encounter with a vampire stating his need for blood Valrae couldn't help her happiness at the sight of Valen. She had been right! Eventually the guard quieted and slipped into a drowsy state of unconsciousness, leaving Valen with the dead weight of him in his arms. Valrae was struggling with her chains, trying desperately to reach the ring of keys that had dropped just beyond her finger tips. A terrible pain was blooming from the back of her head and she could feel something warm and wet trickled down her neck. "Valen, the keys..." Sparkling on the old key ring was a beautifully polished piece of black tourmaline, the very key crystal that broke the pathetic enchantment that had been place on her chains. If she could just reach it... The commotion outside had seemed to grow. The witch's heart pounded, her mind sick with worry that they might be running out of time, or that Irenic might be in serious danger.

Valen would have no problem holding the now unconscious male in his arms, before letting him flop to the ground after he released his grip...hoping the guard gets a concussion. A trail of blood now trailed down the side of his lips and with a wipe of his hand, it would be gone...though he now sensed blood from Valrae, and that made him all the more swift in kicking the keys her way carefully as he wrapped up the guards wounds so he did not bleed out. "How dare you treat my friend so shamefully Sir..." he would say as he bandaged him, for all his faults, he was no murderer. Once that was done, a swift Vampiric kick would be delivered to the man's ribs before he went over to the window with a sigh. All that blood, about to go to waste. "You just hang in there sweet one...Almost free, and we will get you help." Sensing that perhaps Irenic might need just a little extra time, and a push by the sounds of things, he would send a message telepathically into the mind he had once visited. <Valrae and I are almost finished. For her sake, keep it up while I activate these final four runes. I swear to the forces of the dark vernacular though, if you end up getting hurt more than we discussed so help me I will make these (expletive)'s pay...> With that, he would close his eyes and throw his head back, gazing through his lids at the ceiling before throwing his head forward once again...regurgitating what would seem to be shadow mixed with blood. They would seek out the runes, and seemingly swirl into them like water down a drain, as four blood red runes would start to flash...and a portal that would look similar to the one that leads to Vailkrin would be where the view in the window once was. this type of magic though would certainly take it's toll, as he had to keep that stream going until she was through. Before all of this though, he would explain "This will not take you to our final destination, but rather just some distance away from all of this. I am afraid I do not yet possess the power my sweet, to take you all the way to Vailkrin...Once this is open, touch the mirror like surface and you will be instantly transported. Two of these runes allow you and I to pass, while the other two are simply to open and close. I will not have time to keep it open long, as this will put a terrible thirst on me but it will most certainly get us both out. One, Two, Three!"

Irenic was on the ground with the taste of his own blood on his crooked teeth as his gaze seems to darken and everything seems to move a bit slower in time around the chaos he's created. This was the tunnel vision black out anger he was afraid of experiencing because every time it happens he doesn't remember what he did during the lost time. At the same time he heard Valen's voice when he was just starting to lose control and suddenly everything became clear. He snapped the quill from his wing and if he resisted any longer then he's looking at more than just one night in jail so he has to get pretty creative and he starts wrenching like he's about to throw up and quite a few of the guards back up. He gets himself to his hands an knees and actually starts to throw up and after a moment of this one of the guards got behind the Avain and started putting him in cuffs. Irenic lets him, but falls just shy of his pile of bile with all of that impossible dead weight… Now all of these guards have to try to find a way to get this large Avain inside….

Valrae made short work of grabbing the black tourmaline and unlocking her chains. She started with her ankles, moved to her wrists, and one by one they came off. The gradual return of her magic, the ability to feel it hum through her blood, was intoxicating. With the lightheaded feeling that came from the blow to her head, and the rush that her magic brought to it, the witch was struggling to stand. She fought to stand, using the wall for support, and her vision began to spot as she watched Valen tend to the guard's wounds. She blinked and fought back a wave of nausea, clutching the side where the guard's boot had met. The key of black tourmaline was still clutched in her hand, bruised and as ready to escape as she was the witch in her wouldn't let her loose such a crystal. The ringing in her ears made it hard for her to understand what Valen was explaining to her, but she listened very hard and nodded. She'd watched him work his particular brand of magic with great curiosity, again despite obvious peril, because she was incapable of turning her curious mind off. After he'd finished his instruction, Valrae took a deep breath, counted to ten quickly and followed his lead... 

Valen watched from the corner's of his eyes as she struggled to stand, wanting desperately to go and help her but he needed to keep this going as long as it took for her to touch the portal. He had studied that specific one leading to Vailkrin for a reason, as it seemed to be the strongest kind he had ever encountered and managed to make a downgraded version of it. Think...MacGyver for runes. He also did not care if she found it particularly gross, as it was hardly something he pulled out all the time, but he needed her to move! Once she touched the portal, she would find herself all the way in the cove above the beach, still in Cenril, and the portal still open though as before from the other side it looked to be just a mirror, to keep any would be watchers from seeing where they would end up. Just as he was about to take a step forward to try and see if he could even keep the pace with his...well, the current form his practice was taking, the door to the cell room opened and four guards entered. "Oi! The tart's gone!" "Never mind the tart, what in blazes is -that-!" Valen would blink in surprise, before one of the other guards would come up from behind and swing a mighty fist to the side of his head...breaking his concentration as the portal vanishes with the lack of power. Reeling, and seeing nothing but black, the Vampire would stagger slightly. "Oi Princess..." The one who struck him would say. "You are certainly in the wrong place...at -just- the right time...All you need is a bag over your head and you can easily fll the plans that wench was going to be for." That was it. If Valen had a straw, or any patience, it just ran out. "My dear if you think you have anything to offer me...You are sorely mistaken. If I were you...I would take a look at the pole that will be coming -your- way." As he stretched out his hand, the guards would start to advance, but with a flick of his wrist, one of the cell bars would fall down silently into a shadow on the floor...being displaced, before shooting out like a bolt towards the line of guards...hitting the first one, and knocking the rest into each other before another would do the same, only this time long ways as it collided from behind to the backs of their heads...knocking them out and most likely leaving them with need for severe medical attention. With a scoff, Valen would look at them with fire in his eyes and a seething hatred. "Stay down." With that, he found that he had almost used too much blood the first time! He had to think quick. <Irenic...Just ran into some trouble but Valrae is safe. I just wanted to tell you...It's been an honor to know you.> He honestly had no clue what to do. The fact that those guards had so much trauma, to feed from them might be a death sentence unless... Taking a dagger from his pocket he would slice open a wrist, shadow's and blood starting to flow from the wound as he smeared it on the runs while at the same time touching the portal, or where it would appear, and instantly be transported next to Valrae. He looked a mess, weaker, starving...those nice features starting to have what appeared to be age lines now as he almost looked more dehydrated than anything and bleeding from his left wrist. But they were safe, and that was what mattered. <Never mind, found a way out. You can take it from here how you like while we make our way to House Dragana>

Irenic started to feel a but of panic with Valen's initial message as he eventually gets dragged in by the guards. He was pretending to be unconscious while his mind was trying to think fast on what to do as he waits to get into the establishment to take some sort of action in efforts to save his friend. Once inside was trying to listen carefully to how many men were trying to drag him in. Suddenly he gets the signal that Valen and Valrae got out safely and he feels great relief in knowing that. He gets tossed in the 'drunk tank' for the night so he can 'sleep off the alcohol' and is to be expected to be released tomorrow…. Ugly, bloody, beaten and nekked snoozy time for Irenic…. A guard tosses a blanket over the Avian.

Valrae || Upon arrival at whatever location Valen's portal would have taken her, Valrae would promptly begin dry heaving. This would have been the part where she lost her dinner, but seeing as the guards saw it fit to deprive her of one, she had nothing in her stomach to resurface. So the witch knelt on her hands and knees while tears streamed down her face and nose and heaved until her stomach settled. Finally, she sat back and rubbed her face with the itchy wool of her grey prison clothes. Where was Valen? What was happening to Irenic? She glanced around anxiously. Was this part of the plan? Where was she? Valrae touched the back out her head and frowned when it came back bloody. She had just decided to try and stand when Valen suddenly appeared by her. She made a small, feminine squeak of surprise and crawled toward him... It was easier than trying to stand. Her face was etched in lines of worry at the condition she found him in. He looked pail and drained, despite what strength he might have gathered from the guard's blood. Gently, she reached for his bleeding wrist and if he didn't pull away she would use the extra length of her shirt to apply pressure. "Valen? Valen, are you alright? Where is Irenic?" She whispered because she was unsure of her location and it's safety. "Do you need blood?"

Valen would keep his eyes closed, just laying there for the longest time, none injured wrist clenching it's hand in rage and thirst as he slowly calmed down...shaking visibly at first though slowly simmering until he looked just as peaceful as well...the dead. This is when his eyes would open so as to not worry the witch, and at her words of concern a simple smile would grace his face though to him it would feel like the areas around his mouth were much too dry. "Irenic is fine. A day in jail, as planned, and he will be out. I told you...You just let us handle it." He sensed her confusion, and offered a rather dry and hoarse laugh "Don't you know where we are? This is -your- cove...Dear Lady. I figured it all too appropriate that your favorite place be your metaphorical and realistic symbol of freedom." Her asking if he needed blood had him moving, or trying to, just a few inches away as if in protest. "I will be fine, we need to get you to Vailkrin though. Irenic left implicit and explicit instruction that you are to be stored there for now...." Trying to stand, he would shakily make his way up but having moved from her had removed the pressure from his wrist and so once more his blood would spill onto the ground as he hissed with a wince...fangs a bit more pronounced now as he quickly applies his own pressure. "Let's get going." He said as he pulled out her book of shadows and handed it out to her with a smirk. "You might want this back..."

Valrae watched Valen go into stillness and felt her heart beat slam against her chest. It hardly slowed when his eyes opened. "Jailed! I would have never..." The witch stopped herself from arguing. Valen really didn't look up to it and there was nothing that could be done about it now. A frustrated sigh hissed passed her lips but she didn't press the issue. Her temper was further quelled buy the realization that the vampire was indeed telling the truth and it was the very cove she loved that they were in now. It was dark and empty, luckily enough for them, but the scent of salt and sand and the soothing sounds of waves touching rock in the distance were all there. Happiness flooded her. To be under the stars, so close to the ocean... To see something she'd never thought she might again in this life. If she'd had the time to really appreciate it, she might have made her way into the ocean and wept as it washed away the time spent in her prison. But her worry for Valen was much too pressing for that kind of self indulgence. He'd moved away from her when she offered her blood, and spilled more of his own for the trouble, so she was frowning at him now. Under the light of the moon and free of her magic suppressing chains she felt stronger and more powerful than she had in a long time, despite the injury to her head and side. Maybe in more so than before she'd been locked away, because she now truly understood what it was like to be without her gift. This realization of power and confidence was written on her face, clear in the pale silver light of the moon she drew strength from. Valrae knew what she had to do, how to help her friend. She stood with him, more swiftly than she had before in the prison, and stubbornly blinked away the pain that shot through her head and double her vision. "Valen, please," The witch begged. "Please," She took the book from him hesitantly. "I can help you!" She was pointedly ignoring his rush to leave. Vailkrin?... But Cenril was her home. Before she could argue with the vampire about where she would be going, she need to get him to drink her blood. "Let me help you..." Slowly, Valrae pushed away the tresses of hair that were as pale as star silk under the moon. Pulling down the rough collar of her shirt, she tilted her head and exposed the delicate line of her throat.

Valen was most certainly not going to argue back with an angry witch, even more so because her anger was certainly justified. "Hey...Hey. Irenic is a big boy, he told me so himself." That would most certainly be accompanied by a wink. "I think he can handle one night while we get to safety...I promise though, one day the three of us will come back to this spot together soon, once all this dies down." Moving closer to her again he would add "And I never break a promise." Her sudden insistence that he feed from her made him wince slightly. He hated feeding from living things, preferring to drink more along the lines of the blood wine and other such things, but he could not argue that he would need it soon. He had lost so much of what was stored in him that he wondered if he could even make it to Vailkrin with how weak he would be by then. So it came to pass, that as the tresses of her hair were moved, his eyes would close and a soft breath would be felt on her neck. "If I am going to do this...We do this my way." would be whispered, before moving to kiss her on the lips again...as before that night when he had visited when they sang, slow and sensual, the sweetness that was his very essence poured into the action. Moving along her jawline, trailing kisses and small nips he would find her neck and softly trail his fangs along the skin there before gently sinking them in...drawing from her. He would not feed for long, a mere half minute or so before releasing her flesh from his mouth, and quickly tears a piece of clothing off of a sleeve and binds it to where it would stop the bleeding. already, the witch's blood would do wonders for his complexion, and he would feel perhaps even a bit of her magic start to flow through his veins as it started to take effect. "There..." he would softly say. "Happy? Might we be off now...?" With a soft kiss to her forehead, he would add finally "And Valrae...thank you."