Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 12: *This Title has been stolen*

[Phoenix]

Everyone that made it

Iso: I suppose it's a miracle I'm still standing. It doesn't really hurt as much as it probably should. I'm still a tad numb to pain so that helps to stay on my feet.

The conversation quickly shifted back to the dragon child. The more he thought about it, the more thoughtless the entire scenario seemed in hindsight.

Iso: I'm glad I could help you, if only a little bit. Nonetheless that recklessness on their part could have been disastrous. If we ever see that child again though, I'll be the first to intercept the draconiphobic members of our group.

It wasn't much, but he was hoping his resolve to prevent future incidents like that would come across as even more supportive.

[Inactive Account]

OOC: Does the phrase "I almost passed out a few times" ring a bell, Phoenix?

"Dammit, and you got hurt, too." I've been entirely too useless today, Kelas thought. Turning her attention back to Tessa, she replied, "Yeah, I got him." She steered her brother over to a place to sit down.

"Thanks," Arrin managed to tell Tessa. He was still in pain, but it didn't matter; Tessa was all right.

OOC: I TOTALLY JUST STOLE MY COUSIN'S LAPTOP TO MAKE THIS POST. I AM THE MOST WORST.

[Phoenix]

OOC: @ Kiryn -----> Roy Mustang's cauterizing XD

Everyone

It seemed like Iso was going to be okay, unless Kelas whacked him, but she seemed satisfied that he was alive. Irina decided to grab Kiev by the reins and find some place nearby where she could relax. She still had a bleeding wound, but she wanted to wait before asking for healing. The healers were all severely taxed this time around.

Viveka handed Chase over to Conard, who subsequently lied him on the ground, not really interested. Jasmine held him in a seated position hoping he'd wake up soon. Meanwhile, Viveka led Susann through the scattered and injured group surveying the damage. It was a mess, but not everyone was hurt. She herself was barely graced at all.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Phoenix

[Balcerzak]

Tessa finally finished treated Isotov's wound. Smiling up at him, she patted him on the shoulder. "Okay, you're done here. Try to be a bit more careful in the future. Miracles don't happen every day, and when they don't... well it falls to me." Adding in as an afterthought, "Charlotte too now as well, I suppose."

Trying to muster up the courage to flat out apologize, she found she still couldn't do it, and she wasn't sure why. A complicated expression stole across her face before she managed another smile, and then gave Isotov a light hug. "Okay, I think there might still be others I need to look up on. Thanks again... and actually, can you keep an eye on Kelas for me?"

Looking around, she saw Morgan standing over by Damian. She didn't look badly hurt, but knowing Sis, it was unlikely she'd escaped the battle unharmed. She had the worst luck at these things, after all. Picking her way over toward her, she crossed paths with Charlotte. She looks like she was wearing herself out, Tessa thought. Some encouragement might be in order.

"You've been doing great. Just keep hanging in there," she told the other girl, and reached out a hand to squeeze the cleric's hand in reassurance.

[Snike]

Dani

"Well, uh, if you hit them before they hit you, you're fine, right?" Dani said. "Pary, on the other hand, can't hit as hard, and gets hit harder, so, even though it heals, it evens out. Just do your thing and don't worry about your utility."

Eric

Spotting Charlotte, Eric walked up to her, concern on his face. "Milady, please, try not to exert yourself," he said. "If you faint in the middle of battle, the party might end up in a worse situation than if you had simply healed. major wounds.

Derek

While all this was happening, Derek walked among the rest of the group, taking note of injuries. For the minor ones, he bandaged the wounded person with a roll of cloth he had, and sent them on their way. For the major injuries, he separated them from the rest of the group,for one of the healers to look at.

[Dark Sage]

"Yeah. I did hit it before, and I guess I was good against Travis, but I just can't bear to see the look on his face when he finds out what happened or if he saw."

"Thanks. I feel a bit better."

[-Cynthia-]

Charlotte squeezed Tessa's hand. "Thank you. After this, we should pay our respect to Gornald's mother. I managed to keep the flowers in pretty good shape despite the chaos."

"I...think I'm fine Sir Eric." she said, turning to the myrmidion. "I am glad to see you're not hurt, perhaps Lady Luck has favored you for once." She gave him a tired smile.

[Phoenix]

Everyone

It was a slight surprise to be hugged by Tessa. There must have been something more than just his supporting her decision earlier.

Iso: Sure ... I'll make sure Kelas doesn't get into any trouble. You go make sure everyone else is okay.

He gave her another smile as she left, but then he felt hot air blast him in the back of the head! He turned around but before he could see what it was, a second wave forced his eyes shut, and tiny droplets of mucous sprinkled his face ... the sure sign of a wyvern breathing on him. Once Iso backed away and opened his eyes, he saw Kiev giving him a curious look.

Iso: What?

The wyvern continued staring ...

[the_whistler]

OOC: Recap post is in the past.

Humming slightly as he walked within the huge corridors of Damian's home, Heinz walked around for awhile, looking for any sort of valuables he could take. The number of servants here make it a hassle, but if Damian can afford to hire this many people to guard his precious home, than he's got more than enough to spare. Glancing around quickly, he saw no one in sight and casually walked into one of the adjoining rooms, closing the door behind him.

Heinz looked at the room carefully. Pity, there's plenty here I could take, but I suppose I'll have to settle for something that I can hide easily. Walking over to the side, there were hundreds of books, ranging from old leather bound books just about to fall apart to more recent documents. Halton Military Conquests? He flipped through the pages quickly, expecting to find nothing out of the ordinary within the aging book. His eyes widened however, when he came upon a chapter in the middle of the book. Specific Haltonian tactics and the workings of their military command? Not bad. This might be a little old, but there's some sound strategy in here. Wonder how much Elyisima or Septimus would pay for a book like this? Heinz grinned.

And while we're at it, how about another one ..... Reaching up, Heinz pulled out a few more recent compilings on Haltonian military activies and hid them underneath his cloak. Rearranging the books quickly to hid the gaps, Heinz left the room within minutes. Hmmm.... wonder where the armory is around here? It wouldn't hurt to have another weapon.

However, Heinz had neglected to keep track of where he was within the manor, and wandered around aimlessly until he found himself in the dining hall, where the thunder mage Dani was casting thunder bolts recklessly at someone. Heinz squinted. Looks like a priest..... the same one who tried to heal and overcharge us from before. Leaning back against the wall, Heinz watched the scene with amusement, content to let the others bicker among themselves, throwing chairs and threatening each other with abandon.

OOC: Not finished catching up yet, but I should be within another post or so.

[Balcerzak]

"That... Wow. I don't think I could have managed that at all." Tessa exclaimed, honestly surprised to see the small bouquet intact. "And yes, that sounds like a good idea. As soon as we're sure everyone's alright, a small affair before any further interruptions threaten would be splendid."

Seeing Eric approaching, Tessa nodded to the swordsman. He seemed in fine health, and had drawn Charlotte's attention, so she separated from the two and continued to Morgan. Tripping on a skeleton's forearm along the way, she managed to catch her balance before falling flat.

Arriving at last, she called out, "Sis! You hurt? We were apart most of the battle, and I couldn't follow up on you. I'm sorry."

[-Cynthia-]

"Hmm?" Morgan seemed surprised. "Oh, just the normal energy draining from using Midnight really, nothing serious in the least. Perhaps having Lev in front of me helped deflect some blows or somesuch." she shrugged.

"I do want to talk to you about the business with the dragon earlier Tessa, though if you have more wounded to attend to I shall not keep you." her eyes darted back to Damian several times. Still normal...

[Inactive Account]

"<You idiot,>" Kelas sighed, sitting Arrin down on a rock to rest until further help was available. "<You're not allowed to get yourself killed, I didn't spend years trying to find you just for that.>"

"Kelas... I don't understand you," Arrin replied faintly.

Wearily, without much conviction, Kelas muttered, "...You idiot."

[Psych]

MEANWHILE (Wrap up post)

Shadows joined together to form the shape of a young women. She stood on a tree branch, as the shapes of her sisters sat on other branches. A group of demons stood below the tree, and she was going to give them a peace of her mind.

"SHANICE! You, you! You ruined everything! We almost had all three mages! If it wasn't for you! Oooooh! Helenos will have a field day when we tell her about this! I could have gotten all three of them! Why did you not help us, honey? ♥"

Verry sat on a lower branch swinging her legs back and forth. "Berry, shouldn't we tell her about how him and his girl friends just burst in to mess everything up and didn't even help us? We tried to protect him from that stupid Headmaster!"

"Ugh guh ack!"

"You're both right! She'll give us a whole army to get them next time. Gorgons, wolves, cyclops! This is your head Shanice! Now sweetie, come with us and explain to her this is all your fault! Now darling! ♥"

The demons stood below the tree in confusion.

Edited July 11, 2010 by psychout50

[Balcerzak]

Tessa was glad that she was alright, but she couldn't help cringe a bit when Morgan mentioned the affair with the dragon. They'd been somewhat on opposite sides with opinions on how to handle things, and she could almost feel the lecture coming on. She was in a much better mood to receive one now than she had been immediately at the time of the incident, but if she could somehow avoid it altogether...

"Right... I understand," she accepted. Following Morgan's gaze to Damian, she raised the question, "Has he already been tended to, or should I take a look?"

[Phoenix]

Shanice

Shanice: ... ... ...

... are you kidding me?! My fault?! Helenos can eat sh*t and die for all I care! You're crazy if you think I'm going to vindicate you shadows to the renegade drakess!

OOC: LOL freak out XD (will probably finish this discussion tomorrow)

[-Cynthia-]

"Pary tended to him he should be fine...in body at least." Morgan said with a frown.

Then she continued, "As for the dragon, I do agree it was foolish to provoke it. However, putting yourself in danger like that is unacceptable. Even if you had the utmost confidence it would not have attacked you, remember that it was only a child. I doubt he knows his own strength, the chances for an accident were very high. In the future, do not treat yourself as such an expendable member of the group, you are valuable and should act accordingly. Understand?" she said, glaring down at Tessa.

[Snike]

Dani

"You're welcome," she said. "By the way, if you need someone to practice with, I can drag my brother in. He'd be the perfect sparring partner. Not too fast, but fast enough to dodge you if you try to show off."

Eric

"It is not so much that she has favored me, as she has slackened her assault," Eric commented, looking at the flowers Charlotte was holding on to. "... Flowers, for the tomb of the boy's mother? Milady, how thought. However, perhaps we can go gather a few more, to replace the ones withered?"

[Dark Sage]

"Thanks Dani. I'd be happy to spar with your brother, though now wouldn't be the time."

[-Cynthia-]

"I would like that." answered Charlotte. "I knew you would understand Sir Eric, how important it is to honor the dead. No child's parent should go unburied." She gave him a sad smile and took his arm.

[Balcerzak]

"I see," Tessa had said regarding Damian's condition. The last bit sounded a little worrisome, but before she could really contemplate it further, or assess whether it was something she needed to try out her new Restore staff on, Morgan had proceeded with the lecture. The contents were not entirely... unexpected.

Trying to compose the best response, she opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she hit on the thread she felt the best to follow.

"Sis. I know back at TISME, you told me I needed to pay more attention to, to care more for myself. I was the only healer, you said, without me, the rest of you couldn't manage." Making a bit of a bitter face here, she continued, "But that was then. And now? Now I'm just one of three. I don't have a Crimson Weapon. Expendable... is a terrible word, but I've always got the impression of at least... non-essential..."

Unsure really how to proceed any further along that line of thought without paining herself too deeply, Tessa switched back to the actual offense this time, rather than her underlying misgivings. "You're quite right though. I didn't fully think things through. I underestimated just what things might have resulted from a child's mentality, or that he might not properly gauge his strength. But... at the time, I just felt I couldn't stand by and do nothing. If I have a chance to be useful, to accomplish something great... even if there's a risk, I can't but take it."

She'd managed so far with a fair bit of strength in her voice, but with a bit of a quaver, she concluded, "I am sorry to having disappointed you once again, though. I keep trying to do better, but then..."

[-Cynthia-]

"As our group size increases, so does the number of staff users we need." Morgan said. "Look at how Charlotte was doing earlier, a few heals brought her to exhaustion. If she were all we had, she would heal people until she fell unconscious and several of us would likely die from the ensuing blood loss."

"Following your own convictions is commendable, but you should not do so foolishly" Morgan chastised. "Just...try to do better next time." Morgan gave Tessa a stiff pat on the shoulder in a lame attempt at reassurance.

[Snike]

Eric

"'Tis a tragedy, when they do not get buried," Eric noted, uneasy as the princess took his arm. Leading her away from the group, the two began look for flowers.

Dani

"Yeah, it can wait," she said, taking out her Elthunder tome. Stepping away from the brigand, she began to walk through the graveyard, just in case the skeletons might come back to life.

[Dark Sage]

"Hold on Dani. I'll be right with you." He went back to where Helios lay and took out his last vulnerary. He applied it to the wounds. Helios breathed a bit easier and woke up.

OOC: Yeah, I'm assuming that all that knocked Helios out. If he's already healed, substitute for another character and I'll edit accordingly.

[Ether]

Aiya coughed rather violently,as the healing light woke her up.

"Nngh..." Her body still hurt like hell,but she managed to sit up.

The healers were running around everywhere.It seems the battle had not ended very well,although everyone seemed to be alive...

A vivid image.

A burst of magic,slamming into his chest,flying backward,near her...a trickle of blood signifying the internal injuries,eyes blank.

"Damian?"

He wasn't where he was before.his body had fallen near her,but she couldn't see him now.

"Damian!"

She spotted his body,a good deal away from where it had fallen.Morgan was standing over him,and Aiya rushed over the best her body could.

Every step was painful,like an axe smashing into her thigh with every footfall.

She eventually reached him.He was a wreck.His skin was pale,and his eyes were glazed over,almost lifeless,he looked like he had recently died.

'He's still breathing,but what the hell happened?!'

"What happened here?!Morgan,what happened?" she was panicked,scared.he had never looked like that before,he wasn't moving at all aside from the slight rise and fall of his chest.

[Dark Sage]

Alf glanced in Damian's direction. He was a wreck, all beaten up and pale. Everyone was just standing there, not moving a muscle except Aiya.

"Hey guys, why aren't you healing him?" he asked, getting back on the horse.