Atharen, A Fantasy Roleplay Forum

Posted: **Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:09 pm**

6th of Frost, 120

It was hard, but that wasn't saying much. Everything was hard for Arkash; the hard way was never easy, and the easy way was always a trap. That being said, Arkash had chosen a situation of relative comfort and ease proceeding the events of that day. He laid prone on a rooftop in Lower Nivenhain with his rifle primed. There, he used his spyglass to watch the streets below and searched the dilapidated roads and homes for signs of life, namely the Argent that had been massacring the Nameless since the dawn of that day.
He was enraged, exhausted, wounded badly and in pain. His focus was waning while his burn wounds stung at the contact to the grime of the rooftop, and settled a little at the gust of a stray wind. It was perhaps one of the only times that Arkash could recall being grateful for the cold and the snow. he'd been there so long, in fact, that he'd gathered a small mount of the cool white frost in the back and legs.
His brow eventually softened before he lowered the spyglass; it was too dark to see. A low sigh escaped him as he rose to his feet, then tucked the oculus into his belt before he pulled the lever of his rifle back. Five shots remained. His tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth while he thought, then shook his head in dismissal. He'd use the last remaining shells before calling it a night, he decided.
A lot of nameless were gathered in the sewers with Asmodei and Fayeth both; nameless he'd herded to safety in the early hours of the attack. His two most trusted friends guarded them, tended to their more meager wounds while Arkash fought back against the attack. Fighting, of course, was a term used loosely given Arkash's state.
Carefully, Arkash rose to his feet, and looked to the roofing to his right. A sigh escaped him, along with a small portion of the heat he retained. He had to move; the fight wasn't happening near the street he camped on. So, Arkash slung his rifle onto his back, covered his eyes with one set of claws, then squeezed his temples. His wounds weren't bleeding anymore, but still, he was far too active for someone in such a state. "No rest for the wicked," he muttered in vithmi, then lowered his body before bolting for the edge of the rooftop. His sharp claws thudded and kicked through the snow before he rose with a high step on the edge, and pushed with all the strength he could muster in a powerful leap.
A good few feet of airtime carried him to a slightly lower rooftop, where he curled his body on impact and rolled across the surface with a hiss. The impact drew a hollow, muffled boom from the building, accompanied by a sharp echo. That same echo indicated that the roof had given out somewhere on the dilapidated home, and Arkash gripped the snow-covered, sloped ground while he searched for momentary shelter.

Black mold lined the interior of the caved-in attic, but Arkash had found some dry debris to burn regardless. He sat in the more intense areas of the glow while he absorbed and stored the bounty of warmth the flame offered. Soon enough, Arkash's breath showed in the air in the form of condensation once more. He found himself checking and picking at his fresh wounds often, a passive, almost instinctual drive to ensure that they stay clean, clear of debris, but it was almost futile. Arkash was plastered in the blood of his ex-comrades, the people that had inflicted the majority of his injuries. That alone was enough to ensure that his wounds would someday fester, but the fact that he'd gone the entire day without cleaning them promised that the budding infection had already taken root.
Once he'd painstakingly peeled some of the charred leathers from his fresh burn wounds, he shuddered and rose to his feet again. There were more argent to kill, more of his kind to save.
As Arkash, freshly warmed and nimble, climbed from the gaping hole in the roof, he lowered his body to prowl then burst forward with eruptive force. He had to pick up speed if he was to make the next clearing, so he pushed back against the oppressive weight of the pain that wrought his form and ran for the ledge at full speed. With a push of his legs, he again propelled himself from the ledge with his claws extended and gripped the ledge of the neighboring roof. There, he engaged his meager upper body strength to lift his even more meager weight over the top, then broke into another run when he was up and on his feet.
It took a little while and more than a few rooftop jumps, but eventually, the screams and cries returned. He watched the roads below with his human eye, and eventually found the flicker of torchlight in the distance. With his mark ready and his heart beating fast, Arkash made his way to it, then readied his rifle in the prone position from the rooftop while he spied the source through his spyglass. There, on the road below were a couple of large, bulky men, adorned in bloodied, dirtied plate armor. Arkash hissed as he lowered his spyglass, then lined up his shot with the rifle while he caught his breath.
The wind was tame, he had a clear window of opportunity before the argent passed by a building unseen. So, using his human eye to stare down the iron sight of his rifle, he took aim, exhaled, and gently squeezed the trigger. The thundering boom of his weapon heralded the gunshot, and the launched bullet spiraled through the air before landing its mark in the argent's visor. The force of the impact knocked the giant to the floor with a hefty thud, but he was dead on his feet. The argent's partner looked to the body, then looked in the direction of the blast before he began running to the source. Arkash watched him through the lens of his spyglass, then hissed as he pulled back the lever to eject the shell.
Argent were incredibly perceptive. The human had somehow calculated the trajectory of the bullet and determined where Arkash was hiding, or at least a ballpark estimate. As he lowered the lever again, he took aim at the fast-approaching argent, then lined up his second shot. No doubt, the man was skilled enough to evade the bullet the moment he heard the gunshot and would do so by simply holding still. Arkash was bound to compensate for the movement by aiming ahead of where the argent was running right? Wrong. He knew well just how skilled Argent were, he knew their reflexes.
When the golem clicked and it was ready to fire again, Arkash exhaled and squeezed the trigger, only to fire his gun... and hit the Argent's shield. The human raised his defensive heater in time to protect his visor, and Arkash hissed. Why hadn't he seen that coming?
He had no time to line up a second shot, the argent would be on the roof before then, so, he ran and ejected the used shell. Three rounds remained. The dark of his form blended well with the night sky as he hopped rooftop, then took a knee to aim for where he'd once stood, and waited. Moments later, the argent arrived on the prior rooftop with his shield arm on the side opposite Arkash had run to. The rath continued to hold his aim until the weapon's bolt clicked, then pulled the trigger with an outward breath, and fired at the giant. The Argent had heard the blast of course, but he wasn't fast enough. Arkash didn't have a clear shot on the gian't visor, so he aimed elsewhere. As the human turned to the source and tried to lift his shield, he found the bullet lodged in his neck. Again, the force of the strike was enough to send the choking, gurgling giant to the floor. That one, however, didn't die on his feet. Arkash furrowed his brow and ejected the shell before he returned to the other rooftop and approached the fallen, bleeding argent.
There, at the man's side, he found that the bullet didn't travel all the way through. The armor around the man's neck had absorbed most of the force, but not enough to fully stop the projectile. Arkash pressed his knee into the Argen't chest in a kneel, drew his bloodshaped blade, then drove it into the dying man's eye with both his claws around the handle. The giant's body shuddered and twitched, then fell limp. More post-mortem twitches followed while Arkash searched the body, but found nothing of use. With a deep sigh, he returned to the prone position on the edge of the rooftop among the snow, then aimed his rifle on the streets below while he scanned through the lens of his spyglass. Two shells remained, then he was done for the night.

Image source.

Posted: **Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:48 am**

☠ 6th of Frost, Year 120, Final Solstice ☠
Company: Cullen | Thoughts: This is disgusting | Mood: Concerned

☠ I had spent the morning in the courtyard, practicing my swordsmanship and magic with my father. Though it was not encouraged by the staff, we trained in the way of self-defense, my sigilic pyromancy to be exact. It was exciting yet grueling as my father was not cutting me any slack.

His attacks were fierce and precise, as expected from someone who knew how to dissect a man from head to toe. It was a learning experience, however, being on the defensive didnt really allow me to put what I was witnessing into practice against him. Not that I needed to anyway, I was but a simple doctor after all, what use would I be in a fight.

Though if I had to be honest, it thrilled me, sword fighting, as what was a sword but a giant scalpal. And who better to wield a scalpal than a doctor of course. It only seemed right to have skill in swordplay, just in case of course. "Come now Haldir, you must do better, think out of your own box." he teased, knowing full well the difference in our skill. Even if I tried to it wouldn't matter in the least.

He was persistent though, so I had no choice but to humor him with my skill. My strikes were swift and aimed to strike one of the major arteries in the body, something that made my father smile once he realized it. He allowed me time to practice with Endkindling my weapon and getting into my own rhythm with the sword and keeping the shrivenflame alit, to feel its weight, and how best to use it in my hands.

For the next hour, I practiced different combinations between weak and strong attacks, rolling, and jumping strikes. Each one deflected nonetheless by my father. Exhausted I took a break from our training, laying upon the cool grass of the courtyard. My break however wouldn't last for much longer.

While enjoying my reprieve, allowing my muscles to rest, a commotion seemed to erupt out in the vestibule of the hospital. Then Cullen came running through to the courtyard. Boss!!! Cullen came bursting into the courtyard in a hurry. I could see the pure panic on his face when he got to me. "Calm yourself Cullen, what's the matter?" I inquired, a brow quirked in confusion.

Lower Nivenhain!! he exclaimed, looking to me as he was trying to catch his breath. "What about Lower Nivenhain, out with it Cullen!!" I demanded, still not certain what he was going on about. They are killing the residents!!! A force of Argent and Hollows have moved into Lower Nivenhain and are slaughtering people!!!!

I didn't need to hear anymore as I quickly went to change. I put on Malphas, armed myself as much as I could, and set out to Lower Nivenhain. I couldn't believe my ears, the screams of innocent lives echoing through the canopy of shanty homes. My eyes narrowed in disgust, the blatant disregard for life by the current nobility was appalling, so much so I could feel my stomach churn. Cullen watched my hands clenched, so much so that I was digging into my palms.

Fear.....that's all I could feel as we snuck around the Argent and hollows as we entered the district in the siege against the Nameless. I was uncertain how many lives I could actually save, having Cullen acting as my medic, or at least carrying my supplies in case we came across injured, though I doubt it if they were willing to send such a force to kill off poor peasants. This was not a good day to become careless or die trying to become a hero, and I had no intention of dying this day or any after for that matter.

I was doing my best to be strategic, avoiding large patrols, being able to help evacuate as many citizens as possibles, and most of all not die. Cullen was pivotal in that as he knew where many of the peasants were hiding, or at least an inkling as to where, and all we had to do was ensure they made it out of the area safely which would be the hard part. It meant I had to be the muscle while Cullen was our eyes.

As we moved deeper into the warzone, I was greeted by the smell of burning flesh and ash in the air. Trying to get a grasp on what was going on I heard the wails of an unfamiliar foe. Hollows. Cullen whispered as we took off in the opposite direction in which the wails originated. In my mind, I was glad we arrived when she did, there's no telling how many lives had been lost in this conflict.

If we didn't move fast we would find ourselves among the dead sor sure, so we picked up our pace. ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

Posted: **Sat Dec 12, 2020 5:31 am**

The hour was late, and Arkash found himself growing weaker and more exhausted as the night went on. The holes in his leathers were a contributing factor to the gradual heat loss, as Arkash was left exposed to the chill air of Frost's atmosphere.
He laid there on the roof with his rifle steady in one hand and watched the streets with the spyglass that rested in the other, but his focus waned. He was going through the motions without attention or consideration to what was happening below. His thoughts wandered to Taelian, the book, the piglets, and their fate. His head felt heavy, his body was soft, relaxed. Despite the cold, he felt warm, comfortable.
A sudden sharp breath forced his eyes open and woke Arkash from his sudden nap. It was just as Liu had warned him; he had to be careful about falling asleep in the snow. With a grunt, he pressed into his claws and sat up. The fight was still going on below, but Arkash was worn out.
He'd given it everything he had all day, and the fact left him exhausted. He could no longer stay awake it seemed, let alone fight. With a deep breath, Arkash checked his rifle again and made sure he hadn't somehow lost his bullets. They were still there, both shells. Finally, he began to stand and released that deep breath through his nose. His body was getting stiff again; it was time to call it a night. He'd wanted to spend the last of his ammunition on the argent, but that was unwise. He would be defenseless on the way back to the sewers.
So, Arkash slung the length of his rifle over his back and approached the fallen argent. With his knee to the man's chest, he began to leech from the open wounds in the man's face and neck alike and formed blight from the man's lukewarm blood. Using that blight, he cast sway to pull more fluid from the man's veins, then hardened and bloodshaped the fluid to form a dagger, which he tucked into his belt and pulled the length of his jacket over to conceal. With the last of the blight, he diffused the quality of sharpness into the blade, then lifted his stiffening form to proceed to the stairwell.
Through the dilapidated building, breathing in the black mold and over the various clumps of debris, Arkash made his way to the alleys below. On his way down, he produced his pistol and checked the chamber. It was loaded with a single round, as that was all the golem could fit. A low sigh escaped him as he proceeded to the back door of the building's ground floor. The moment he stepped outside, a blood-curdling shriek brought Arkash's eyes to widen.
Hollows.
He drew a sharp breath and stumbled backward into the building. His claws rattled around the trigger of the gun while his legs shook. Adrenaline flooded his system and put the rathor on edge. It was only when his venom began to pool in his mouth that he realized that his body had entered its defensive state, prompted by past trauma and instinct. Quickened breathing flared his nostrils when he dropped the gun and gripped the length of his muzzle with both sets of claws. With his back to the wall, he slid down and curled into the fetal position.
The claws around his muzzle pressed firmly, almost painfully constricting around the length of his mouth while he shivered and rocked there in the dark of the ruined house. He was only able to breathe through his nose while the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the alley behind him. The rathor fell completely still, then bared his teeth as toxic drool ran from his lips... That was until he caught wind of a familiar scent. Cyrus.
Startled, Arkash rolled onto his claws then peeked around the corner of the door's threshold. Moving ahead of him, further down the alley, were two men dressed darkly. Their backs were turned to him, so he couldn't be sure of who they were. With a hiss, Arkash took the handle of his pistol and bolted around the corner. His form was still wrought with adrenaline, and his mind still raced, but moving quietly and quickly was what he did best. The hollows could be anywhere, he needed numbers, someone to help him fight them. Cyrus's presence, if it was him, was perfectly timed.
Arkash stopped at the corner that they next turned, then leaned over to spy the two figures. "Psst!" he called over the fighting and screams that made up the ambiance of the streets. "Cyrus?!" He called a bit louder but kept his pistol ready around the corner. They didn't look like knights, but he couldn't fully trust the nameless either.

Image source.

Posted: **Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:15 am**

☠ 6th of Frost, Year 120, Final Solstice ☠
Company: Cullen | Thoughts: This is disgusting | Mood: Concerned

☠ We just barely missed them, finding a place to hide for the time being until their patrol passed. Observing, it seemed there was an argent in charge of this area, female by the tone of voice from under the helmet. She had a small group of hollows, 5 at most, all armed with small weaponry; shortswords, daggers, pistols and the like. Even still I have come to know the hollows to be dangerous with or without weapons regardless.

Something about the way they were patrol seemed off to me, it wasn't routine it seemed. She was patrolling, she was hunting, the hollows acting as her hounds to sniff out. Now came the danger of us being found out, and having to defend ourselves from her and her brood of hollows. Luckily for us, though unfortunate, some nameless caught the attention of one of the hollows sniffing around, and they gave chase, their huntress gleefully leading the chase.

Looking to Cullen I could see his restraint, knowing that he wanted to do something to help them but also knowing there was no helping them once the hollow sniffed them out. The best we could do is move on and help those we could along the way. Pressing forward we came across a little one, hiding beneath the rubble of a collapsed shanty. Poor thing was clinging to his dead mother. Cullen moved in to secure him, calming him down and telling him to be as quiet as he could be.

With the little one now under our care we continued to look for survivors, hoping to save as many as we could. As we came to the corner of one dirt road we found a lone hollow clawing at a survivor barricaded behind a fallen roof. As quick as I could I went to aid and dispatch the soulless beast, closing with its halberd. Its reflexes were impressive, and it was pushing me against the ropes. I had no choice but to form a weave around the thing and compel it away from me, watching as it was caught in the fracturing space and flung into the air.

Hitting the ground with a thud, I formed another weave, while it got to its feet and impelled it back towards me only to fling it across the blade of my sword. Its head rolled off as I knelt down catching my breath. Fighting these things was far more grueling than I thought, realizing it had cut me up rather good as I noticed blood dripping into the dirt. My legs and arms were marred in scratches from the thing, and I was surprised I didn't notice it.

Cullen snapped me from my self-examination as he called for help to move the roof so we could save the nameless that was behind it. A woman, maybe 24 was hiding behind it, her legs covered in a large gash and blood. Taking my kit from Cullen I proceeded to clean and dress the wound. As I did it I could have sworn I heard someone calling, but given the situation of the night, I chalked it up to adrenaline and hearing the cries of dying nameless.

But then the little one tugged on my sleeve and pointed behind us. "Someone's callin ya. It's a talking lizard. He said pointing at one of the buildings behind us. With a quirked brow, I finished wrapping her leg up and then moved towards where the boy had pointed. "I know of one lizard...." I thought as I crept closer to the building.

"Is that you Arkash?" I called loud enough not to draw attention to us, not knowing if another hollow or Argent was around. My hand rested on the grip of my pistol as I slowly crept closer. ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

Posted: **Tue Dec 15, 2020 3:37 am**

'A talking lizard' the boy in Cyrus's company had called him. Arkash furrowed his brow. It was true, he very well may have been a talking lizard, but was it so necessary to point it out?
Regardless of his gripes with the name, it was clear that the man before him was, in fact, Cyrus. He was helping the injured, saving survivors where he found them. Cyrus really was one of the better humans, after all.
Cyrus called to him, And Arkash breathed a sigh of relief. It was his voice, his scent, it must have been the same human that patched up his wounds after his accident with the hollows. With nigh-empty lungs, Arkash produced himself from the shadow of the alley's corner, and tucked his pistol into his belt beside his tail then pulled his jacket to conceal the weapon. The fabric of his leathers shifted around the edges of his wounds and brought his features to wince.
"Venom, a'tually," he spoke with a grin, then straightened his posture as the sting of his wounds died down. Carefully, he stepped from the shadows of Nivenhain's darker parts, and showed himself in the low moonlight. Arkash was, of course, a mess. Just as he had been in his last encounter with the doctor, he was covered in blood from head to toe, but it was dry; cracked in parts. Additionally, his leathers were torn and burned in patches, matted in the same lifeforce that stained his scales burgundy. Over his back rested a big gun, a rifle that some argent would wield. Beneath all the dirt and grime though, it was still Arkash. Arkash with the addition of his left arm and eye, which both functioned at the same capacity of their originals.
"I'ss good t' see 'ew age'n," Arkash spoke with a smile, accompanied by a respectful bow of his head. "I bet 'ew jus' couldn' resist comin' 'ere when 'ew 'eared abou' th' slaughta', huh?" The rath grinned a little more then hissed as he shifted another step to the group. "Me, Fayeth, an' Az 'ave been 'idin' the naemless in th' sewa's. We was lucky, caught a lo' of 'em when 'e attack star'ed 'iss mornin'. They's tendin' they wounds an' shit, but they's no' docta's, yaknow?"
Arkash grinned a little, though his eyes were lined with remorse. He didn't seem to care about saying the S-word in front of a child. The brat had probably heard far worse growing up in a place like Lower Nivenhain. "I gaev up on saevin' 'em soem tiem afta' noon. Jus' been shootin' cunts f'om th' rooftops," he clarified with a pat of his claws on the stock of his rifle.
"Not gonna lie, I'm knacka'd. I dun' fink 'ere's more people still aliev out 'ere enymaw," he spoke with something of a frown. "If 'ew wanna keep lookin', I'll 'elp 'ew, but I fink we should 'ead back t' th' sewa's an' get 'ese guys saef," he motioned to the woman and the boy alike. "Youer call," declared the rath as he settled his eyes on the doctor's mask.

Image source.

Posted: **Thu Dec 17, 2020 6:15 am**

☠ 6th of Frost, Year 120, Final Solstice ☠
Company: Cullen | Thoughts: This is disgusting | Mood: Concerned

☠ With a sigh of relief I took my hand from Heart Stopper and shook my head at Arkash. "I'm rather glad it's you, otherwise you would have ended up with a bullet to the face. It's good to see you alive and well, though those wounds look a hair away from infections" I said, calling Cullen over with my medical kit, the woman following behind him with the young child in her arms.

I began to treat his wounds, cleaning them to stave off infection and wrap them up to help alleviate the cold. "I'm glad to see you too, I just wished you didn't look like hell."I chuckled, lifting my mask to show my smile and continuing to tend to him. "I suppose I can assume you came here to help the evacuation?" I inquired not sure really how to ask "Why are you here?" without trying to be so direct about it. In any case, he explained his reason, which turned out to be aligned with my own

Once done, I looked to the carnage as he spoke, informing me that most of those who could be saved had already been ushered to safety already thanks to him and his guardians. That was a good sign, meaning not many were caught in the massacre and some lives were indeed saved. As much as I didn't want to admit to it he was right, and we needed to move on.

"I agree, I think we should get out of here now, nothing left we can do. There was a huntress knight I saw earlier, and she has a group of hallows with her. We need to move now, lead the way." I noted, handing my medical kit back to Cullen.

"We'll plan our next move once we are out of danger." I added, moving to make sure the coast was clear, before motioning for the others to follow. "I'll cover our rear, you watch the front Ark.....Venom" ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

Posted: **Thu Dec 17, 2020 6:26 pm**

A bullet in the face? Infections? Arkash grinned to himself and waved a dismissive claw. "I've 'ad worse," he spoke like a proper tough guy. Boy, did he feel tough too, soldiering on despite his wounds and the rips in his clothes. Tough, exhausted, and riddled with pain. In truth, everything hurt from his scales to his bones. The chill of the open air stung deeply, and left Arkash woozy. He was a hair's breadth from swaying and wobbling, but had the strength to continue, at least until they made it to the sewers.
He was almost unresponsive until Cyrus began to treat his wounds. The moment the cleaning rag touch his open burn, Arkash yelped and reeled, hissing in pain. All of a sudden, he wasn't quite so tough. "W-we don't 'ave tiem," he spoke with his claws raised in a gesture to stay Cyrus's advance. Cleaning his wounds would take more time than they had, not just because he was a little sensitive to the sting of disinfectant, but because of how broad his wounds were. "Am fien, Doc. They's no' deep, jus' th' scales." Most of them weren't deep, but a few were a little more serious.
"I'll live," he spoke with something of a brave smile, then exhaled in a way that flared his nostrils as his lips returned to a neutral flat. Cyrus went on to ask what he was doing there, and Arkash explained his achievements in turn, but he felt it was time to go, and Cyrus was in agreement. There seemed to be an Argent of considerable strength in the area, too, which was even more cause to leave. Arkash had been picking off rookies most of the day, and only from a distance. He couldn't stand against one in head-to-head combat.
Thankfully, the sewer entrance wasn't too far away from where they stood, and they could make most of the journey through the alleys. "Orite, follow me," he spoke with a wave of his claws. He would take point while Cyrus watched the flank. "Oi, 'ew lot!" He addressed the others. "Folla' m'lead, do like I says an' we'll gerr'outta 'ere aliev," he warned. His yellow eyes looked between Cullen, the woman, and the boy. "Stay b'tween us, innit. Keep quiet an' lemme kno' if 'ew see summin' dodgy." With his instructions clear, he motioned a claw in a 'follow me' gesture, then proceeded west into an alley.
A glance was cast over his shoulder to affirm that everyone was there, but he more searched for the good doctor, who he sought to affirm the presence of. Once he was certain that the party had assembled, he returned his gaze to the coiling brick-framed paths ahead of them. The walk was mostly uneventful, save for the occasional scream and the cleave of meat as another nameless fell in the distance, but the attack was dying down; the Argent were running out of game.
"Almost 'ere," Arkash declared with a brief smile, then returned his gaze forward. His claws pressed to the wrought brick walls to help himself along before he turned the corner in the narrow passage and watched for any activity before proceeding. He was a little reckless in his movements, as he should have checked the corner before committing to the act, but the wounds, the fatigue and the pain all left him weary of mind.
No amount of instinct or intuition could have predicted what came next.

Image source.

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:20 am**

☠ 6th of Frost, Year 120, Final Solstice ☠
Company: Cullen | Thoughts: This is disgusting | Mood: Concerned

☠ As we moved, Arkash taking the lead, I unsheathed Manslayer and kept my head on a swivel for anything out of the ordinary. I was hopeful that our escape would be easy, but something in the back of my mind didn't feel the same as I did.

In a blink of an eye however, things would change, by the time I saw the blade, it was too late. Throwing my sword up in defense it slammed into mine and in the same motion cleaved the woman in two with a cloud of dust and debris filling the space between us all. I was forced back losing my footing and slid into a nearby wall.

Disoriented, I stumbled to my feet, trying to catch my bearings as my head was ringing and my back was sore from the impact. I could finally see the cleaved body of the woman we had saved, the lower half of her at least. I could hear the boy crying out within the debris........then nothing it was silent.

When the dust began to settle I saw the cause of the commotion. My eyes widened as the silhouette within the dust was revealed. Her visage was otherworldly, ethereal in nature. She could easily be mistaken for a goddess by the uneducated, but it was clear she was an argent knight, and a strong one too.

Looking past her I could see Arkash in the front, as well as Cullen and he had the child in his arms, covering the little one's mouth. I was glad they were safe but my heart skipped a beat as the armored woman's eyes fell to me. I couldn't even imagine how long she'd been following us, let alone closing the distance?

I never spoke as I watched her, eyeing her every move as she lurked over the dismembered woman. "I only got one? I guess I"ve gotten rusty it seems." she mused with a chuckle, turning her gaze to me. "You there....you managed to block my strike, if barely." she noted, her eyes shifting from my own to my chest. Placing my hand on my chest I pulled it back to see it covered in blood. She still managed to damage me regardless of me blocking her.

I was starting to realize that these Argent were monsters, abominations of mortal men. In any case, I had to stall her so the others could escape, so Arkash, Cullen, and the child could escape. I began to pool shrivenflame into my palms, the burning enchantment also coating the greatsword in my hands. The Argent Knight smiled, as she pointed her blade to me, planting her shield into the blood-soaked ground. "I suppose you'll do for a warmup."

She sprinted forward which forced my hand back, forming the lance of shrivenflame, then sending it forward at her. She was unphased as she simply darted out of the way, coming around to my left flank and sending an upward slash aiming to take my throwing arm from me.

I barely doged out of the way, using the greatsword to buff most of the impact. Even still it was enough to send me rolling across the floor. Getting to my feet she was already upon me, not giving me a chance to breath, as I was on the defensive, and a poor one at that. It was clear she was toying with me, like a cat playing with the mouse or bird they caught before finishing it.☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

Posted: **Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:13 pm**

Arkash was quite comfortable leading from the front. It felt good to guide the helpless, to allow others to lean on his strength. The rath smiled, pleased while he praised himself in his own mind. In addition to his exhausted self praise, he was doing something right, something kind. Sure, he was covered in blood, but it was the blood of the powerful, the wicked Argent that preyed on the helpless. He had cause yo smile that day.
It sickened him to think about them, especially when he considered that they were of the same breed as the celebrant. Both used the role they were born into to subjugate others. It was a system that perpetuated their own power while undermining those that could oppose their rule. Their oppressive hold, their unlimited power, all of it was totally accepted by the weak that crawled beneath the gaze of the nobility. That power, that vile, manipulative force was called Authority. Law. 'Order'. Only he and a handful of others saw it, though. Only he, Fayeth, and Asmodei knew of the disease that was the Argent and Celebrant both. One day, Lorien would know.
It was during his thoughts that the Argent struck, and cleaved the woman in half. Immediately, Arkash shut his eyes and lifted his arm to cover his gaze as the snow was kicked up all around them. "Wot?!" Arkash snapped, then flicked his arm to throw some of the snow from his form. His realization wasn't immediate, but the moment she spoke, his eyes adjusted. There she was, a Knight-Argent. The boy and Cyrus's friend stood beside him. The woman laid in two halves on the floor.
The sight caused him no distress; the contempt he held for humanity remained even if he fought the urge to hate them. Despite his efforts, the sight of a dead human would never bring him to tears. In fact, he peered at the body with disgust, then directed his attention to the woman that stood opposite Cyrus. There, it was revealed: Cyrus was a sigilic pyromancer. Arkash could recognize an enkindled weapon from a mile away; everyone and their dog seemed to be a sigilic pyromancer, after all.
The fight ensued, and Arkash watched intently on the two fast-moving targets. Cyrus was doing quite well despite losing; Arkash couldn't keep pace with a knight in close quarters, either. Thankfully, he wasn't in close quarters.
With his eyes set on the Argent, Arkash drew his pistol, held it with both claws and aimed as he stepped in front of Cullen and the boy. Hopefully, the older of the two knew to cover his ears while Arkash lined up the shot. They were fast, too fast. He needed a line of sight on her visor, something, anything. With how fast they were moving, Arkash was almost prepared to settle for the neck, or even a joint on the armor.
Then, his chance presented itself. Her visor was exposed. Arkash aimed with both his arms fully extended, exhaled, and pulled the trigger. The resulting blast flung the weapon upward as it launched it's one bullet directly at the woman...
A thundering clang sounded, akin to the strike of a hammer on an anvil as Arkash's bullet landed on her shield. "Close-" she hummed from behind the defensive wall.
Arkash hissed and dropped the empty pistol in a fit of fury. At once, he lifted his rifle and shouldered the stock. He took aim for her eyes and waited just a second with the intent to shoot her the moment she showed her face. But, his eyes lowered a tad, and so did the aim of his rifle. "-But too sl-AGH!" she cried in agony over the second blast, accompanied by that same metallic clang.
Arkash had shot her in the knee. The bullet hadn't penetrated the plate armor there, but it was heavily warped in such a way that prevented her from straightening it. By the shape of the joint alone, discomfort was assured, even pain or injury. She could no longer stand fully, her mobility and speed were at least cut in half. That gave Cyrus enough of a fighting chance, he hoped.
Steadily, the rifle cooled down. His last bullet was fed into the firing mechanism as he ejected the old shell and took aim. One knight was no problem, right? As long as he kept a safe distance.

Image source.

Posted: **Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:48 pm**

☠ 6th of Frost, Year 120, Final Solstice ☠
Company: Cullen, boy, Arkash | Thoughts: Wretched Knight | Mood: Drained, Injured

☠ I watched as Both shots took her attention from me, mentally praising Arkash in my mind for the assistance. His shots did the intended damage, all I needed was a moment of weakness, making my move to cleave her head from behind her. Her reflexes however were sharp, instinctively blocking my enflamed greatsword with her blade.

She glared at me, then to Ark, trying to stand and fix her knee, but I wasn't going to let up, coming back around with another slash of my sword. it was however a ploy, as I expected her to deflect it, and when she did, I would pelt her face with another flaming lance. "Nice try pissant." she hissed, tilting her head to the side as she planted a forceful hit with her shield sending me back a bit.

The sheer shock of the impact from her shield had floored me, causing me to fall to one knee, cough blood up from beneath my mask, watching as it fell from my face. My face was revealed as she looked upon me, smiling a bit. "What a shame, you are actually kind of cute too." she mused, limping on the bad leg that was shot. It was then that I realized how to when this fight, but I'd have to lure her in first.

A determined look in my eyes, I charged her, coming to slice her sword arm off, only for her to deflect it, with an upward swing of her blade, but that's what I wanted. When she realized my ploy, evident from the smirk on my face, it was too late, as the three-shot pistol I had acquired back when I helped Arkash with those thugs was pointed at her shield arm. At this close range, the fact she was dealing with her injured leg, she wouldn't be able to move out of the way properly.

The first of my three shots impacted on her shield arm, severely denting the armor and causing her to drop her shield. As I rolled from my fake strike being deflected I came to stop and watch her curse in pain and irritation from being shot, her arm now useless as I could only imagine moving it would cause more damage.

"I don't need a shield to kill you curs." she hissed, entering a defensive stance. Seeing this as my chance to end this I mustered up as much strength as I could. In reality, it wasn't much, as I was losing blood from the gash on my abdomen as I fought her, so if I couldn't end her now it wouldn't end well for us.

Charging her, I came at her with everything I had, landing swing after swing, trying to get past her defenses. I was looking for an opening to use my last two shots, but with the way she was defending herself, it didn't seem possible. Every other swing was enchanted with shrivenflame, using up my ether to keep it alit.

I was starting to go into shock, but I had to fight against it. Just when I saw my chance she immediately took it from me, slicing the pistol from my grip rendering it useless. But that was fine, cause I had a backup, another lance of shrivenflame forming into my hand. As if punching her in the mouth, I shoved the flamelance into her face resulting in me being blown back from the explosion.

My ears were ringing, my body not wanting to move, and my vision somewhat blurred as I struggled to stand. I was at my end in terms of strength left to fight, but I had to confirm she was out of commission before relaxing. Drudging up the strength, I found my way to my feet, hearing her screams as the flames engulfed her head. Once upon her I took my sword into my hands, mustering as much of my had as I had left, and drove it into her flaming skull.

Trudging over to where everyone else was, I limped past Arkash. "We need to move fast, less more Argent come upon us." I weakly spoke, Cullen running past me, picking my mask and rejoining us. ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

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