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Author Comment KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3734 (6/26/06 20:43) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "I'm not going to commit a crime. I'm going to stay well within the bounds of law, General," the starmage stated matter-of-factly. "If I wasn't, would I have all these damn books? Mm?" He clapped the book closed, and looked at the General. "I'll assume you know exactly what I'm thinking of doing, and yet, I have to assume you think I'm going to attempt some foolish rescue mission. Do I garner so little credit? I'm a THINKER first, sir. Unless your incredibly reasonable society decides to turn to a totalitarian state sometime between now and Shakti's trial, I intend to find a legal way out for her. "... not disappointed, are you?" Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4632 (6/26/06 20:59) 4.225.38.182 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "No, not disappointed," replied Hakaril with a shrug. "However, before you start making grand plans and poring over law texts in hopes that you'll get your sister off the hook, there are a few things you might want to know about her incarceration." The mage paused and placed his hand on his chin. "At the very least, it seems as though she wants to be in prison." Hakaril began to pace back and forth in front of Cardinal's desk, gesturing frequently with his hands as if to spirit his words to Cardinal's ears with greater swiftness. "Your sister isn't stupid. I know her too well for that. What surprised me was not that she might be guilty of a crime, but that she would get caught. And even more suspicious is the fact that she turned herself in. No, Shakti is in prison for a reason, and if you spend your time trying to prove her innocence now, you'll probably erode whatever plan she has." "Getting her out of prison," commented the General, "is the easy part, even if she's convicted. As nice as it would be to have her be my transcription secretary, I'd rather she do it from an office instead of a jail cell. Caging her up here permanently would be a mistake. I also have little reason to believe that she would kill someone who didn't deserve it somehow." He paused briefly and furrowed his brow. "She might kick someone's ass without a lot of provocation, but I don't think lethal force is quite as satisfying when it comes to teaching certain types of lessons." "So. I don't know what kind of favor you think you're doing her, but she doesn't want you to do it. Not much of a favor then, is it?" Hakaril smirked at Cardinal for a second before snatching one of his books off the table. "No matter what you find in here," he said, gesturing to the leatherbound tome, "you're not doing her any good if this isn't what she wants. She must have some reason for doing what she did, and you need to find out what that is before you start planning to show everyone the meaning of Doman justice. Innocent until proven guilty is all well and good, but what about those who admit guilt because they think it will somehow create less of a problem for those around them?" Edited by: Archmage144  at: 6/26/06 21:02 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3735 (6/26/06 21:09) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "I know that. I know ALL of that, Hakaril," he said, dropping the formal titles, for now. "I've known her for her whole life. You think I wouldn't be able to figure out the SECOND I knew she was involved that she wasn't guilty, or at least WANTED to be caught? "My sister... has problems, Hakaril. Problems you're OBVIOUSLY not aware of. And most of the time, you'd never know, for the most part. But this... what she's done... it's a slipup. It's a mistake. She made a bad choice, and she's, for SOME reason, deciding to stick with it. I know she won't ACCEPT help, so it's being given to her. Simple as that." He sighed. "Are you going to look in that book or not, sir?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1223 (6/27/06 21:30) 4.252.81.121 Reply | Edit | Del *sneeze* Shakti sniffed, squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and sneezed. All that running around in my pajamas. Maybe I caught a cold. Edited by: Kai  at: 6/27/06 21:32 Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4633 (6/27/06 21:47) 4.252.81.121 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The General blinked. "Problems? Your sister? Is that so?" There was a pause as Hakaril appeared to be considering the words of his hair-color companion. "So what you're saying is that you always know what's best for your sister better than she does, hm?" "I don't know what your entire history with her is, but she clearly doesn't think you have her best interests at heart right now. If you want to get her out of prison, fine. But I predict that unless you try a little harder to understand her motivations for being there in the first place as opposed to simply writing it off as a mistake that she's going to resent you for it, and maybe even work against you. How can a jury come to a conclusion of 'not guilty' when all the evidence points to the opposite and the defendant has put in a guilty plea? Whether justice is served or not is not measured by whether or not the guilty are convicted and the innocent are freed; it's measured by whether or not the system works, and the system is not on Shakti's side as far as the basic principles go." Having finished his tirade, Hakaril leaned in toward Cardinal and peered at him in a scrutinizing manner. "What are your motivations, Cardinal? You want to 'save' your sister, but she's clearly doing this for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, and from what I understand, you don't know either. You may think you have better judgment than she does, but she clearly has reasons to think otherwise. I don't know what those are, either, but she doesn't seem to trust you to make choices for her." The mage resumed his standing posture and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Whatever you decide to do, she isn't going to be thrown on the rack or interrogated with hot thumbscrews or anything. She can 'rot' in prison until she decides it's safe to come out. Maybe she's hiding from someone? She's much safer here than she is anywhere else. So before you go on a sibling-saving crusade, just stop and think for a moment about how urgent 'freeing' her really is." Edited by: Archmage144  at: 6/27/06 21:51 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3738 (6/27/06 22:09) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal was fuming. "Listen, GENERAL, you have known my sister for a few months. I have known her my ENTIRE life, so don't you DARE presume that you know what's best for her! Don't you DARE presume you know what's best for ME! I was there when she was born! I was there when she took first communion! I... " He stopped, for a brief moment. "I have been there for almost every crucial moment in her life. I know her, better than you, better than anyone here, and some days, better than myself, and that YOU would assume otherwise is preposterous." He walked over to his coat rack, and retrieved his signature red cloak. "And by the way, I know the WHOLE situation. The ENTIRETY of it. Basically, I solved the case. I know all the players, the motivations, and my sister's involvement. What YOU will know about it, we shall see. It'll all be in my report. "Probably." He put a few books under his arm. "And... I think I have my legal answer. But, I think I need the fresh air of the park to finalize my thoughts. "Goodbye, General. Don't forget to lock the door on your way out." And with that, Cardinal left his office. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1224 (6/27/06 22:18) 4.252.81.121 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal, as he was leaving his doorway, slammed directly into someone who was apparently in a bit of a hurry. His first impression was that it was a woman, and as she spun backward from the impact he recognized her. It was Lisa, the lady with whom he'd made an appointment earlier. She appeared to be in somewhat of a panic. First of all, she was barefoot, secondly, she was out of breath. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, someone else's blood was sprayed along her shoulder and neck. She stepped away from him and her back thudded against the wall. "Cardinal. You have to come back. I don't think Jeri can handle them all. I don't know where they all came from." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3739 (6/27/06 22:30) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal's eyes went wide, and the books he held were soon flung back onto the desk in exchange for his rapier. Before the general could even blink, he said, "Trouble at Shakti's bordello. Follow if you wish." He didn't care either way. Trouble at Jeri's meant someone was trying to get to Cassandra, and that COULD NOT happen. Not if his idea was going to work. Not if Shakti was going to have any hope. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4634 (6/27/06 22:42) 4.252.81.121 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The first thought that ran through Hakaril's head in response to the bloody woman and Cardinal's curt invitation was simply Shakti owns a bordello now? The second thought was that there was clearly something wrong, and that whatever it was, it had less to do with Shakti's entrepreneurship in the sex business and more to do with some sort of violent crime. A sane leader in Hakaril's position would have gone to gather a contingent of guardsmen to investigate in the event that there really were serious trouble. While Hakaril was arguably a sane leader, he had his own mindset about these things, and as far as his logic went, any man who had to stoop to beating on whores to find a victory couldn't be much of a man at all. "I disintegrated Tiamat," muttered the General. "I can handle a few slum hoods. I'm coming with you if only because this seems like it'll elucidate Shakti's reasons for doing what she's doing. The connection between her incarceration and whatever's going on is far too clear to me." Hakaril cracked his knuckles and adjusted his hat before chasing after the rapidly departing Cardinal. Despite the fact that Hakaril had resolved the majority of his anger management issues some time previously, his favorite part of being law enforcement was still the fact that he didn't have to rely on claims that he was a "vigilante with a positive impact on the world." If he thought someone was breaking the law and he wanted to kick their ass, the only excuse he needed was that they started it. Not a fan of totalitarian brutality, Hakaril tended not to abuse that priveledge. Generally speaking, someone else did start the fights. Violent criminals tended to be good at that. But no matter who started the fight, Hakaril was always more than happy to finish it. Edited by: Archmage144  at: 6/27/06 22:43 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1226 (6/28/06 2:36) 4.225.25.173 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... As the two officers headed out to investigate the problem, Lisa simply sat on the floor outside Cardinal's office, exhausted. She'd done all she could by this point anyway. She was a prostitute, not a warrior, and she knew it. Cardinal and Hakaril raced toward Jeri's house, finding no one along the way who dared to interfere with what must be important "hurrying through the streets" business. As the shadows were deepening beneath the eaves and awnings of nearby buildings, they reached their destination. The red-light district, for where it was in Doma, was actually a fairly prosperous and well-maintained area. An elegant house with impeccable landscaping, the Villa Pascha was no exception. From the outside of the house, there was little indication of the violent altercation that must be taking place inside. A few of the side windows were broken open, and every several seconds an agitated voice, either male of female, would filter out to Hakaril and Cardinal. The front door was closed, but it wasn't locked. Someone had left it unlocked, and the odds are good it wasn't Jeri trying to attract customers. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3741 (6/28/06 9:28) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... As they approached the scene, Cardinal quipped, "I sincerely hope the tales you spin of your competence are quite well deserved, General. Sounds like 'fun' in there." His sword was unsheathed as he approached the doorway. He peeked around the corner, and assessed the scene. One man was old. VERY old. But what he was ... of course. Jeri. She must have gone to work on him. There was another in the room, at full youth, acting as a sentry. Cardinal snapped his fingers. The younger man may have noticed the snap, if it weren't for his eyelids getting so droopy. He blinked, trying to shake it off, but, seconds later, he dropped to his knees and passed out. The "old" man quirked. "What on..." he croaked, and looked to the door. Well, he would have, were not the guard of a rapier headed straight for his face. The old fella lost a tooth. "Well," Cardinal said to Hakaril, dusting off his guard, "after you, sir." Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 6/28/06 18:24 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1227 (6/28/06 16:00) 4.252.86.142 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti sat in her cell, flipping through her notes. She was having one hell of a time finding the conversation in which one of her informants had mentioned her Nekonian contacts. It was too damned interesting to leave out of the finished work, but Shakti had no idea how she was going to work it in. Of course, this was a moot point if she couldn't even find the notes to begin with. She was disturbed by a guard knocking on her bars. "What do you want?" she asked, irritated at his bad timing. Another guard turned the corner to stand in front of her cell as the first answered. "You are to be transferred to a magic-shielded cell for long-term containment. Leave your things, we will retrieve them later." "Huh. I see. Well, fine. But if you fuck up my notes you'll wish you'd taken today off." "I bet," the second guard answered dryly. They unlocked her cell and motioned that she step out. As soon as she was near the doorway, they each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her roughly into the hallway. With a guard on each side, Shakti turned to the one on her right. She was tall enough to look him in the eye, and took advantage of it. "You're not real guardsmen, are you?" He smirked. "Does it matter?" While she could hardly escape from the both of them, her observational training paid off in an amusing fashion. "It sure does," she answered. "Your hat is crooked and doesn't match your belt. Your shoes are non-regulation. I can't believe no one has noticed. You look like an idiot. At least to me." "Shut up," he said, delivering her a sound blow into her back with one elbow. It took the wind out of her and transformed her laughter into weak wheezing noises for a moment as her other escort took her out of the building. The first guard stayed behind briefly to straighten his hat. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4635 (6/28/06 23:49) 4.252.85.1 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "I think I can handle a few of them myself without a lot of fuss," noted Hakaril with a shrug and a grin as he tapped the unconscious old man on the ground with one of his feet. "These two sure as hell didn't take much effort. Just a bunch of thugs." "You go upstairs and sort out whatever's going on up there. I'll clear out whoever's on this floor and meet you when I'm finished. If you get done before I do, we'll regroup here at the front desk." The mage moved toward the door to the main room and raised a hand. He suddenly hesitated and frowned. Excess property damage, in this case, means I'll have to answer to Jeri. Not worth it. Let's try...a less destructive approach. In an unprecedented display of subtlety, the General reached out with one hand to grab the doorknob. It turned without protest. Hakaril blinked as he surveyed the scene. Several girls had been restrained or knocked to the floor, and Jeri seemed to be dealing with a pair of assailants that were having a remarkable amount of trouble mostly because they were moving at about half her speed. A few less occupied thugs turned to see who was brave (or stupid) enough to simply waltz through the door. There was a bit of tension as Hakaril's cocky grin was met by the stares of feral but not terribly brilliant eyes. There was a definite violence, a certain intent to kill, but there was also a clear lack of the analysis of an intelligent predator. Hakaril noted that it was something like having a staring contest with a group of mentally handicapped wolves. Rather than speak, the General simply offered a casual wave. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1228 (6/28/06 23:54) 4.252.85.1 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... In the room were lots of people! Some that Hakaril could assume were no threat to him, and some that could plainly be classified as enemies. In the far right corner of the room, close to a dozen women were standing behind two men with swords who were presumably there to keep the ladies from escaping. Two other men were engaged in combat with the madame of this particular brothel. Jeri herself was giving them a good bit of trouble. The movements of her two assailants were sluggish and compared to them, her own movements were a blur. To a mage familiar with time magic --Hakaril for example-- it was fairly obvious that not only had Jeri hasted herself, she had slowed the two men as well. Every time one reached to take hold of her, she slipped out of the way without a whole lot of effort. The two men split up to flank her, and despite the fact that one was behind her, she ignored him for the moment to concentrate on the man in front of her. She reached out and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "Gods of fate...link us in time... bind his life, his future, to mine!" Jeri finished the chant as the man behind her drew a knife and thrust it deep into Jeri's lower back. As she fell to her knees, blood sprayed from the other man's back, the man she'd cast a spell on. He hit the floor, and Jeri remained crouched on her knees between the two of them, gritting her teeth in pain but apparently still solidly in the land of the living. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3743 (6/29/06 0:15) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Upstairs. Good ide-" Cardinal's brain clicked. "... Sandy!" With that he rushed up the stairs, booking it to her room. As he ran down the hall, he hit his head. "Estúpido, Salvador. Muy estúpido... should have thought of that before, or at least WHEN I got here... if she's dead..." He got angrier than he realized he would. "Las cabezas rodarán." He burst through the door, his blade entering first. "Who wishes to be first?", said he, eyes burning... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1229 (6/29/06 0:19) 4.252.85.1 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti continued on through the streets with her "guard" escort, trying to take note of where they were headed. Magic-shielded cell. Heh. Near as she could tell, they were headed deeper into the slums than even Shakti was accustomed to visiting. The area was broken down, and had quite likely never recovered from the state Doma had been languishing in thirty years ago. Well. This is a hell of a nice place to die. I should probably do something about that. I don't think me dying is going to help any. "So," she began. "Is there a reason it takes two men to transport a mage who's had her powers suppressed? Or is it just because your boss doesn't trust either of you to do it by himself?" "That's enough. You want to know, you can ask him when we get back." He grinned harshly at no one in particular. "I'm sure he'll be wanting to talk to you anyway." Oh, cute, she thought. Shakti and her escorts came to a stop. They were right where Shakti had expected them to be: in front of an old abandoned warehouse. "Honestly, you guys. You don't live here, right? Tell me this is just where you bring your buddies to hang out. You shouldn't even be bringing women here. Makes a bad impression." One man, sporting a now-perfectly-aligned hat, did what he'd been wishing to do for several minutes and clapped a hand over her mouth. His friend opened the door, and Shakti's eyes widened as she saw a group of over two dozen men waiting inside. Well I will be dipped in shit. Look at 'em all. All this just to get hold of Sandy? What the hell did she do? ---------------- When Cardinal entered the room he found that it was furnished as Lisa and Shakti's rooms had been. The whole place was apparently carefully standardized. One man was standing in front of the bed facing the doorway, while the other was holding Sandy against the wall. He was whispering in her ear when Cardinal entered. When Sandy saw who was at the door, she attempted to break away from her captor, but he grabbed her and dragged her back again. Seeing Cardinal's blade drawn, the man nearest the door raised his weapon, apparently ready to take the highguard up on his offer. Edited by: Kai  at: 6/29/06 0:44 Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4636 (6/29/06 1:07) 4.252.85.1 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... One of Hakaril's eyebrows shot up in response to all the thugs staring at him. He glanced over toward a young woman who had been bound, gagged, stripped, and knocked unconscious before being thrown to the floor in a crumpled heap. "The ropes and gag are pretty kinky, but the stabbing is even worse. While I'm not so sure about the knife stuff, you guys know you could've gotten the bondage play for a nominal fee, right?" The man who had just shoved his blade through Jeri's back shoved his heel into her scapula, pressing the brothel owner to the carpeted floor. He stepped over her body toward Hakaril and indelicately crushed the elbow joint of his fallen companion with a heavy booted foot. He was bigger than the rest of his allies, dressed in worn but still once-fashionable clothing, but neither hygiene nor sharp thinking seemed to be among his list of assets. There was a muffled whimper from the man beneath his feet, but it went ignored, apparently written off as a death rattle. Hakaril guessed that this was an accurate analysis. "I dunno who you are, buddy, but you screwed up big time poking your face in here!" growled the enormous thug as he took a few more steps toward the General. "Stupid pretty boy thinks he can be a hero, huh? How about I give you a couple more scars!?" The brute lunged toward Hakaril, knife first. One of the thug's scrawnier subordinates snickered a little. Hakaril calmly raised his left hand, exposing the flat of his palm to the charging adversary as though he intended to deflect the blade with the fleshy part of his hand. As the thug closed in, a sudden burst of sound erupted into the room like a localized sonic boom. The air rippled distinctly, like the ripples visible on a hot summer day, and a colorful pyrotechnic display erupted from the assailant's body in the form of a shower of multicolored sparks. The force of whatever energy had struck the thug threw him backwards across the room, slamming his body into the dining table and leaving him lying in a crumpled heap admist broken wood and torn cloth. The flunkies had stopped laughing. Hakaril's gaze slowly turned toward the two standing hoods. "You two are just a couple of punks. Your boss clearly wasn't very bright, mostly because he didn't recognize me on sight. But no big deal, right? You guys are so tough that you can beat up a bunch of women! You can take me!" The two men pointed their swords at the General. One of them spat on the floor and waved the end of his weapon menacingly. "There're two of us and one of you! Get him!" Without further ado, the duo charged recklessly toward the mage with a mad fury in their eyes. "Good point," mused Hakaril. "Not fair, is it?" With a sweep of his hand, a sword-shaped plane of tangible light formed in the air. Using his other hand, he drew his sword from his belt just in time to parry one of the incoming strikes--and his newly created blade of energy parried the other. Hakaril sidestepped, trying to separate the two thugs so that he could deal with them individually. The greasy-haired man whose sword had been deflected by Hakaril's sudden conjuration recoiled as the blade shoved back against his metal sword with a surprising amount of force. As Hakaril held back the first man with a few skillful parries, he mentally commanded the brilliant blade to move so that it was both flanking his current opponent and interposed between the two foes. He could see everything happening in real time on the astral as his will dragged the currents of energy forming his improvised weapon through the fabric of reality. A sudden, sharp pain brought the General back to focusing on the material world. A misjudged angle had compromised his parrying, and the thug's sword had managed to tag Hakaril's upper arm, drawing blood and rendering his weapon hand almost completely useless. His adversary grinned. "You haven't got enough teeth to kill me," mocked Hakaril as the blade of light swung around in a wide arc, decapitating the thug before he could raise his sword for a follow-up strike. Gripping his sword's hilt as tightly as he could muster to prevent himself from dropping it, Hakaril flashed a grin at the one enemy who remained standing. The confidence had been wiped from his enemy's face, evidently siphoned away by Hakaril's immense ego. Even with a wounded arm, it was apparent that this battle was a mismatch. "You're lucky" commented Hakaril, "because you're the last one standing, and that means you get to live." The thug breathed heavily, as though somewhat relieved. "Oh. Wait." Hakaril scratched the back of his neck and frowned. "Cardinal left that guy in the front hallway alive. I don't need to keep you for interrogation." Eyes widening, the thug glanced nervously between the nearest outside window, Hakaril, and the doorway. Opting for the most likely chance of survival, the man turned around and started to dash toward the window, ditching his sword to avoid having to deal with the extra weight. As he leaped toward the opening, an invisible force yanked him roughly backward, slamming the thug against the floor with a harsh thud. "Oh, I'm sorry," added Hakaril apologetically. "Was that noise your back?" The mage flashed a dark smile. It was clear that some sadistic part of his mind was enjoying this immensely. As the thug opened his mouth to beg for mercy, Hakaril gestured slightly with his free hand and yet another unseen force shoved his jaw shut, clamping them down on the man's tongue. Hakaril scratched at his head again, then paused to tally something up on the fingers of his free hand. "I think that's enough payback for what you've done here. Besides, your partner stabbed that woman, and I can't let her lay on the floor and die while I torture you, as much fun as it could hypothetically be. I'm not really a sadist, you know," continued Hakaril as he circled around to stare down at the thug. "I worked all those issues out a long time ago. I don't really hate people who break the law, either, because that'd be hypocritical of me." Hakaril sneered a little and knelt down next to his fallen enemy. "I just don't like people who mess with my friends," the mage concluded as he rested the blade of his sword across the man's neck. The thug struggled madly, eyes widening as he fought the inevitable, but no amount of force he could manage would will his limbs to move. There was the sound of steel slicing flesh and a final gasp followed by silence. Hakaril rose, sheathing his sword and shaking his right arm with a grimace on his face as he strode toward Jeri's fallen body. He stared at her for a moment. She seemed familiar, yet he did not recognize her. It was like looking at someone's daughter and seeing her mother's features. The mage sighed heavily and made some hand gestures, calling long strips of cloth into material existence from energy and ether. "Man, I suck at this. If you die on me, Shakti's going to be pissed..." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3744 (6/29/06 1:17) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... No time for fancy stuff. Cardinal, almost too fast to see, quickly struck away the weapon, and elbowed his opponent in the face, throwing him off balance. He followed with another fist, effectively knocking the fellow out. Another quick kick to his face assured it. His weapon now pointed at Sandy's captor. "Let her go, or die." He relented for that foolish split second, and Cardinal lunged, stabbing his sword into the thug's left side, if only the tip. "six more inches and you're dead. LET HER GO!" He relented, releasing Sandy from his grip. "Now... time to talk. Who are you working for?" The thug spat on the floor. "Now THAT you can kill me for." "Hard way. FINE," and in a second, the thug's mind was breached, torn into, the secrets within being attacked and collected at whim. His name, his home, who he worked for, what they did, criminally and non-criminally, why they were... Why they were here. A diversion! "Curses." The man dropped, clutching his head, a searing migraine his reward for his compliance (or lack thereof). Cardinal then turned his attention to Sandy, examining her, seeing if she was alright. "Sandy! Did they hurt you!" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1230 (6/29/06 1:24) 4.252.85.1 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Sandy shook her head. "Nothing beyond the obvious. We have to go. Is Jeri okay? Where are the others?" ------------------------------ Shakti was thrown bodily into the room, where she was shoved into a wall. A small space cleared around her as the thugs inside hesitated. She had those bracers on, but she was still a mage, wasn't she? Didn't that mean she might still be dangerous? She took advantage of their uncertainty to appraise the situation. A fight was certainly hopeless in her condition, so that wasn't even worth considering. The space around her narrowed as the hired arms came to feel that they were more or less on familiar territory. Just a woman. Not a big deal. This time would be the same as all the others. Shakti had no illusions about their intentions, but put the thought out of her mind. Then she paused. wait, she thought. There's always an advantage to knowing what your enemy plans to do. I just have to find it. Find it, find it. Then, it occurred to her. Momentarily distracted, she wasn't quite able to dodge when one of them swung out with a length of metal pipe. The weapon scraped against the wall behind her, flipping up to glance off of the side of her head. A fierce and shrill ringing started up in her left ear, but beyond that and a momentary loss of balance, Shakti felt all right. It probably wasn't serious, and if she could just get these bracers off she'd be able to heal herself anyway. As she stumbled against one of the thugs on her right, she slipped her hand into his belt and found what she'd been looking for. He was armed but not exactly careful, and why should he be? What threat was she? She was just a woman without her magic. He was carrying a long, razor-sharp stiletto blade, and she pulled it out of its sheath at his waist. Folding her hand around it, she bent her wrist back and concealed the blade behind her arm. Satisfied that she'd armed herself well enough for such short notice and such disreputable company, she allowed herself to collapse on the floor in the midst of them. As the crowd opened again, Shakti could feel a thin stream of blood trickling down the side of her face. A pair of feet emerged, walking through the opening. Excellent. I figured that their leader would get the first turn. From the way they're making way for him, I'm willing to bet I was right. The feet that showed up shuffled oddly, walking with a pronounced limp. Bad foot. Probably congenital, and yet they're still deferring to him. This means he's better than he looks, and he's used to being underestimated. Luckily, this probably also means he's used to holding back until the time is right to show his enemies the error of their ways. That gives me very little time, but very little time is better than no time at all. The leader's hand reached down and grabbed the silk folds of her sari, pulling her to her feet. "So," he said. "You're the one trying to keep us from running a secure operation around here. None of this would be happening if you'd just tell Sandy to come back." She grinned and the blood from her head wound ran down her cheek. "Sandy's none of your business. What do you need her for?" "Let's just say she knows where a couple of bodies are buried. Although... that's a damn good question. What do we need her for, now that you've come to grace us with your presence?" He grabbed a handful of her purple hair and kissed her roughly on the mouth. She knew her time was running short, and she had to escalate the situation before she could do anything else. She bit him, hard on the lower lip. He pulled back and wiped his mouth. Finding blood, he brought his hand back and slapped her across the face. "Well, won't we have a wonderful time, then? Gonna give me a run for my money, are you?" He laughed and dragged her back toward his personal chambers. The men left behind hooted and laughed as the door shut behind Shakti. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3745 (6/29/06 2:15) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "They're downstairs. General Silvar's taking care of their captors, I'm sure. Listen. I'm going to get you out of here as soon as we confirm the location is secure. And when this is all settled and it's time for you to testify, you can come back, and then, you can go again, to wherever you like. "You'll have your freedom." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1231 (6/29/06 21:32) 4.225.27.184 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Sandy took a deep breath, and then cut herself short. "So, what do we do? We can't just stay up here. I know General Silvar is down there, and I'm sure he can handle himself, but Jeri's still down there, too. I need to make sure she's okay." She swallowed hard. "This is my fault, and I need to know she's okay." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3746 (6/29/06 21:57) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Then that's where we go." Cardinal took her hand and began to lead her down to the lobby, but stopped short, at the door. "Oh. Cannot forget..." He grabbed the doorhandle, and Sandy could see a warm glow emanating from in front of him. "Ow!" Card backed up, shaking his hand as if burned. "Still haven't mastered that fire magic yet." It was clear to see that the locks had been melted into the frame, making escape impossible, or at least highly difficult. When they reached the door in which the women were held, Cardinal called ahead. "General? Everything under control in there?" Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4654 (7/25/06 0:16) 4.225.28.11 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "That," called back the General as he tied off another set of bandages and cut them with a dagger, "depends entirely on who you ask. My opinion is 'yes.'" Rising to his feet, Hakaril gestured demonstratively at the prone and bloodied gangsters that had busted into the place uninvited. "Ordinarily, I subscribe to the philosophy that the customer is always right, but these guys were neither paying nor terribly well-mannered." "On the plus side, perhaps somewhat ironically," Hakaril quipped as he surveyed his surroundings with a whimsical look in his eye, "these guys are also never going to get laid again." Adjusting his hat and wincing slightly as the slash across his arm made its presence noteworthy, the mage gestured toward the fallen brothel owner, frowning slightly. "She's the only one that's really wounded, but I'll be honest with you and say I flunked my first aid course back at the Academy. I made an effort at bandaging her, but she's a little beat up and took a knife to the chest cavity. If you can do anything for her that surpasses my brilliantly advanced technique of 'using cloth pads and pressure to slow bleeding,' I suggest that you do it, or this girl might not live to see any more customers. She's probably got internal injuries." Edited by: Archmage144  at: 7/25/06 0:17 KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3789 (7/25/06 0:33) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "You're in luck. Sort of," Cardinal replied. "Everyone who's injured, get near to the window." As everyone harmed gathered, Salvador took up Jeri and carried her to into the sunlight. Reaching his hand to the sun outside, he thought quietly, ... hope this works. Suddenly, the light of the sun seemed to intensify, but the heat generated was not in proportion. It should have been unbearable, but instead, it was warm, relaxing. Breathing became easier. Aches grew calm. And, in general, you just felt good. Cardinal breathed deep. "Hope that did the trick." He looked down to Jeri. You had better be alright. If you weren't, Es would kill me... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1240 (7/25/06 0:45) 4.225.28.11 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Jeri convulsed briefly in Cardinal's arms as she reached consciousness. The first thing she did was cough to clear her lungs of blood, which sprayed the palm of her hand as she recovered the ability to breathe normally. She looked up at him slowly, the curiosity in her eyes melting away as she realized what must have happened. She pushed away from him, stepping down onto the floor. After surveying the room, she seemed to have assured herself that everyone was all right. She pressed a hand to her forehead briefly. "So they're all okay. But you're here." Her face clouded with confusion. "Who called you?" KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3790 (7/25/06 0:56) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Does it matter?" He peeked out the window. "We need to go. They're taking Shakti as we speak. Anyone willing with legs, please, come with me." He looked around a bit awkwardly. "... um, NOW." And with that, he walked out the door. "... oh, and sorry to be so brusque." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1241 (7/25/06 1:04) 4.225.28.11 Reply | Edit | Del Someone...someday...will get this reference. Jeri blinked once. "What?" She shook her head. "Wait. I can find her." With that she pushed past the others and made a rush toward her desk. She yanked open a drawer. Shoving her hand inside, she closed it on something within and stepped back with a large amethyst crystal. "Just wait a moment. And don't tell her I've got one of these for her, will you?" Sandy stood by tensely as Jeri worked. The madame laid both of her hands over what could only be the material focus for a divination spell. When she raised her eyes again, they were glazed and distant. "Six... one two. Wharf Avenue." She shook her head and cleared out of her trance. When she looked at Cardinal directly her face was tight with alarm. She inhaled sharply, apparenly not willing to share whatever it was she saw. "Go. I need to stay here. ...But go quickly." Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4655 (7/25/06 1:19) 4.225.28.11 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "Hey, I know where that is," noted Hakaril. "It's...isn't it down by the gentlemen's club?" A strange look crossed the man's face as though he were briefly lost in some sudden thought. Perhaps it was a bit of deja vu, but the exchange seemed vaguely familiar. He shook his head quickly, pushing the vapors of condensing memory away before they had a chance to crystallize. "Yeah. Anyway, I have legs. I'm going." The General brushed a bit of dust off his coat and resheathed his blade, pushing a wisp of azure hair out of his eyes and throwing a mischevious sideways glance at Cardinal. He knew that where they were going there was going to be trouble, and in this case, trouble was ultimately going to mean violence. Violent behavior in and of itself was neither good nor bad, though Hakaril tended to think that it took some sort of justification to propel most acts of violence out of the "sketchy" end of the moral spectrum and firmly into the gray area where he preferred that approximately fifty percent of all of his activities lie. It worked to the General's advantage that his rank and reputation tended to result in his activities being altered by a sort of bureaucratic magnet that shifted the compass of right and wrong gently in the direction of true north. Politics and morality aside, there was no doubt in Hakaril's mind that it would be required that some skulls be split in order to save Shakti's life and preserve a future for prostitutes across the country. There was a definite nobility to that goal, somewhere, most likely in a more objective and enlightened society than even great cosmopolitan Doma, but it was a goal that was good enough for Hakaril regardless of anyone else's perspective. "You heard the woman," Hakaril continued, "let's go!" Edited by: Archmage144  at: 7/25/06 1:25 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1242 (7/25/06 1:28) 4.225.28.11 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. Holding her stolen weapon behind her arm still, Shakti was careful to keep it out of the leader's sight. He reached out and grabbed the outer folds of her sari, leaving her in the midriff blouse she wore beneath as well as the ankle-length slip that kept her sari from being totally transparent. Small concessions, she thought. Still got my clothes, and... Right on time, the leader pulled her in to kiss her again. Shakti went limp very briefly, forcing him to support her weight. The distraction allowed her the moment she needed to bring the stiletto up and drive it through the side of his lower jaw. The blade pushed through the joint of his jawbone and pinned his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He staggered back, covering his mouth with his hands. Blood ran freely down the side of his neck, and he lunged at her again, realizing that she really was shaping up to be more of a problem than he'd previously assumed. She sidestepped him and he tripped on the length of blue silk he'd ripped from her earlier and carelessly tossed onto the ground. He reached up and dragged her down, pulling her down to crack her head on the wall behind her. The first thing her eyes beheld was a blinding shower of light and pain, and when her vision cleared it didn't clear much. It returned just in time for her to see him looming over her once again. She lashed out with the stiletto, hoping to take another piece out of him before she lost consciousness. The razor carved into his side, sliding between his ribs and biting deeply into the man's lung. He fell, blood running onto the floor from his chest and open mouth. Shakti wasn't far behind, as the impact of two head injuries was rapidly taking its toll. She fell to her knees next to him and reached into his belt. Luck was with her and his subordinates had turned over to him the keys they'd stolen from their rightful place in the guardhouse. She pulled them out, but couldn't sustain the effort necessary to remain conscious and unlock her restraints. She collapsed the rest of the way, joining her late companion on the floor of his chambers. KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3798 (7/29/06 12:17) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. Without another word, Cardinal hustled out the door, followed by his cohort. Looking back at him as they headed to his sister's location, he couldn't help thinking, Huh. I never noticed, but he and I are actually somewhat similar. Blue hair, crimson garb, mage... odd. Maybe there are parallels between Gaera and Earth and he's... ... no. No, not possible. Thank you, merciful Saviour, that's NOT possible. They arrived on the scene quickly, coming upon the address without too much trouble. While attempting to make contact with his sister (he had to know if she were ALIVE before he started firing off mental messages left and right), he looked to Hakaril and said, "Window entry?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1244 (7/29/06 12:25) 4.225.30.16 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. Cardinal's attempts to reach Shakti were largely unsuccessful. He kept almost making a connection, and then slipping away, as if his mind couldn't seem to get a grip on hers. At the very least, Jeri wouldn't have been so anxious if his sister were dead already. She was unreachable, but probably alive. Hopefully Card could get to her before that changed. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4656 (7/31/06 22:12) 4.225.29.241 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "Breaking and entering isn't exactly my specialty, but I think it'd be a little bit too conspicuous if we just waltz in through the front door," noted Hakaril in agreement. The General paused briefly, furrowing his brow as though deep in thought, and then nodded resolutely. "Okay. I've definitely got the energy I need to handle whatever the hell we have to deal with in here. Probably just another bunch of punks that are going to wish they had never seen my face. Still, I'm guessing that there'll be enough of them here that we should stick together." He gestured to a window at the side of the building conveniently located above a group of stacked crates. "We can climb up there and presumably find a way to drop down." With a dramatic enough entrance, Hakaril mused, we might even startle them so much that they aren't able to put up much resistance. "If your sister's still got blood flowing through her veins, she's probably fighting them for all she's worth. I hope she's winning..." RPGWW Wiki! KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3808 (8/1/06 2:10) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "She's winning." He had no proof of this. In fact, he had good proof she was in trouble. But yet, still, he knew she was winning. "Let's go," he said, hopping up the crates with grace. The window was locked. "... blast. Can't pick locks, um..." He called quietly down to Hakaril. "See if you can't find a piece of metal to pry this open." He took his hands and tried to pull open the window. He dared not smash the window, as one of the assailants was below. It wasn't working. He needed SOMETHING to pry this window open... Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4662 (8/4/06 0:20) 4.225.26.20 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "What? Locked?" Hakaril shrugged, waving his hands around a little bit before gesturing half-assedly at the locked window. "And you want to pry it open? How inelegant." The mage's sentence was punctuated by a soft click as the window's locking mechanism spontaneously disengaged, throwing the latch open from the inside without any harm to the window itself. "Try it again. I think you'll find that you get a great deal more cooperation this time." Having done his best to assist Cardinal in their bit of rescue-oriented burglary, Hakaril climbed up the boxes behind him and edged the other man aside so that he could peer down into the room below. Sure enough, a sentry was posted beneath the window, and it was easily a fifteen-foot drop from the window to the floor. It might be possible to land without spraining an ankle, but it would take caution that would be difficult to manage with a lookout staring up at him while he hung from the inside of the window in an attempt to minimize his drop distance. Hakaril peered down to inspect the sentry. "Excellent," whispered the General to Cardinal. "He isn't wearing a helmet." Hakaril muttered softly until a whitish light began to coalesce in his hands and reshape itself until it resembled a heavy mace. He leaned in through the window, holding the weapon by the handle, and closed one eye as he carefully dangled it in the air. When he was certain that he had found the right spot, he released his firm grip on the mace. A combination of large mass and the rapid acceration of gravity handled the rest. The General winced slightly at the sudden noise. "Well, I assure you that he's never going to suffer from headaches again," he noted with a shrug. "That was definitely his last one. After you?" Edited by: Archmage144  at: 8/4/06 0:21 KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3815 (8/4/06 1:27) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. During Cardinal's vision, there was a single flash of an image mixed in with the confusion that usually resided there. It was... a face... his hands, together, holding nothing... and blood. It was... odd, and too quick to warrant much notice, but... now... that image nagged at him, his feet to the wall, knees bent, hand on the rough brick for that ever-important two seconds of balance... Who knew if it'd be real? He pushed off, landing a few feet away from the new corpse. As his souls touched the floor, they found traction, and he set into a run, sword drawn. He searched with his eyes, for he knew sound would only draw attention and be fruitless, if she was unconscious as he thought. Cardinal turned a corner, and there, staring at him, was another thug, having a cigarette. The flaming stick was flung from his fingers, and the thug jumped him, disarming the mage completely by accident. The two struggled, Cardinal pinning the man to the ground. "Stop it! Stop now!" warned Cardinal, his hands at his opponent's throat. Steel-eyed hate was his only answer, and in a quick motion, a flash of steel could be seen in his hand. The Nova spell fired. Cardinal got up quickly. There wasn't as much blood as he thought. The head just lay there, rolling to the side, his eyes staring at the cigarette he'd just finished. Cardinal backed away for a second, and then, continued on. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4667 (8/14/06 0:10) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. Cardinal is clearly going to get himself killed, Hakaril muttered inside his own head as he evaluated the current situation. The mage had sprinted down the hallway waving his sword around before Hakaril had even managed to reach the floor of the warehouse. The absurdity of this situation was tempered by the fact that Hakaril knew that Cardinal's primary aim was to rescue Shakti no matter the cost, but at this point it seemed as though Cardinal had largely abandoned the stealth approach in favor of the madman approach. While Hakaril had often found in his experience that sometimes doing something completely stupid would catch the enemy off-guard and ultimately be successful, a fair number of adventurers attempting this particular angle never managed to tell anyone about how great the plan worked. Opting to follow after his potentially insane companion, Hakaril broke into a run to catch up to Cardinal the moment his feet hit the floor. Depending on how I choose to look at this situation, this is either brilliance or suicide, noted the archmage as his boots pounded against the solid stone. He knew that the line between the two was often much thinner than anticipated. Nevertheless, Hakaril intended to let Cardinal go first. Edited by: Kai  at: 8/16/06 14:05 KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3824 (8/14/06 21:16) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. And with that, Cardinal stopped. He motioned to Hakaril to be quiet, and backtracked back to a door he'd... missed before. It had seemed non-descript and unimportant before, but something... something was a bit off. Kneeling down beside it, he reached up and slowly turned the knob, opening the door just a crack to see what was inside. He stifled a shocked yelp. In the room were no less than two dozen criminals, goofing off, playing cards, readying weapons... basically, waiting for something to do. Like beat two mages to a pulp. He quietly shut the door and told his cohort, "We're getting my sister and leaving." He felt out her mind again, and got a bearing. "This way." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1262 (8/14/06 22:22) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. As Cardinal continued trying to make a connection with his sister, he found that he was mostly unsuccessful. Every now and again he'd catch her for just a moment. Over the sound of his feet hitting the floor he heard a laugh, a woman's laugh. One of those purely feminine noises of surprise and delight. It was a sound he hadn't heard from her in a long time. She was ahead another couple of rooms and around a corner. He lost her, and passed two more doors, reaching the corner. He connected one more time, and this time the distraction was visual. He saw a boy sitting on the grass, with dark eyes and black hair curling around his ears. He was in his late teens at best, and looked like he could have been one of Cardinal's inlaws. He laughed and clapped his hands, but Cardinal could neither hear him nor get a glimpse of whatever the boy was laughing at, who else might be there. After that, he lost her again. KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3826 (8/16/06 7:51) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "No..." He lost the connection again. What was that all about? "Hold on, I need to get her back..." I get to find her, and I get to find OUT about her... I don't see the downside of not trying to contact her again... ... I won't tell her about this... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1267 (8/16/06 18:27) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. As Cardinal attempted to connect with his sister one more time, he got close, and as he tried again, he got even closer. As he turned the corner, it became clear that though he was closing the distance between them spacially, the distance that really counted was only growing wider with each passing second. Cardinal knew where Shakti was, and it only took another few steps for him to reach the room where she'd been taken. From Shakti there were no messages, no more images. No explanations or indications that she was still there at all. There was no sound from behind the door. It could have been an empty room, except that Cardinal knew otherwise and had been led here because his sister was in there. The door wasn't locked, just blocked by something inside. Never a good sign. Pushing that aside, the first thing Cardinal and Hakaril saw upon entering was the color blue. Six full meters of blue silk were wound around on the bare wooden floor. Shakti's sari. Not always a bad sign, but probably this time it was. Under the blue was red. Blood had poured out over the floor, soaking up into the fabric like oil into a candle wick. Close to the door, and probably the reason the door was hard to open, was a man on the floor with his eyes open and blood pouring from his mouth. He wasn't alive, and it was obvious. Only the dead stared like that. Lying along the far wall, the wall behind the door, was Shakti. She was still wearing most of her clothing, just not the long winding mass of silk currently coiled on the floor. It was evident that some of the blood in here was hers, because her neck and shoulders had been covered in it and her hair was soaked in blood. She'd apparently defeated her enemy, but at a heavy cost. Blood everywhere. Her color was wrong, and she was breathing way too fast. Instead of the usual leather bracers she wore as armor, she had a metal pair, still securely fixed on each wrist. They were the bracers the Doman guard had placed on her to suppress her magic. She had never gotten them off, though the keys were resting in her open palm. KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3828 (8/16/06 18:47) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "Oh... Lord, no... Esperanza!" Card crouched over her, horrified. He checked her pulse. Oh, praise Him, she's alive. Taking hold of the keys in her hand, Card unlocked her shackles, and threw it to the side. Picking her up gently, he carried his sister to the barred window, and summoned the sun to his side to heal his sibling. C'mon... C'mon, Shakti, wake up... Quit scaring me and open those eyes... ... I'm WAITING... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1268 (8/16/06 18:50) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. As she was straining against the borders of death, the landscapes she passed were wrenchingly familiar. She knew this place. She'd walked here with her brother, with friends long dead. Everything was just as it was the day she'd left it. Here, she'd thrown this flower into the river. And here, this stick had broken when she'd stepped on it walking with Matteo. They always walked along the river. She continued, walking along the path they'd taken, turning the corner where-- "Speranza. Long time, no see." Her hands flew up to cover her mouth in total disbelief. A brief laugh escaped her and she took a step closer. She hadn't seen this boy since they'd been separated by the Inquisition's agents. Time and pain had taken their toll on her, but Matteo... he was just as she remembered, sitting cross-legged in the grass by the water. "My Matteo... You can't really be here," she said. The boy threw back his head and laughed. "Sure I can." He leaned forward, looking up at her. "But you can't." She wanted to say something, tell him she wanted to stay. Stay because she was so tired, always been so tired, and she just wanted to sit and have quiet and hear his voice again, but the words wouldn't come. She was being pulled away. The scenery blurred into shapeless vibrant colors and the sound of the river rose until she couldn't hear anything but water. Then... Sal's voice. He wanted her to come back, didn't he? Whatever she wanted, he needed her here. It seemed she was always to be dragged to the edge of death and brought back because Sal needed her to live. "Esperanza!" Consciousness. Lingering pain. She looked up at Cardinal. "You're..." she tensed and closed her eyes as the dizziness distracted her. "Not really the brother I was expecting to see." She relaxed and leaned back, trying to regain her equilibrium. If she had to remain here, at least she could keep control. "But..." She smiled weakly. "I guess you'll do." Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4670 (8/16/06 18:57) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. Hakaril stepped quietly into the room after Cardinal and grimly surveyed the scene. This was little more than an improvised cell. Something had gone horribly wrong here, but the question of "for whom" was initially unclear. Shakti, as far as he could tell, was alive. Her presumed assailant...was not. A scarce victory, thought Hakaril, but a victory nevertheless. He only hoped that Cardinal could patch up her wounds so that she could walk and fight on her own. Dragging an unconscious woman out of the warehouse was going to be difficult. He shut the door behind himself and stood with his back pressed against it, idly shoving the corpse of the thug who had been so hot to get a piece of Shakti out of his way. From the look of things, Hakaril assumed that he had gotten relatively little that he really wanted. "Remind me to never attempt to force myself on your sister, Cardinal," quipped the mage with a dark smirk. "Judging from this fellow's wounds, I think he had to deal with...unwanted penetration." Edited by: Archmage144  at: 8/16/06 18:58 KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3829 (8/16/06 23:05) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Someone...someday...will get this reference. "I cannot believe you just said that," Cardinal remarked, deadpan. Switching to sarcasm, he said, "Anyways, unless you feel like taking on twenty plus armed guards, I suggest we find a quick way out of here." Then it dawned on him. These people had kidnapped and beaten his sister. His boss hadn't received a sufficient challenge for his martial and magical skills. He was the only one who DIDN'T want to take on twenty plus armed guards. ... crap. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1269 (8/17/06 19:31) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! If Shakti smiled at Hakaril's comment, she laughed at her brother. Hakaril's comment brought her to reality somewhat and she shoved away from Cardinal, gripping the bars of the nearby window for support as she hopped down to the floor. Don't need to be hanging onto him, not right now. Only encourages him. She wrapped an arm around the bars and stretched her hand through the bars. The sun was setting and the red light spread over the skin of her hand and down her inner arm as the sun slipped beneath the tops of nearby buildings. Pulling from the sun the last of the healing energy it would provide for the day, she pulled her arm back and turned to face her brother and Hakaril. "So," she said. "The virtuous warrior comes to save the helpless lady from her sinister captors and he brings with him the brave and loyal General..." she gave Hakaril a low, formal bow. "...of the monkeys." She laughed and saluted him. "Though I did always like the monkey." She laughed yet again. Shakti extended a hand over the blood-soaked sari. Two tiny pieces of metal rose up in the air and she wiped the blood off them and her eyes travelled along the length of her fallen sari. "Okay. You know what?" she muttered to herself. "I don't care if it's covered in blood. It's mine and I'm not leaving it." Shakti put the straight pins in her mouth and picked up the length of fabric in the middle, pulling it up out of the blood on the floor. Running her hands down its length, she found what was apparently the correct corner on the correct end. She tucked it into the waist of her skirt and wrapped it around herself, tossing the stray end over her shoulder to keep it out of the way. This whole process was at once both surprisingly elaborate, and a little grotesque considering that both she and her sari were covered in blood from multiple sources. Taking up a length of fabric in front of her, she wiped the blood off of her fingers and began pleating and folding and wrapping and folding and tucking fabric away until she finally had herself together to her satisfaction. She ran a hand through her hair. Despite the shortcomings of her appearance right now, she found that she was pretty damned comfortable with it. Nothing wrong with taking a day to be the blood-soaked goddess of destruction, she thought. "Well, boys. It's time for me to live up to my name. I'm leaving, but I'm not sneaking out with you." Edited by: Kai  at: 8/17/06 19:35 Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4671 (8/17/06 21:37) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Hakaril blinked. The reference to the monkey had clearly been lost on him. He was entirely uncertain as to whether Shakti's comment was intended to be a compliment or an insult. Whatever the case may have been, Hakaril had just observed the most bizarre and elaborate dressing ritual that one could undertake in the middle of an enemy outpost. "This is an interesting thing you have decided to do," noted the General as he observed Shakti's sari-wearing process. "Seriously. You go to great lengths to wrap yourself in blood-soaked cloth in the place where you almost died. I don't know whether to be impressed at your meticulous attention to detail or horrified at your apparent fixation on your own attempts at maintaining a fashionable appearance." Shaking his head, the mage glanced back and forth between the two siblings. "I follow you on the not sneaking out bit. I suppose we owe these bastards a little something for giving you so much trouble, hm? And perhaps to suit Cardinal's sense of justice it might be best that we make the city safe for tomorrow's whores by cutting down every last man who would dare offend or assault the women of Jeri's house. That's not really a plan I can object to, personally." "Your brother has spent a great deal of time studying the legal system of this country, Shakti," commented Hakaril with a dismissive wave of his hand. "That being the case, I presume he knows that the country does not frown on what it calls 'justified vigilantes.' We as a government acknowledge that we simply cannot handle all of the problems that are bound to arise as a result of petty disputes and criminal activity. And while I tend to stay uninvolved in things like simple murders or petty vandalism, I do occasionally take a great deal of pleasure in being judge, jury, and executioner for those who have run afoul of...well, not the law...but my friends." The General grinned cooly at Shakti, surveying her crimson-spattered figure from top to bottom. "Normally, I'd clean you off," he remarked with a smirk, "but I have a feeling that in a minute you're going to be completely covered in blood again, so there doesn't seem to be much of a point to it. Just make sure it's someone else's blood this time, alright?" Edited by: Archmage144  at: 8/17/06 21:51 KingOfDoma Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3832 (8/18/06 18:03) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Cardinal happily sighed. "Well, I expected as much. I mean, you two aren't exactly the 'live and let live' type. Or even the 'live and let the guard come back and arrest the lot of them' type." He placed his hand on his sister's shoulder, and gave a smirk. "You were all I was here for, really. Taking out this syndicate, helping Cassandra, saving Jeri's girls... everything else is collateral damage to me. Gravy." The smirk turned into a slightly sadistic grin, and Cardinal unsheathed his blade, resting it on his shoulder. "However, given the circumstances, the legal justification, AND the enthusiasm I'm feeding off of from the both of you... I would like to make a LOT of gravy. "Let's go greet our hosts, shall we?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1271 (8/20/06 20:18) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Shakti nodded in acknowledgement of Hakaril's request. Reasonable enough. She turned to her brother and shrugged. "I may be all you were here for, but I sure as hell wasn't here for myself. I still have business here." She reached down and pulled her stolen knife from under the corpse of her one-time assailant. The stiletto was still covered in blood, but at this point cleaning it off would deviate from her general theme for the evening. She walked out the door, allowing Hakaril and Cardinal to follow as they wished. "If they're still in the main room, then they're exactly where I left them." Since we're going to kill them all anyway.... She stopped with her hand on the doorknob, ready to head into the other room. "I don't want to get either of you killed or anything, but anyone mind if I take the direct approach and head in first? I feel like amusing myself a bit." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3838 (8/20/06 20:27) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! "By all means, sister," Cardinal cordially replied. "But you must make me one promise. This is the only thing I'm going to ask of you for a while." Another one of those rare, cheeky grins. "At least TRY to leave some for me." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1273 (8/21/06 18:09) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! She clicked her tongue at Cardinal in disapproval, but didn't bother suppressing a smile. "Such things you say, Salvador." Her smile became a vicious grin. "One might almost think you expect me to enjoy this." She waved a hand in front of her face, creating a telekinetic barrier over her skin. Silk was pretty, but didn't lend much protection in a fight. That done, she stretched her hand out in front of her and the door in front of her splintered and flew into the room beyond. With a delighted chuckle she followed the debris inside. She knew what kind of men they were. She knew the lives they led, and the pain they'd caused people she cared about. She knew what Sandy had gone through within these walls, and what's more, Shakti had come very close to replacing her. Everyone had to die, no matter what happened to her. If it killed her, these men would die. Fortunately, Shakti was conscious of the fact that this time was different. This time she had backup, and she doubted very much that Hakaril and her brother would allow her to make such a sacrifice. She'd had few opportunities to work in teams, and while she would never ask for it, she wasn't so caught up in her own pride that she was above accepting help. The room went silent. Whatever amusement the thugs might have felt at seeing her bloodied form was dispelled by her next action. She threw her head back and laughed, and as her voice echoed off the walls, every window in the warehouse broke, raining glass down on the men inside. The sound of her laughter and shattering glass brought them to reality. To their credit, the men didn't attempt to attack her one by one as she'd half-expected. Instead, several rushed Shakti as a team. As they ran forward, she took the precious second before they got to her to look over their weapons. Swords, knives, and ...oh, joy. An old-fashioned boy with a pair of throwing hatchets. At least one of them had some personality in his weapon choice. Part of her was idly curious as to where he'd picked them up. No time. Let them come. The first one to reach her slammed her to the wall next to the door with a forearm against her throat. "Hey, sweetheart." He looked down. "That your blood?" "Some of it, yeah," she replied. The man pulled a hunting knife from his belt as he held her, but his hand never got further than that. Shakti pulled a hatchet from the other man's belt and pulled it hard into her assailant's skull. He fell, and she held his hatchet in one hand, her stolen stiletto in the other. The others pulled back very briefly in confusion as to what had just happened. "Come and get me, boys," she whispered teasingly, and they rushed her again. She dropped the stiletto and pulled the other hatchet from its home on her enemy's belt. She cast a spell again, and held it. She held it until they got closer, she held it until she see the whites of their eyes, could feel their breath, she held it until they grabbed her. Shakti released her Orion strike in the midst of them, blasting them back away from her, clearing a space once more. Two of the men didn't get up from the floor. One of the others was up in an instant. Oh, some training on that one. That's just lovely. He has to make my life harder by not letting me kill him. He WOULD. He pulled a knife from the back of his belt, one that Shakti hadn't seen. Forgetting for a moment that she didn't have her normal leather bracers for protection, she brought her right arm up in front of her face to shield herself. The blade bit deeply into her skin. Wrenching herself away from him, she wiped the gash on her clothes. It started bleeding again immediately. "No time to fix it," she muttered. He came again, but this time she was ready. She couldn't hold a weapon in that arm, but she didn't need to. She lifted one of his own hatchets in front of his eyes. The lovely thing about topheavy weapons like hatchets... she thought. Is that they feel a hell of a lot like a kukri when you throw them! She laughed. Throwing them was similar. Similar enough. Shakti lowered her hand, and the hatchet floated for a moment in the air. "Blade of the destroyer," she chanted. "Tear through my enemies. Avenge and destroy." She heaved it at him with her mind, "Hand of Kali!" ...and listened to the keenly gratifying noise of metal splintering the bones in his face. This day had started terribly. It looked like it was going to improve significantly before the evening was out. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4677 (8/24/06 12:16) 159.242.10.220 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Hakaril observed with a smug grin the enthusiasm with which Shakti flung herself into combat. He had a certain fondness for people who appreciated a good fight. The crude, raging bloodlusts of thugs like these were beneath him, or so he would like to think, but a battle was almost as much an intellectual exercise as a physical one. Rapid calculations and judgments made during combat were a product of honed instincts and tactical expertise, and Hakaril considered himself to be highly competent in both areas. While a brawl against a dozen men was different from an intense magical duel, both types of combat had their perks. Shakti's idea to cast a protective spell to reinforce her tattered clothing was an excellent plan, but Hakaril felt that his version of a similar spell would be infinitely more impressive if he cast it while the enemy was watching. Hakaril's hands and fingers fluidly played through the air as he combed the invisible mana flow surrounding his body. A sharp and palpable current of energy emanated from his body as a set of glowing threads of multicolored light began to coalesce around him, the now-visible strands of force wrapping his body in a protective field. As the iridescent web rapidly solidified around his figure, the mage concluded his spell with the final words of a powerful invocation. "My will is my weapon and my soul is my shield! ASTRAL ARMOR!" A shockwave rippled forth from Hakaril's aura as his newly formed protective field settled into place. His former black garb was now covered by a semi-transparent suit of polychromatic plate mail surrounded in a swirling cloud of lustrous powder like the sheddings of a moth. The mage grinned. "I need nothing other than my own desire to kill you punks!" shouted the mage as a group of four men advanced on him with flashing blades. "Come and get me!" The first of the men to charge beat his companions to the point by a few seconds, giving him time to swing an enormous two-handed sword at the General with more than sufficient strength to cleave a man in two. Hakaril made no attempt to parry the strike. A split second later, the thug was tightly gripping a hilt attached to slightly less than half of his former weapon. The other charging foes stopped dead in their tracks. Physics had seen fit to deposit the broken blade of the sword on the floor a few feet away from Hakaril, where it clattered and skidded to a halt. To the complete surprise of his attacker, Hakaril's shimmering armor had not only completely stopped the attack, but the effect was comparable to striking a solid stone wall. "That was a nice sword," commented the General with a smirk. "Of Baronian make, I'd guess. A highlander's claymore. On the plus side, you can use it with one hand now if you really want." The man assaulting the mage took a step backwards and stared at his now-useless weapon with an expression of utter disbelief. His three companions all wore similarly dumbfounded faces. "Now...die!" spat Hakaril as he raised a hand toward the face of the disarmed brute. Panicking, the man brought his sword arm and the broken hilt up to the level of his eyes, as though attempting to shield himself from his impending death. Hakaril snapped his fingers, and the man's three comrades suddenly exploded in a blindingly colorful pyrotechnic shower, bits of astral shrapnel scattering in all directions. Each of the three men quickly became more acquainted with the warehouse floor. The leader of the pack fell to his knees, muscles shaking violently as he dropped the remains of his weapon. His will had been broken. Once, he was a strong man, or so he had thought. His victims always begged for mercy before he killed them, usually after he had forcefully taken whatever he had wanted. He had "conquered" many unsuspecting maidens. He had recieved many spontaneous "donations" straight from the coin purses of many back alley travellers. He had been a man endowed with great virility and the associated might to take whatever he pleased. His "triumphs" had always left him feeling superhuman, and now he was in a position typical of one of his victims. "You're all alike," admonished Hakaril. "You have so much confidence, so much belief in your own might. You think you're entitled to whatever you want because you can take it from whoever you want. But you're wrong!" The mage was shouting now, his voice battering the ears of his enemy like a mallet against a drum. "You are nothing but a common murderer who preys on the weak and defenseless! You are not strong, you are exploitative! You are a bully and a coward! You are begging me for your life, and so I shall let you have it. But from now on, you will live in a manner much more suitable to your temperment." The thug's eyes widened as Hakaril's aura pulsed with energies that even his magic-dead body could feel resonating through the air. A brilliant blue glow surrounded the thug. He shivered as a sudden coldness came over his body. Every pore on his body forced his hair to stand at attention as an unbearable itchiness overwhelmed his sense of touch. The man writhed on the floor as grey fur began to erupt from every inch on his body. The world around him, especially the General's glaring eyes, grew smaller as they drew farther away from his rapidly shrinking form. His face began to elongate abruptly, coming to a very narrow point as long, white whiskers burst from his stretching cheeks. Soon, the transformation was complete. The thug had become a rat. "Now your form suits your personality," Hakaril stated, voice dripping with contempt. "But you should still have your mind. Go crawl into a filthy tunnel somewhere and scavenge for scraps. You've been doing it all your life. It should be a familiar activity." Edited by: Archmage144  at: 8/24/06 12:16 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3842 (8/27/06 17:50) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! As Cardinal took a sideways glance at his two companions, he couldn't help but think they were both a little... how to put it... Criminally insane. But, they were his criminals today. And if these men were the law, every law should be broken. As he approached his outlaws, they began to run at him. But, he raised his hand and shouted, "Hold it!" They continued to charge, and he grumbled, saying, "But I just want to tell you..." The first henchman swung a cudgel at his face, which Cardinal bent over backwards to avoid. He stood straight again, only to dodge left and right to avoid another bandit's wild sword swings. A third's axe came smashing to the ground, and stuck there, Cardinal standing on the side. "You fellows really want to hear this. Really. But, if you want to be like this..." The axewielder's nose provided a springboard for the mage as he did a backflip, landing in front of two of the ruffians, whose necks quickly exploded with blood, slashed solidly by Cardinal's blade. "Oh, come on, guys. Just let me ge-" He couldn't even finish that sentence as twin swords came at his neck. He ducked, swiping at the shylock on his right, and rolling that way to avoid his partner on the left. Cardinal ran at him, their blades connecting once, twice, thrice, till hilts locked. "And now I'm annoyed. I'll tell you at the end." Cardinal shoved his enemy's blade away, and brought his own across another neck on the backslash. As his opponent staggered away, clutching at his throat, two more foes came at his back, foolishly screaming to announce themselves. Sal turned to his side, the twin mugs swinging on either side of him, and for a second, there was a Spaniard sandwich, on scofflaw bread. Quickly, he shoved one slice away, and then tucked his rapier under his arm, killing the enemy behind him. "And by the way, you sound like this. URRRRRRRRRGH!" Cardinal made a contorted face, running at the hoodlum, who, oddly enough, was thrown off by it, and slain easily. "Oh? That works? Who kn-" Cardinal cut himself off, guarding himself against an attack from behind from a rather large fellow. "Well. This one will be interesting." With a quick motion, he pushed the brute's warhammer away, if only for a second, and rolled away, allowing himself to face his foe. He almost ran at the fellow, but then he found himself guarding his back against another brute's attack, and this one was as big or bigger than his compatriate. "... OK. I can work this." He shoved that cutthroat's weapon away, ran at his buddy, vaulted off his chest, and knocked down the second brigand, using the surprise to drive his rapier through his heart. The first brute, dazed, began to get up, but then Cardinal stood over him, sword at his throat. "What," the weary mage said, "I was TRYING... to tell you... was that I was going to fight... WITHOUT... magic. But do YOU let me talk? No. I can't even have my little dramatic moment at the beginning of the fight. And now, I don't even care. I'm going to go help my sister." That was the last thing the thug ever heard. A Nova spell charging in Cardinal's hand was the last thing he ever saw. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1288 (8/27/06 18:18) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! As Shakti flung her new hatchet at her enemies with the power of her mind, she found herself looking past them to her allies. Shakti herself felt strangely liberated, unable to speak at length to anyone without her voice ascending into peals of delighted laughter. She couldn't even taunt her enemies past the wide grin on her face. She noted a significant contrast in her comrades. Shakti watched Silvar out of the corner of her eye, noting his behavior, his words, his aggression. She'd always assumed the General was no fool,and could be trusted to take care of himself. However, she hadn't ever fought at his side, truly fought. They'd been in combat together only once, but they were fighting a creature that was largely mindless. There had been no emotional investment for either of them. In short... she'd learned nothing. His demeanor was utterly different now. The way he destroyed the weapons of his enemies, the volume of Silvar's voice as he railed at them, the way he held a grown man at his mercy, and the sick humor in the justice the General imposed on that man.... he was truly angry, and this Shakti had not anticipated. It was just as well that Shakti had long ago decided that deciphering Silvar was beyond her ability. Otherwise, his behavior now would be the source of some truly agonizing curiosity. Shakti had trained with her brother, but she'd never seen him in a serious battle before. He'd always been the one to stay her hand, to value the lives of his enemies at least in principle. It was difficult for her to avoid being distracted by the reactions of her friends. It was her job to observe people and, after all, what is more tempting to a scholar like Shakti than a chance to see people she thought she knew in a totally different light? Her brother... well, to start with he was spending a great deal of time shouting at his enemies, but with a drastically different tone than Silvar. It seemed more for his own amusement than anything else, but at least he was managing to do it without getting himself killed. The one place Shakti felt she never had any reason to worry about her brother was on the battlefield. She'd trained with him, after all. Her only concern was his tendency to, well...frankly...care about other human beings, a problematic impulse that Sal seemed to be resolving satisfactorily. For now. In fact, it was a little surreal watching him kill with no more hesitation than Shakti herself felt. Hard to pin down exactly what Shakti had expected from him, but she had always been the vicious one, the angry one, the one most ready for violence at any time. She couldn't help but be a little proud of her brother, even as the sight of blood on his hands wiped away many notions of the man's moral purity, his innocence. No matter. He could handle himself, and true to form he was coming her way. She waved with one hand covered in blood. Whoops. Her injured arm was still bleeding. That was annoying. She'd promised Silvar and everything. With a flick of her fingers, she twirled her new pet hatchet through the air, and her aura began to shift. Silvar had seen her doublecasting before, and the effect was similar. Her aura stretched away from her body, forming another perfect pair of arms below her own that helped her cast the spell. Shakti stretched her hands out in front of her, both flesh and phantom palms facing upward as she raised the second hatchet to join its mate in the air. This was the tough part, concentrating on two weapons. She could do it, but unfortunately her short period of academic amusement had come to an end. There were still men to kill, and Shakti considered each and every one her prey. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3845 (8/30/06 22:30) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! When his sister was like this, Cardinal knew that widespread violence was her goal. A swath of destruction, as it were. So, when he put his blade through the back of one of his sister's attackers, he knew she wouldn't mind. As long as they all met their end, it didn't matter how or who. Though, by Cardinal's track, he had taken down the most. Quickly rolling under a flying axe, he took up residence behind his sibling. "Greetings, Miss Messiah," he said, a bit amused with himself. "Having fun, I trust? The evening's amusement sufficient for you?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1293 (9/2/06 1:12) 65.26.179.70 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Shakti's response was initially nothing more than once of those wide, half-crazed grins she'd been tossing around for the past minute or so. "Our plans are certainly turning out to be better than theirs." Distracted by the short bit of conversation, she stepped to one side, almost but not perfectly evading the blade of a sword coming her way. Diving back into the fray away from her brother, Shakti held a hand to her side just under her arm. "Dammit. You son of a bitch. That fucking hurts." It hurt, but it was probably just a gash in her skin, nothing too important cut open. It was bleeding pretty nicely, but she was casting enough magic that she knew she couldn't waste energy healing herself. Not like another scar on her body was the end of the world. Her best option at this point was to hold on until after the fight, hopefully laying into her enemies hard enough that they'd die in time for her to do something about her own injuries. Soon the warmth of the blood running down her side faded into the generalized exhileration that had been fueling Shakti for this long. It was a damned good thing she had that, otherwise she might have begun to worry about her magical reserves. Soon she wouldn't have anything left, and even healing herself would be a gamble. Shakti disappeared into the crowd of men who were by this point fighting not for wealth, power, or dominance, but for their own survival. For a while the only sign that Shakti was still holding her own away from her friends was the occasional riff of laughter cascading over the grunts of anger and pain from the criminals. It wasn't until the mages had slaughtered most of the criminals and the crowd had thinned somewhat they could even see her. When only a scattering of criminals were left, Shakti exhausted her magical reserves. A sensible person would have switched to a melee weapon or even allowed her allies to finish the remaining enemies. It was plain by the unwavering savagery in her grin that Shakti was far from sensible. She had decided these men would die, and until that decision came to its natural conclusion she would tear through them like a madwoman. She found the limits of her magical endurance, ignored them, and passed them. With each spell the wounds on her side and forearm deepened, bled a little more. No matter. Her blood, their blood, it was all the same. Just blood on a battlefield, and there was nothing wrong with that. As she pushed herself harder and harder, even the injuries her brother had healed earlier began to reopen. Just blood. Just dizziness. Nothing important. It wasn't until the last man had fallen she let herself lean against a wall for support. She laughed again, covering her eyes and tilting her head back. Nothing mattered, not her own injuries or the presence of her allies. Her enemies had been her focus, her enemies were dead, and now the bloodlust spread out into a more benign wash of relief. What could she do but laugh? Edited by: Kai  at: 9/2/06 1:16 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3852 (9/2/06 1:28) 68.147.161.12 Reply | Edit | Del Re: Obligatory Ramayana reference GO! Someone had gotten in a parting swipe on Cardinal's leg. That irked him, but thankfully, it had been a last attack from a dying foe, whose end came quicker from an angered boot. He now came equipped with a small limp, which he endured to his trip to his sister. He leaned with her on the wall, letting it support his weight. He stared over at his sister, and smirked with her, even cracking a small chuckle, and let her finish her mirth. When it appeared she was done, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Es... I have abandoned all illusions of you retaining anything but madness in that mind of yours. But if any court is going to hear your case, you'll need to at least APPEAR coherent. "Oh, and I'm going to need to sleep for a week after this. Saving you is VERY taxing."

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