Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 8: To Catch a [s]Predator[/s] Demonic, soul-sucking mesh

[Snowy_One]

OOC: Just for simplicity, we'll have Daiman catch Esphyr off-screen.

Twenty six years ago.

Location: A swamp to the south of Ilyphina.

Night is usually a tranquil thing. The soft and charming songs of insects mixing with the cool air of night as the gentle reflection of the moon dapples down across gentle streams and ponds as a billion stars overhead illuminate lovers caught in the throws of passions. Man and beast alike, enjoying the sleepy tranquility of night. At least, that was how it had been several years before the Lord of Azure Flame attacked. Now, for the six hero's night had shown to be less of a relaxing repose, and more of a time for tactful plans to be put into action.

The plan was simple. Demons had set up camp to the south and were threatening to over-run the garrison within the capitol of Ilyphina. Though normally, demons did not need to do such a thing, crossing the border had been taxing upon them at the cost of many Elysium lives, and now they needed to stop to recover their numbers. With their numbers weakened for the moment, the Hero's had a chance to slip in and eviscerate their spawning grounds, leaving them open to a quick over-run buy troops come morning. At least, in theory that was the plan.

"Why do we have to go in on foot?" Percy's hand smashed down hard into the tree-stump serving as a makeshift table for the six. "My wyvern and I could easily fly over and land us beh-"

"Can it Percy!" one the other five, a female voice, interrupted. "Most of them are flying demons. If we fly in, we risk exposure, and Halton hasn't sent their wyverns for this. Though we have a few minor nations, their soldiers are here only to hoist the standard. We get them killed, we have a minor civil war on our hands. I thought Jace was the idiot and-ohwaitit'syou. Nevermind."

"My sweet little Kaileen is right!" said Harold, bending in closer to the priestess woman. "If we were to fly up close, their lances could KILL you Percy! And if you died, who would catch sweet little Kaileen and Naelia as they tumbled to earth like spirits from the goddess?" Harold suddenly put his foot upon the table. With a quick 'SKRISH!' he drew forth his sword and pointed it up towards the moon "By my sword, Vox, I shall... Where's Vox?"

"Oops... Ummm... You didn't really NEED that, right?" came a second, much younger, female voice down beside Kaileen. In the hands of the other, smaller, woman was Harold's sword.

"Oh my sweet petunia Naelia, please return my sword unto me so I may cleave all who seek to harm you. PLEASE?" asked Harold, bending close to the thief with a generous bow.

"Okay." came the response as the thief girl handed it back.

"And my wallet."

The thief produced the required item, handing it back to him.

"And my booze bottle. You're not old enough to drink anyways."

Once again, the requested item was returned.

"And my wallet a second time."

"Spoilsport." came the tart response as the object was handed over.

"Excuse me, but I'm still a bit skeptical about this plan." came a third male voice that was thick and low. Bethold's. "Even assuming we're very strong, it's a demon spawning ground we're after. We need more than the six of us, especially with Naelia's thieving unable to help us much and Percy unable to fly. We need a bit more. Shouldn't we ask them?"

"Who? That wench of a headmaster and the daughter she's taking care of? Or that delusional dragon man? Oh! I know! Why don't we ask the local idiot if he'd like to help!" shot back the sixth and final member of the group, Jace.

"Jace! Mind your tongue! And Harold, we've been over this! Your flattery is useless on me!" shot back Kaileen. "Besides, isn't the Headmaster minding little Katie until her mother gets back from the Septimian front line?"

"Yes, she is." replied Harold. "It pains me to deprive my little magical daughter of her nanny, but the headmaster would be powerful, as would the town idiot. Not so sure about that man claiming he is a dragon though. Contact both and tell them we need to get ready to conduct a ambush through the swamps. And bring salt. There's leeches."

---

"Baba!" with a giddy clap, little Katie pointed up at the makeshift bottle being held by the headmaster, doing her best to identify it. "Baba!" she squeaked again, electing a happy smile from the headmaster who carefully handed the child the bottle full of cows milk. The headmaster reached down to tousle the baby's hair before Katie picked up her blanket and twisted it about between her legs before gumming the very top of it, a bubble of milk clinging to her lips.

A moment later, Harold popped into the tent and approached his child, shooing the nanny off before flicking her nose and kissing the crown of her head. Then, he turned to the headmaster to explain the plan. A sad sigh came from the spirit-woman, but she understood. She picked the child up and put her inside a small crib with the simple instruction to 'wait until I get back'. Before long, Katie was asleep and the seven had joined together.

---

"Where's the village idiot?" asked Harold as they met together.

"He said he wasn't willing to throw his life away for something so stupid." replied Naelia with a soft pout. "I even offered him some money to come!"

"Was it his own money?" asked Berthold.

"That's besides the point!" shot back Naelia. Yet soon, the seven were off. It wasn't long at all before the rancid stench of decaying plant and the sickening shluck of muddy earth overtook all about. Bound to the earth by her inability to fly lest their position be exposed, even the headmaster was subject to what could only be described as torture as the heavy and oppressive pressure of mud crushed in around her, trapping her wings close up to her body. Indeed, as they progressed through the swamp, soon illuminated by the light of demon-camps, she was certain she could feel something moving about under her cloak.

At last, she could take it no more. Reaching down, she felt about her belly for what on earth was making that aweful movement; praying it was just mud and water. Yet, when she pulled her hand away, there, sitting upon her hand, was no less then ten leeches!

"LEECH!" she shrieked in sheer terror as she flung her hand about wildly, trying to free it of the foul and offending creatures as her other hand shot under her garb to try and rip those upon her belly off. Several of the monsters, filled with spirit blood, shot off and splattered into the mud, only to glow green a second later. Then, in the shadow of the night, those leeches full of the headmasters blood did something truly horrifying. They started to FLY!

Not a true, wing-driven flight mind you, but rather, they started to hover about in the air before suddenly shooting forth like bullets to seek blood. Quickly, the six hero's drew their weapons, the plans for a ambush scrapped by the headmasters terrified scream and wild thrashing. Before long, most of the monstrosities were dead, though plenty had drunk their fill of blood and creeped off into the night; unseen as they shot through the air.

---

Just outside of the TISME academy, a young women well in her thirties sitting atop a cart somehow large enough to fit all the party members slowly rolled up to the front gates. Helenos had finally arrived. After taking some time to slowly perfect the disguise and to hide her mana to a degree that she could pass for a gifted but untrained member of the common folk she was finally satisfied with her work. She had a plan too. Many years ago, some leeches within a nearby swamp had somehow gained the ability to fly. Though she felt certain she could easily smite the party, she was not certain she could do so without risking losing some of the weapons for herself. However, the leeches could drain enough blood from the bodies of these people to render them helpless, and then, she could easily take them for herself.

"Hello. My name is... Helen. Just Helen. Your headmaster hired me and my horse Clover to serve as transportation for your little shenanigan." she said to the party members present, introducing herself.

[Phoenix]

Isotov and Irina

The two siblings were near the rear of the group. Irina handed Iso the letter Helios had found.

Iso: What's this?

Irina: Don't open it now. Wait til ... later ... way later.

Iso:

[Snowy_One]

Iso... I'm afraid I... I left TISME in order to find out what had happened to my apprentices. When I found a lead, you blew up a inn and I was labeled a criminal, so I was forced to tag along. But now, my name is cleared, and I don't really have any reason to travel with you anymore. wrote Katie upon her paper. It had been a hard decision, well... not really. Her loyalty was to her students, and now that her name was cleared, she no longer had an overt reason to continue on with the group instead of focusing on getting that which really mattered. Information on why her students had all suddenly died.

[Ansem]

Helios headed toward the gates with Ixion and Stephanie. "You sure she knows what she is doing" Helios said.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Kai-Sama

[riariadne]

Chase looked at the carriage driver oddly. "Suuure..." he said skeptically.

He whispered to Morgan, "Please tell me I'm not the only one who finds this weird?"

[-Cynthia-]

"I assume everyone is ready to go. I suggest we travel overland back to the border, since the Caves collapsed since we were through them last, we also have issues traveling underground anyway."

She responded to Chase "I wasn't even aware that we informed the headmaster of where we were going. And I really think we have enough mounts already."

Edited June 11, 2010 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

Isotov and Irina

Irina read Katie's message right along with Iso and she was the first to speak up.

Irina: You're not leaving are you? :o

She was scared that Iso would get demoralized if she left, seeing as how she was the only one he spent any measure of time with.

Irina: I know I don't know you that well, but you and Iso get along really great.

Iso: Irina, relax. She didn't say that. Even if that's what she meant ...

Iso looked Katie right in the eyes before he finished.

Iso: .. I understand. I've lost people I care about too ... I can't avenge them myself because I don't know who the surviving assailant was. When I find him, I'll avenge them ... all of them. I said I'd help you avenge your students and I will. If you want to leave after that, I won't stop you. I'll just ... remember these past few days ... heheh.

A single drop of sweat ran down the side of his face. As sincere as he was, he would prefer it if she stayed afterward too.

Ixion and Stephanie

Ixion: She can handle herself -_-

Edited June 11, 2010 by Phoenix

[Snowy_One]

"If you want to walk over mountains with little more than combat horses, be my guest." replied Helen. "But this time of year there are some nasty storms atop the peaks and trying to cross them is ill-advised. There are two southern routes though, but one has been bandit-riddled of late, so I suggest you pack up and I will take you the other way."

It just so happened that, either through sheer coincidence or careful planning, what the dragon-in-disguise said happened to be mostly true in one of the few cases of non-naddy related railroading I have done in this RP.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan turned towards Isotov and Katie. "And why does she need to be around when we are destroying the mesh for our own reasons? If anything, dragging her along just increases her chances of dying by a significant degree."

Turning towards Helen she responded "And your cart helps us how? We managed to get here without your help, we can certainly get back without it as well. And I'm still not sure why the headmaster would send someone if we had not even told him of our journey."

[Snowy_One]

"You're a snobby little tart, aren't you? I don't know the headmasters business, but I do know that you aren't some omniscentient goddess either." "That's my role!" snapped back Helenos. "If you don't want free transportation, then go on, fight whatever mesh you meshingly well mesh with! I don't care! Free money for me!" "Don't break character..."

Katie suddenly tugged on Iso's arm. Wait. Did Morgan just say you were going to fight the mesh? If so, I need to go with you!

[Phoenix]

OOC: AHAHAAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAH!!! Thx Morgan! XD XD XD

Isotov and Irina

Iso: Right, that's why I said after I help you avenge your students. What did you think I meant? :)

[Psych]

Cutting in, Cess took a quick step in front of Morgan.

"Pardon her ma'am. She can get a bit cranky. But we do appreciate you offering to take us on our journey. It would save us time rather than just walking. The headmaster must have assumed we wouldn't stay that long, so he decided to get us a ride. We should all be ready to go. Is everyone here?"

[-Cynthia-]

"Snobby little tart is probably an accurate description yes. I simply do not see the need for unecessary travelers to join our group."

"Speaking of uncessary travelers, we are entirely capable of defeating the mesh ourselves. We have done so in the past. Your tome bashing skills will be of little help I'm afraid and you have little else to offer."

Edited June 12, 2010 by -Cynthia-

[Snike]

While this was all occurring, Eric just stood back, not wanting to be caught up in the discussion. Looking at the the wagon, he began to come up with the number of ways things could go wrong, but stopped before he began, and continued waiting for the group to reach a consensus.

[riariadne]

"Aww, don't be like that... Katie at least has common sense, and we kind lack that for the most part. I for one wouldn't mind her tagging along," he said aloud, then muttered to himself, "... if only to make sure we don't have another whiny mage on our hands. Helios is enough, we don't need Isotov to act like him too..."

[Snowy_One]

Iso. Tell that arrogant mage that it doesn't matter what she thinks. If the headmaster ordered this cart, then I don't care what the rest of you do, I'm taking it to where-ever it is meant to go and I'm finding that mesh and I'm going to kill it with or without her help. scribbled Katie.

"Don't be so quick to judge." shot in Esphyr, arriving from where-ever she had been. "I mean, the headmaster is a quirky and odd person. Plus, anything to carry all this bloody armor and weaponry would be nice. You may not think about it Ms. cloth and tome, but swords and armor weigh a awful lot and having something to carry it would be bloody nice."

[-Cynthia-]

"Francis can carry our things, just as he has been doing all along. It's not as if we suddenly acquired a treasure trove. If you cannot carry your own sword and armor, you are unfit to be a warrior."

Morgan turned to Chase. "You are aware that this is a dangerous quest that may end in people being killed. If you or Isotov or whoever likes the mute so much, why are you placing her in mortal peril?"

[Phoenix]

Isotov and Irina

Iso: Katie's going regardless, and I said I'd look after her so I'm going to. We can tie you up if you'd like, Morgan

Irina: Now you sound like Uncle.

Iso: <_<

[-Cynthia-]

"So you are going to "look after her" just like you looked after all your other friends? Didn't they all end up dead? I fail to see how you can look after anyone when you apparently cannot control your own tome?"

"I suppose she can come along because I don't really care if she gets devoured by demons or not. I just wanted to point out the logical issue with bringing civilians along. She would obviously be safer here in TISME, but you wish to risk her life instead. You are exceptionally poor at protecting those you claim to care for."

[Psych]

"Well I say we take the cart. It's several dozen miles to the swamp. It's easily take, what? 4 days? With the cart we'd be there in half the time."

Looking at Morgan, "And if we can get there in half the time, we can kill double the amount of monsters in the same amount of time."

[Phoenix]

Isotov and Irina

Iso clinched his fists in response, about ready to go ahead and tie her up anyway, but Irina quickly interjected.

Irina: Morgan, that's not fair! Iso was just a novice back then, how could he protect people from assassins?

Iso: Forget it, Irina. She says what she wants and damn everyone else.

Unknowingly regaining his calm, he turned back to Katie.

Iso: So I guess you're coming with us. Looks like I still have time to find a reason for you to keep tagging along with us afterward, though not as long as I'd like ^_^

[Snike]

"I'd rather walk. I don't trust things on wheels. Plus, we'd be more noticable than before, if we rode in that," Eric said. "Besides, rushing in isn't the best idea."

[-Cynthia-]

"Time is of the essence though. Defeating the mesh more quickly means that we can move on to more important tasks. I just do not see how the cart significantly increases our movement rate, carts do not move particularly well through swamps to my knowledge."

"Not to mention the questionable credentials. Did anyone here tell the headmaster we were leaving to go fight the mesh? It was a decision made in the past hour, so it's not as if he could have known in advance."

[Psych]

"Then what if we merely take the cart to the outer reaches of the swamp? If we need, it can hold our extra things while we're fighting, or our medicine?"

Edited June 12, 2010 by psychout50

[Phoenix]

Isotov and Irina

Irina: No one mentioned that to the headmaster? So does he have psychic powers or something?