An Abrupt Arrival

[Anonymous]

Mecro tilted his head looking back to the horses forgot about the scare she  caused them. Glancing back over to Gold great another surpise he didn't like to many people around him it made things complicated, but it move prove interesting. He really didn't want to take off the collar, that brief glint predatory look in her eye she would be easier to control. "Hey, stranger thanks for telling me something I've already know. That's the point of planning. He's right this town didn't capture mages with soldiers and arrows. They have to have something to suppress magic and from what've seen your magical, love."

Mecro said his voice laced with arrogance looked up to the roof of the stable. "I think the best chance would be to fly, but don't think your leaving me here. There'll probably have archers, but if get some altitude you can avoid there shots. Best time would be to go at night. So, were heading for the catacombs of this city it's a sanctuary for magic-users in this city. I know a way there an abandoned building used to be some church a sercet passage into the tunnels lies in there. Several blocks East we can hide there till dark it's hard to miss it'll be boarded up and it's quite huge."

He glanced back to Gold. "You know two's company three's a crowd. Why do you even care? Wait,  I've seen you in the crowd and your voice sounds familiar. You was talking to the person outside the door. I've been here quite some time and my magic hasn't went screwy yet. So, the person after us can dispell and that means your a mage. I'm no dumb cookie you shouldn't jump to conclusions stranger. "  Mecro said taking a step foward to Ziel his hand on the leather-strap as tore the collar off he didn't throw it away, but simply put it into his cloak a smile on his lips. "Don't worry it's for reasearch. You could try to fight, but without magic they'll get the numbers gain. I say we spilt up to avoid capture, then head for the church. Once I get there I'll lead you to the passage."

Taking a couple steps back the plan did revolve around him making it there for the passage would be near-impossible to find without the premicious necromancer. "So, Ziel fly up I'll go on foot. If you get there, before me go in the back way it's less suspicious then a smashed door in a abandoned building." Mecro said moving over to a  horse in it's stall glancing back at Gold. "You know this would be a good time to run."

[Rhindeer]

Beatrid hadn't bothered to put Red back on his leash. She didn't want to waste the extra few seconds that would take and, besides, the dog was well trained. He wouldn't run away, he would just lead her straight to wherever it was that demon had taken off to. Unfortunately, this decision not to take those few extra seconds and put the dog back on its damned leash would end up biting her in the ass soon enough. Thank God not literally, because figuratively was bad enough.

Running hard as the doberman bounded ahead of her, dodging easily around the seemingly stunned citizens, she just about died when she heard that idiot behind her start screaming fire not five seconds after she'd made it out the door. No! That's not what she meant! She had meant for him to start that up after she was well out of the way! Of course, she hadn't said that and of course that would have probably been asking a bit much, but any human with a brain knew you didn't scream "fire!" in the middle of a crowd!

And, much to her horror and frustration, it had the expected result.

The once glassy-eyed crowd began to panic, people started to run every which way, and Beatrid soon found herself cursing like a sailor as she began to just shoulder her way roughly past people, shouting above the crowd here and there for people to get the hell out of her way. Not that it did much good. In the darkness with everyone just running around like decapitated chickens, no one was paying attention to her uniform. She was just another citizen, and her voice hardly carried above all the horrified chatter. Fuck!

Fortunately, what did get people's attention was the hundred-pound doberman that was with her, and a lot of people did move aside for that, which cleared a temporary path for Beatrid. Shoving her way through the crowd, knowing she was losing precious seconds dealing with this fiasco, she was glad when she could finally, finally dodge around a few remaining people as the crowd thinned out at the edges before breaking free completely and falling into a hard run to keep up with the dog that had bolted ahead of her, keen on its magical target, and dashed around the the inn.

It had stopped raining by now and the moon had even peeked out from behind some clouds, and in the moonlight, away from the crowd now, her keen, trained eyes could spot the footprints, thick blood splotches here and there. Good that it had stopped raining, otherwise they might have been washed away. Good...but the demon was obviously fast, wounded or not. Still, no doubt it would be tired by the time it reached--

"Shit!" Red had abruptly bolted off away from the inn and off that trail, taking off in an alternate direction, and Beatrid started to race after him, deciding the demon must have decided against its earlier course...but luckily for her, she was wise enough to glance down to the footprints. And...these ones looked oddly the same. There was a blood trail there, too...wait, two alternate trails? But...how? The trails made no sense since the other one continued on toward the barn while that one broke off there...at least, it didn't make sense if there was just one demon. There was no way only one very injured demon could make those kinds of tracks in so little time and get it to make sense in the least.

...Oh great. What if this demon had friends?

Beatrid skidded to a stop as Red vanished into the darkness, biting her lip, for a second indecisive, not knowing whether she should go after him, shout a command to get him to stop, or just let him go, but she decided then that she couldn't go after him. If there were possibly two demons...well, Red was on that one, and there was nothing she could do about it now--she'd wasted too much time in her moment of indecision. She had to investigate the other set of tracks. Fuck! She should have put the damned dog back on its leash! No matter...no time to think about that now!

Turning, her pistol still at the ready, she took off and went back to following the original tracks, heading toward the barn--and she came to an abrupt stop and pressed her back against the stable wall when she heard voices coming from within. A lot of voices. She tilted her head so she could put her ear against the wall and try and make sense of the words, and then she slowly crept along it, boots silent in a practiced way, making her way toward the entrance. Fuck...how many people were involved? Oh well. If they were demons, their powers would be useless, so she had no fears about that. All she had to worry about was how well they could fight without their powers. Augh...hopefully someone had had the brains to call for more backup.

And hope that no civilians were involved. That was always the crappy part of her job.

Taking a deep breath, Beatrid cocked her pistol and decided not to bother wasting anymore time than she already had--they would have probably heard that, anyway, but she made sure to act before that bit of knowledge would to them much good.

"If I were you, I'd stay right where you are," she said calmly but firmly, moving abruptly into the little group's line of sight, pistol at the ready--though her blue eyes widened a little at the sight that met her. There were three people there. She quickly recognized the demon by her wings, she didn't recognize the other man, and...

And she certainly recognized the red-haired guy.

Lucky for him, she hadn't arrived when he'd been encouraging the group to run.

Her eyes flashed over to the red-head briefly, her gun aimed somewhere between the demon and the other stranger--she didn't know who he was, but he looked pretty damned cozy, standing near that demon and all. "You dumbshit, didn't I tell you not to get involved? Whatever, you're gonna make yourself useful, now, so stay put." It wasn't a request, it was a demand. She needed backup, and if he wanted to be so nosy, he was going to help. "And you two...don't move, or I will put holes in you. Do what I say, and I won't hurt you, and right now you're gonna put your hands up and move up against that wall behind you."

[Ah! Hope this makes sense. I rushed and am tired. Don't forget about meee! ^_~ And Gold, I made a big assumption in my post--that your guy's appearance would change back when she got close and everything. Hope that was okay, and if not, I'll edit!]

[Anonymous]

(OOC:  Umm, sorry to pop this up, but the stableboy was healed and has left at this point.  He's not there anymore.  Sorry.  :?  )

As Mecro removed the collar a glint shone in Ziel's eyes.  It was something not alltogether pleasant.  Again she stretched, but as she did so the shadows in the stable seemed to bend and flex with her.

Suddenly she seemed to go very still, the muscles in her face twitching slightly as she listened.  She heard footsteps coming up fast and the smell of wet dog clung to her nose.

Ziel spun again, this time to face the woman that appeared at the opposite end of the barn from the red headed man.  Claws out and on her guard she'd never seen such an aggressive woman before and wasn't exactly sure what to do with her.  The device that the woman pointed at her was also unfamiliar and it's odd shape almost tickled Ziel's curiosity.  Obviously, however, the woman that had just appeared meant to use it as some kind of weapon and that was the only thing that prevented Ziel from inquiring about it.

The dog, as loud and aggressive as it was took one look at Ziel and skidded to a muddy halt with a yelp.  He wouldn't go within twenty feet of her, ears flat against his head, tail between his legs he alternated between whimpering at her and growling at the other two men.  She was slightly surprised that it hadn't simply looked at her and run away instantly.

Ziel look at the dog sadly.  It wasn't that she didn't like animals, they were terrified of her.  The horses in the stable, those that had not already broken free from their stalls, were mad with fear.  An elderly mare had just had too much and her heart had given out.  She lay lifeless in her stall, her death-smell adding to the fear of the other trapped beasts.

Turning her attention back to the woman, Ziel frowned slightly, more confused than anything else.  She was tired and hungry and all she really wanted was a place to curl up and sleep.  She stood, motionless, the wind rustling her feathers.

"What do YOU want?  Why is everyone chasing me?  Are slaves so highly prized here or did my former master send word throughout the lands to capture me?"  There was a mixture of anger and fear in her voice.  She seemed to pay no attention to what the woman was saying, in fact, didn't even seem to understand the threats behind the woman's words.

[Goldie]

OOC: Not a big assumption at all! his apearance would change back just like before ^_^  hahaha.  Now another question....Mordecai dispell magic...so......would that make Ziel's wings disappear or something?  lol....it was just a thought.  I always pictured it like X-Men, where EVERYTHING magical was "healed"  but yeah....just a question, because that could certainly change a lot if Ziel's wings suddenly disappear!  O_o

Also, vchronicles, my guys name isn't Gold ^_~  I've purposefully left his name out of all of my posts!  bwahahahaha!

IC:

The reaction from the one man was enough to make anyone's blood boil.  But hell, if he thought he didn't need a warning, who was he to argue?  He obviously had taken a pompous pill earlier on and decided he could do anything the hell he wanted!  Jeez!  This was why he decided to stick by himself all of these years.  It seemed like whenever he tried to be nice, some jack ass decided he could face the world on his own!

Fine!  If they didn't want help, then he sure as hell wouldn't complain!  It would save him the trouble of running from the Connlaothian guards that's for sure!

Time to focus on himself.

"Well Mr. 'I know everything' when you can't do shit because your powers are sucked out of you, then tell me--" he stopped short, the same tingling feeling returning to his body as his appearance once again changed back to natural.  The cropped brown hair grew into the red gold, eyes from brown to grey, and he grew about an inch.

"Fuck..." At least it was a nice warning, whenever he started to change back, it sure as hell meant that the soldier woman would come prancing around the inn, catching them in the middle of their little souree.  "Feel it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, "But you can take care of it yourself.  That's right."  he was through with these people.  If they didn't want help escaping, he sure as hell wasn't going to give it to them.  He knew when he wasn't needed.  "Sorry to put my neck on the line for you." he managed to mutter bitterly before turning around the greet the woman, angrily standing before them with one of those Connlaothian weapons in her hand.

Oh...well obviously she wanted his help.  Fine, switch sides, who cares?  At least he'd survive to fight another day...hell what was he thinking?  At least he'd survive!  To hell with these two!

He decided not to say anything, and merely stood where he was.  She had been making an order, not a request that he stay put and he wasn't about to defy her.  After all, she had the weapon, which could just as easily change targets with a flick of her wrist.  Self preservation, a natural instinct.  Hopefully he had given the other two warning enough not to underestimate the strange things that happened to their magic around this woman....or....hell, he didn't know if it happened around all militia in Connlaoth, or maybe she was carrying some little trinket that worked against them...a natural element that negated magic's effects.

Ha!  Lucky enough for him he could only change his appearance, so all of his fighting skills were retained to their full potential, he just lacked his ability to mask his appearance and run.  All in all, he was pretty set for anything that was going to happen right here and now.  It sounded as if that winged girl needed magic in order to fight, so she would be pretty useless against people who trained without the aids of magic to improve their overall skill.  It made him feel superior to the people who had clearly no appreciated his help, and the man who was clearly so intelligent that he decided to stop to PLAN while the military was chasing after him!  Gods!  He was an imbicile!  Run.  That's all the plan needed to be.  Once you're out of the city, then stop to figure out what you're going to do.  But no, he had to have a plan which clearly included getting his ass kicked.

Dumb shit.....that's what that was: dumb. shit.

Keeping his eyes locked on the two creatures he was suppose to be fighting, he reached into his belt and pulled out a short sword and a dagger.  He didn't have anything fancy like Miss Guard over there, but he was well versed in their uses and could use them with deadly results.  A little more messy, but just as effective.

Looks like Smarty's planning had managed to make this fight two against two, rather than three against one.  Oh well, his loss.

[Anonymous]

(( OOC: Well, Gold is easier to type, then stranger but alright. ))

He held up his hands as Mecro started to move back turns the occupied stall. He was starting to feel drain his threads wouldn't move when he commanded them to. A look to the girl who was blocking his powers, then back to the stranger who seemed to change in looks and paths. Mecro wasn't some pitty mage who relied on magic all the time. He was much craftier, then that and if he didn't have to deal with all these interrupations he would of been gone by now. Why did he get so involved in this sitaution? Oh yeah, that's right she's so intriguing such a shame this had to end.

That's what he gets for being so attached looking to the man who was leaving, then to the lady with the small device figuring it was dangerous . "That;s a big poochie. You know that man is a shape-shifter. I think that's illegal here. So, I wouldn't let him help you other-wise wouldn't you be liable to the same crimes we are?" He gave a bit of a grin glancing to Ziel time to cut his losses she wasn't worth being captured over anymore. " Not to mention don't you think it's strange he's been everywhere the demon has been? I think that qualifies him as a accomplice. You just let him pull a weapon out to your not doing your job very well. "

Hopefully, this one would be smart enough to figure out at the very least the stranger she talked to earlier was atleast suspicious and after that speech he certainly seemed so. Surveying the sitaution once more it didn't look good yet he didn't know what Ziel could do without her abilites she was a handful injured, but now healed and unbound she could be a problem in a fight. Not that he had any intention to fight more like he wanted a distraction for his own escape. So,  he could avoid being injured to much, food was sacred in the stable and it was unlikely he'll be able to get a bite out of either of them.

The dog didn't bother him if he bite him and drawn blood it would succumb to sickness it was more of a biologic oddity, then magic. Another glance to Ziel with a sigh as he said, "It's simple she's here to kill or capture you so they can kill you later. Told you that you picked a bad place to land. So, this would be a good time to rush her or prevent her from doing so.."

A quick glance behind at the horse tangled in it's reins behind him, then back to the scene infront of them. Hopefully, something would happen to give him a opportuntiy. Just a brief second of somebody letting there guards down or possibly a attack would be sufficent enough. They had to do something this lonely soldier had probably sent for back-up, then it would be to late for a escape.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Due to a mix-up I've had to edit this post a little.  Sorry about the confusion! :wink: )

Ziel's face had gone from angry and suspicious to confused and terrified.  One moment the collar was off her and she could feel the shadows again the next they all seemed to drain away.  Even her wings unfolded despite her best attempts to prevent it.  Each wing, a full ten feel long, trailed out behind her and drooped onto the ground.  She was ungainly like this.  Running wasn't an option and the confines of the stable were far too restricting for her to be able to manage a take-off, even if she wasn't too far away from the hole she'd made in the ceiling several hours earlier.

At least the dog stayed away.  She had the scent of an apex predator, most animals hated being anywhere near her.  This dog, despite it's training, was no different.  To him, her scent said "bigger and meaner than you by a LOT".  It was that training that kept it from running away outright.

Ziel looked from the red-haired man to Mecros to the woman with the strange weapon.  "Look, I don't know anything about the laws here.  I don't even know where HERE is.  I was just trying to get away from..."

Her voice faltered.  She didn't want to say his name.  She didn't want to think about him at all but really, she had no other way to make the woman understand.  She tried to take a step backward and tripped over her own wings, falling on the straw-covered ground.  Her head hung low and her silken black hair framed her face like a picture.  She pulled one of her wings forward to cover herself as best she could, having only torn bandages and rags with which to clothe herself.

"Please...  I'm no demon.  I was a slave... to a very cruel master.  An unwilling, captured slave.  I'd been caught in the mountains, far from here, about a year ago, I think.  I was sold to a malicious man who spent almost every day delighting in my torture.  He kept me very securely imprisoned, my escape was purely by chance, I assure you.  I was only trying to elude recapture when the storm came up.  I was caught in it and the wind carried me for miles.  It wasn't until I collided with a large bird in the air  that I ended up here.  I didn't even know there was a town here and if I had known your laws I would NEVER have come here.  I'm not looking to cause trouble or disturb your people, I'm just trying to find a way to get... to get to..."  

A though occurred to Ziel.  She didn't know where she was going.  Her only thought had been AWAY FROM HIM!  

She fought down the growl that was rising with only moderate success but panic was rising and she had no way to run.  Fighting wasn't really an option either, not with her wings like this.  She'd never felt so pathetic and as she looked back up at the woman she knew that's exactly how she looked; half-naked, starved and unable to move.

Ziel was totally at the mercy of the three people around her.

[Rhindeer]

Oh good, Red-Head over there didn't raise a complaint and, in fact, he even drew a dagger and a short sword. Good boy. Maybe that had been what this was about all along, he was nosy and wanted in on the action, probably one of those glory hounds that wanted to make a name for themselves. Well, then, he could have at it, because she was giving him his chance now whether he wanted it or not!

And then, quite to her surprise, Red came skidding into the barn, but she didn't dare take her eyes off her targets, not even as he skidded to an abrupt stop. Well, her guess had been right then! There had been two of them, and they had gone separate routes to get to the same place? That didn't make much sense, but since Red ended up back here, that had to be the explanation. These creatures failed at deterring detection, that was for sure.

That Red was intimidated by the demon was obvious...but all the animals in the barn seemed afraid, and Red had at least been trained not to run at the first sign of danger, but to stick it out. Still, with the power that demon had to be giving off to scare a dog that had faced many mages before fearlessly, Beatrid wasn't so sure he'd attack if given the command. No matter. She was used to relying on herself, after all. Even when she was placed on teams to accomplish a set goal, she usually ended up being the leader because she always seemed to get stuck with the incompetant ones. Or so she thought, but perhaps her opinion didn't count so much; she did have a bit of a...complex.

Still staring calmly over at the winged thing, Beatrid had been about to open her mouth and respond--and not kindly, because she honestly didn't care; she was doing her job, and if that creature didn't cooperate, she would shoot--but that was when her accomplice spoke up.

And mentioned that the other man, the red-head, was a shape-shifter.

"What?!" Her sharp gaze locked onto him, and suddenly she had the overwhelming urge to groan and slap her forehead. They were all mages? And apparently not very loyal to each other, either, on second thought. The shape-shifter had been about ready to help her! Or...had he? No, he must have, otherwise the other guy wouldn't have suddenly turned against him, and the shape-shifter had probably been about to help her to save his own skin and who cared about the other mages.

"Damn! You mages seriously are fucked up," she snapped, and that pistol was suddenly on the shape-shifter. "Backstabbing even your own kind. Lovely. But I guess it makes it easier for me. You, over with them. Now. Drop your weapons while you're at it, and no funny moves or you're dead." Shit! She really did need back-up! How the fuck was she supposed to take them all into custody on her own? Ergh! They still had physical strength and numbers to their advantage, and she was only one person with one pistol and a dog that was currently being a good for nothing wuss!

But then that gun was suddenly aimed on Mecro as he spoke. Rush her? Aw fuck.

"That's a very stupid idea. I have good aim, so I don't advise that," she warned levelly, even though her palms were starting to grow a bit damp. This...was not good. She really had bitten off far more than she could chew for once. Good thing the demon at least was weak, even tripping over her own wings. This was good...that was a relief...

And then the demon decided to add her two cents worth and tell some sob story or another. Oh God. How many times had she heard this? When all else failed, the mages started begging. That was always how it was. In the beginning, she had been soft; she could admit it now, when she'd been younger and the first mage that looked like she could be her grandmother broke down and started pleading, she almost hadn't been able to do her job. It took everyone else on her team to hold her together--she couldn't do it. She was convinced she couldn't do it.

But her heart had hardened since then, and it was hardened to this demon now. They all told these sorts of sad, soppy stories when they were cornered, but leave them alone and they'd blow up half your city. There were parts of Reajh that were still being rebuilt from that last major attack almost a year ago.

"I'm sorry, do I look like I give a shit?" she asked when the demon was done, still cold and calm as before. "Now, I'm gonna say it one more time. Turn around, face the wall, and put your hands where I can see them, above your head and flat to the wall. All of you--except you!" She was looking at the shape-shifter now. "You're still going to help me, or I'm going to shoot you, you understand? You're going to help me bind them both, and then I'm going to bind you. Are we clear on this? I think we are. Now move. I'm not fucking around here."

[Anonymous]

Ah, what a wonderful night. It had even stopped raining...finally. Seren muttered irritably to himself as he took off his cloak to shake it out. His slightly damp wings were folded about him to they would be hidden. Over the past few weeks he had gotten very tired of hearing 'Ah! A monster! Send for the army before his unholy magic kills us all!' or something to that effect everytime his wings peaked out. Magic. Ha! He didn't have a drop of magic in him. These people were just too panicky is what his problem was, but to be on the safe side, he had hidden his wings so things wouldn't get messy, and it wasn't too comfortable either. Not one bit. He continued to mutter to himself as he shrugged on his cloak and crested the next hill and saw Reajh below him.

Once he was in the city, he began to grow a little nervous, but it was natural after the past few weeks of people screaming in terror when they got a glimpse of his wings. He looked remarkably normal, considering. He was of average height, maybe five foot ten inches, with a slightly muscular bulid. He had green eyes and dark brown hair, which looked black unless the sun shone on it. He had a long sword in a plain sheath attached to a non-descript sword belt. He wore somewhat loose pants and a pale green shirt, both of which were barely seen since his black cloak was tied closed to show as little as possible. The reason behind this was, of course, to hide his wings. All in all, nobody really noticed him.

This place was just starting to seem ok when people started screaming. Oh God. Not again. He thought. Fortunately, it wasn't about him this time, and he realized that as people began to clear out of the path of a large...something. He couldn't quite name it, but it had a fairly large chuck taken out of it's side. He also noticed it was running straight at him. His eyes widened slightly as that last thought struck him. Oh shit. He jumped out of the way right as the monster ran single-mindedly through the spot he had been in just a few seconds ago. The monster continued to right in a straight path, right through a front door to be greeted by the startled shrieks and yells of the homeowners, but Seren's attention was elsewhere. Obviously the creature had to come from somewhere, and the trail of blood leading away from the beast would probably be a good start in finding out where.

It took about twenty minutes of following the trail. Apparently, the thing hadn't bothered to change it's course one inch, often times crossing streets, going down alleyways, and sometimes even making a new door for a few houses. A sound made his head come up. In a nearby barn, he could see the backside of a woman who seemed to be in the process of pointing something at something else inside the barn. He could faintly hear what she was saying.

"You're still going to help me, or I'm going to shoot you, you understand? You're going to help me bind them both, and then I'm going to bind you. Are we clear on this? I think we are. Now move. I'm not fucking around here."

Upon hearing that, Seren's first thought was a robber, although why there would be only one he just couldn't grasp. Whatever she was holding must be fairly deadly for her to risk it. He would have ran, but the way he had his cloak prevented that, so he moved as quick as he could on silent feet to get behind her. When he was about a yard behind her he drew his sword and put the tip of it to the back of her neck. "I don't think it would be very wise to make any sudden movements."

[Goldie]

Xyinthe stood calmly, his short sword and dagger held tightly in his grasp as he ran the motions through his head.  As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to turn on the guard, she seemed to know a bit more about what was going on than the magic duo over there.  Not to mention she didn't seem like an ass hole.  She was just doing her job.  Hell, he couldn't really hold it against her, it was how she was raised!  Magic is bad!  Death to magic!

But then...did he really want to fight the other two?  After all, they all had magic in this world where magic was a crime....he should probably back them up...

That was before his jaw dropped in astonishment.

"THE HELL!?" he cried, staring at the other guy in complete and utter disbelief.  He had actually ratted on him?  The guy who had tried to save them and he in his ultimate wisdom had said they didn't need help?  FUCK!  How was he suppose to do anything now?  He couldn't help the soldier chick anymore, and like hell he was going to help that bastard!  What did he think he was doing?  Besides being an idiot!  After all, Xyinthe hadn't really bee set on helping in their capture, he was debating!  But now it seemed as if there wasn't any debate at all....he was backed into a corner.  That was a low blow....low....way below the belt.

Well shit.  What in the god's names was he suppose to do now?  He could lie...that was always an option...but...then, he wouldn't really be lying would he?  After all, her certainly wasn't a shapeshifter!  He had never in his life changed into a different type of animal, all he did was change his appearance!  Put on guises that kept him hidden from the world!  Hell, anything could do the same thing with a little hair dye and a hair cut!

"A shapeshifter?" he scoffed, spitting in the mud before the other man's feet, "Last time I checked I've always been human, I've always looked human, and I've never been anything else!  Why the hell would I want to be associated with the likes of you?!"  It was completely true to.  That other guy had picked the wrong guy to cross.  What, did he think that giving names would save him?  This wasn't the fucking inquisition!

Dropping his weapons, he turned towards the soldier and swallowed as he saw the weapon pointed in his direction.  Shit...so it seemed as if she definitely believed them!  And the next set of instructions made it clear that she meant every word.  He was royally screwed.  It seemed as if it was easy to be marked magical than it was to declare innocence, falseified or truth!

"Don't listen to him!  He's a lowlife that'll do anything to save his own skin.  The only change in my appearance was the soot from the fire, that he started, washing away in the rain.  GODS!" He turned back to the other guy, "It's not my fault I got caught up in your poor attempt of an escape route!  Maybe you should worry about the people that fire managed to injure or kill!  But that's right, you're a bastard.  You don't care about anything other than yourself." he spat, his blood racing with fear and anger.  Fear of being caught in his lie, and anger at that poor excuse of a man.  He really felt sorry for the winged girl....he wouldn't want to escape slavery only to befriend the biggest ass in the entire kingdom.

He listened to her orders, mouth set in a grim line, "Fine." he told the soldier, keeping his actions stiff and angry in order to keep up the facade that he was wrongly accused of being magical, "I get it.  Tie them up or get shot, then get tied up myself.  Gods this place is fucked up.  A man who only wants to help ends up being accused.  Fine system.  I'm sure you receive lots of help."  He walked over to the other, sorely missing his weapons which now rested in the mud, "What the hell do you want me to use?" he asked curtly, turning back to the woman, arms folded with impatience.

That's when he noticed the person walking up behind the woman.  He raised his hand and pointed behind her, but before he could voice a warning, the sword was pointed to the back of her head and his threat was made known.

Great....another surprise.....

[Anonymous]

In retro-spectre of Mecro's words it was actually sort of brilliant he turned on the stranger. If there was any notes of betrayal of lying his way out of this and sending Mecro up the creek without a paddle wanted him to be in the same boat. His hands still somewhat in the air a sly smile came across his lips as he was called a bastard. The escape route might look a bit more appealing he looked to stable door, which lead into the tavern.  Mecro said so eeriely calm, "I've been called worst. Besides, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.  I mean a tavern is on fire right adjacent to the stable and you run into here of all places? Not to mention I can't trust you while your being pals with a woman who stops magic and obviously a hunter. Now, your lying about why you're here and what you are." He glanced back to the woman with the gun. "You'll have to be blind and deaf to see he's not telling the truth.  Maybe, she'll shot you in the back after you tie us up? Or maybe she'll hang a two-faced goat like yourself."

A innocent expression on his face as he looked to the stranger it was very smug. He didn't know who this man was nor did he care, but he was starting to become amusing. There emerged a curious smirk as his thoughts began to wonder. If he's amusing on the outside what did he taste like? There has been a few new recepits he had been killing to try that called for chicken. What if he tasted like a rat though? Disappointment briefly seen, before he went back to the innocent look.

He watched as he was told to tie them up he stepped back against the occupied stall. No not yet the timing was wrong a tilt of his head as he looked to  the woman with the gun once again. Noticing the dog acting a little strange and she was defiantely lost some of her spunk during the discovery of the stranger magic or otherwise, "Tell me. How fast are you with that thing? I mean your dog is a bit scared of Ziel. You can't very well get us all even if you're skilled were not going to stand still you know? You probably already knew that. I see a bit of uncertainy in your beautiful eyes." Mecro said with a bit of a chuckle. " Kind of percuilar sitaution isn't it?"

A vicious serpent when it came to words striking exploiting the vulnerable spots where every he saw them. There was a glint in his eyes as he watched a new arrival to this tense scenario the gleam of the blade held in his gaze while the tip landed on the woman's neck. Delighted this was a opportune moment to get out of here,  "Finally, a good sarmatarin for once. Excuse me kind sir/madam? If your magical she blocks out your powers and she's armed tell her to drop her weapon. That'll be greatly appreciated! She's holding us hostage.  Whatever you do hurry up with it she has friends on the way." He said loud enough for the person behind to hear his voice sincere a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "What a eventful day."

[Anonymous]

Ziel was... almost surprised at the woman's reply.  She spat at the ground ruefully.

"Humans.  You're all the same."  The growl in the throat came out with her words making her voice even lower than normal and sounding just a little... evil?

She tried to rise, tried to do as the woman with the strange weapon demanded, even as the red-headed man was discovered and forced to try to tie Ziel and Mecros up, but she tripped over her wings again as skidded across the floor.  Her right knee and both her elbows were scraped up fairly badly and she had to suck in cold air through her teeth to keep from crying out.  She refused to give the woman the satisfaction that anything she was doing was leading Ziel to pain.

Get up.  Just get up and walk over to the wall.  Get up.  GET UP! It rang as a mantra in her head as she meticulously sorted herself out.  First her wings.  Carefully she swung them behind herself, nearly exposing herself in the process and a part of her 'shirt' nearly slid off her shoulders.  She paused, adjusted her clothing, and tried again.  Once her wings were out of the way she stood, flexed her back enough to pull her wings fully off the ground, and walked over to the wall.  She didn't care about being tied up.  She could cut through rope as easily as butter and she was strong enough to break most chain.

Mecros' words made her pause just as a new smell hit her nose.  A man was approaching.  Definately not human and that made her pause.  He smelled of sweet air and rain, damp clothing, but not unclean.  She turned her head to look at the latest newcomer to their little vigniette and saw his weapon at the back of the woman's neck.

Ziel's eyes flashed.  A growl rose up in her throat and, quick as lightening she jumped, twitching her wings ever so slightly to give her some extra height, she grabbed onto the wall, near the ceiling, with her claws and then used the wall to launch herself at the woman.

"I WON'T GO BACK!"  She roared, a most inhuman sound, full of desperation, fear and rage.  She didn't care if she died any more.  Death was better than going back to HIM.  This new stranger had given her a moment to try to get away and she was going to take it, to hell with the consiquences.

[Rhindeer]

It was kind of amusing in a very sad, sad way to see her targets bickering amongst themselves. Well, amusing in a very tiring sort of way. Sigh. All Beatrid wanted was for them all to just shut up, turn around, and let her take them in. That was all! Was that really so much to ask? Er, okay, so it was a lot to ask, but dammit, at this point she would have been content to just shoot them all just to get them to shut up!

Fortunately, for all the shape-shifter's complaining and tantrum throwing, he dropped his weapons obediently, though he apparently still wasn't done. Beatrid gave a low, agitated sigh, finger twitching longingly on the trigger, and she was about to order him and everyone else to just shut the hell up when through all that ranting he actually said something that caught her ear, something of note.

The only change in my appearance was the soot from the fire, that he started, washing away in the rain.

Beatrid gave a small start, her stern, angry features softening for a second. Wait. That was right There had been a lot of ash and smoke billowing out of that room when she'd kicked in the door, and a lot of it had gotten onto her. He'd been right there, too. And...she had never seen him look any differently than he did now. She'd seen no proof of him being a shape-shifter, she'd only really seen proof of a typical glory hound that was way too nosy for his own good and had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ugh...if there was one thing true about Beatrid, it was that she wasn't completely cold and callous. She was hard and tough and she could be cruel, certainly, but she was also human; she had her soft spots, a few dents in the metaphorical armor. And one of those was the fact that she did want to do the right thing--and doing the right thing did not involve wrongly accusing people who were actually innocent of a very serious crime. After all, the exact same thing had happened to her when she'd been younger; she'd actually been accused of and arrested for magecraft ten years ago when she'd been only fifteen, and the experience had been frightening. It was all a misunderstanding and it had been how her ability as a Mordecai had been discovered, but the memory still stuck with her.

His story made sense.

Beatrid rolled her eyes skyward briefly, drawing a deep breath, and then looked back to the fuming non-shape-shifter. "Ugh...no, never mind. It won't be necessary to tie you up anymore, but you'll still be helping me tie them up. And you'll be helping me 'escort' them back to the palace," she told him calmly, though on the inside she was a mass of nerves, and even if she didn't put it clearly into words she <I>was apologetic for that mix up. "You're off the hook, otherwise." This whole situation was really starting to wear on her, but she hadn't gone through all that military training for nothing, and she'd been in far more stressful situations than this. She knew how to keep her cool.

Shaking her head at his last question, she gave yet another sigh. "This is a stable, which means there should be plenty of rope. Just...look around. I'd look but I'm kinda occupied." Somehow she managed to keep her words polite, even if her voice was strained with the effort it took not to direct some choice profanities at him. And that was only because she was sorry! But seriously! It was pretty damned obvious! Geniuses, all of them...

At least the winged girl was listening, moving over to that wall even if she didn't seem too thrilled about it.

"And you!" she said, motioning with her gun to Mecro, features hardening again and blue eyes narrowed. "Shut the fuck up already or I'll shut you up myself. If you don't understand how fast a bullet travels, I'd be way more than happy to show you. Way faster than you can bat your beady little eyes, I can assure you. Now get the fuck over to that wall or you'll--"

Whatever fun threat she had been about to make was cut off short. She hadn't seen the other man's warning, having been focused on Mecro, and she soon came to regret it when she felt the sharp tip of a sword on the back of her neck then. And heard a man's voice behind her.

Oh...fuck...

Don't tell her there were MORE mages! Gods fucking dammit, this was so not her day!

Beatrid smartly froze, holding perfectly still, hardly breathing, but she kept her gun pointed stubbornly on Mecro. She was certainly not the type to surrender, and she decided right then and there that if something went wrong and she got injured or killed, that mouthy bastard was going down with her! She could easily pull the trigger before she fell. The urge to pull the trigger increased greatly at what he said next, right before she could open her own mouth to make any demands of the stranger that was now holding her hostage...as she held the other mages hostage.

"WHAT?!" she burst out, genuinely offended. "Hostage?! What the fuck are you talking about?! Bloody hell! In case none</I> of you noticed, I'm wearing a goddamned uniform! A Connlaothian uniform!" Holy hell, that was a new one. She'd never before been accused of being some common criminal. That pissed her off. "You're fucking insane! And my friends would happen to be soldiers like me! Who would be investigating the fire that you set at the fucking damned inn!"

So much for calm. Now she was just flat out angry.

With a loud huff that was nearly a growl, she hazarded a slow glance over her shoulder, trying to see the man that was holding her up before looking back to the cornered mages. She was still standing motionless for the most part, keeping all her movements slow and controlled even while she fumed. "Those two are criminals. Do you understand? And if you don't lower your sword right this instant you can guarantee your ass will be--fuck!"

She had been about ready to name off the penalties for threatening a soldier, but that was when Ziel lunged at her. Without even thinking, completely forgetting the danger that was currently right behind her, Beatrid jerked, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

[Anonymous]

There was a clap of thunder far off in the distance followed by another loud bang, though the second sound was not the same as the first.  It was something more earthy, that strange loud sound that seemed to come from an overly crowded stable in the middle of a city.

Beatrid's aim was good, but bad timing and surprise had thrown it slightly.  Still, she'd hit Ziel, that much was certain from the spray of blood that cascaded out from behind her wings and covered Mecros as the bullet penetrated her flesh and exited out the other side.

Ziel hit Beatrid, knocking her to the ground and the gun out of her hand, sending it skittling across the wet cobblestones.  Ziel's momentum was too much for her to stop there and she ended up rolling off Beatrid again, stopping finally at the feet of the newcomer gentleman.

Several tense moments passed.  The only sound to be heard was the rain begining to pour down again.

Ziel was soaked through before she moved again.  She groaned, a wing twitched, blood was pouring out across her back, so much of it that it was uncertain where, exactly, it was coming from.  Gasping in air she managed to roll over and sit up, stifling a scream as she clasped at her shoulder.  Her right arm hung uselessly at her side, as did her right wing.  The bullet that struck her had shattered her collarbone and penetrated through the meat of her shoulder, exiting through her shoulderblade and almost severing her wing where it grew out of her back.

The stark contrast of black hair, white skin and blood looked almost as if someone had painted it.  Even injured, wet, and bloody no one could deny that she was extraordinarilly beautiful.

Carefully, she leaned back against the legs of the newcomer, not realizing that it was a person she'd landed next to.  She pressed her hand against the bloody wound, pinning her shoulder to the man's thigh to try to stop the bleeding.  Her mouth was moving, twitching slightly, saying the same barely audible words over and over again, "I won't go back, I won't go back, I won't go back..."

[Goldie]

eeep!  I'm so sorry it took so long for me to post!!!  The first week of college was hectic and tried to steal my soul!  Then I got sick on thursday and slept the entire weekend ^^;;  Don't hate me if my posting is a little sporadic!!  This semester is considered the hardest for music majors... >_<

ic:

His warning had come too late, and his mind raced as he weighed the situation completely.  On one hand, he could stay and help her capture these two...on the other, he could just run away and pretend as if he had never been anywhere near the fight, change his appearance and flee this goddess forsaken kingdom.  No amount of gold in the world would be enough to get him back once he had left....well....maybe if he was offered the world in gold, he would consider it....hell, he consider it if he found he could rob some poor nobleman of his heritage!

Ah, his mind was wondering again.  Back to the predicament at hand....How the hell did he end up in this situation in the first place?  Since when did he become so engrossed in something that he forgot the first lesson of staying alive?  What in the nine levels of hell possessed him to actually care about that winged girl over there?

Damn curiosity!!!!  After this he would never worry about anyone else besides himself!  That is, if he found some way to get out of this alive.  It wasn't as if he could just run now...well...he could....but something told him that the soldier would hunt him down if he suddenly decided to take off.  Not to mention it was incredibly cowardly to do...HA!  As if he cared about cowardance.  All that mattered was staying alive.  He, Xyinthe, Himself, and life.  That was it.  That's all he should be focusing on.  In fact, he should turn around and leave, go with his gut instinct to change his appearance again and leave Connlaoth never to return.  He had already made quite a fortune off of a few absent minded nobles.  Their pouches slapped against his thigh every time he moved as a reminder of the gold that he had earned in his struggles through this Gods forsaken town.  He had made his mark!  He should just go!  Right this instant!

.....

Then why the hell weren't his legs moving?

"aw, fuck." he muttered under his breath.  He couldn't shake his own curiosity, and this damned feeling of wanting to be helpful was a bit overwhelming.  He felt bad for the soldier woman.  After all, no one enjoyed a one-sided fight...

He jerked out of his revere when the winged creature exploded in a fury.  Before he realized what has happening, she shoved past him, her large wings knocking him to the ground as she dashed past.  With a grunt of surprise, Xyinthe slammed into the wet earth, the air escaping his lungs as his back slapped the ground.  Before he could catch his breath, the explosion of the gun echoed through the air causing the very blood in his veins to run cold.

With a shudder, he pushed himself onto his knees and looked towards the soldier and the winged girl, dreading what he might see.  Those weapons were deadly when fired correctly, and his worst fears were that that beautiful creature would lay crumpled at the soldier's feet, breathing her last, choked breath.

At first he couldn't see anything, before he realized that a small graze over his eyes was dripping blood into his eyes.  Whiping them with the back of his hand, he gazed out into the scene and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the girl sitting against the man's legs, obviously still alive.

But now he was once again faced with a choice.  His weapons were within reach and he grabbed them, quietly calculating his next move.

[Anonymous]

Well this sure was a fine predicament he had gotten himself into. Here he thought he was stopping a robbery, and then this lady reveals herself as part of the military. Perfect. The only reason he didn't dismiss her claim was because the instrument she held in her hand looked much too similar to the things the military had leveled against him, and he hadn't seen any regular people with them.

Perfect. Just perfect.

Seren moved his sword off her neck, and tried to explain he hadn't been in this country for very long, but she started talking to another person near one of the stalls. Well, maybe not talking to the guy. Yelling at him would be closer to what she was doing. She must have been angry enough to not feel his sword come off her neck, because she demanded he move it.

Seren would remember the next few moments as a blur, mostly because things happened so fast. The next thing he could remember was a  pressure against his legs. He looked down  and was shocked at what he saw. Whoever she was, she was definitly a lot like him. And she looked to be in a lot of pain. He couldn't tell the condition the soldier was in, but the person who was bleeding on him seemed to be a lot worse.

He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed her foward so he could kneel down to take a look at her wounds. He wouldn't claim to be any sort of doctor, but Seren had gotten injured enough to know some basic stuff. Her injuries where beyond anything the cloaked figure could do, of course, but he might have been able to think of something. She seemed to be saying something, but he couldn't make it out.

That's when Seren realized that there were noises comming from behind him. Fearing more soldiers, he took a look over his shoulder to see a small crowd gathering a little ways back. The gunshot must have been louder then he realized. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to explain the scene, and it wasn't easy. A soldier on the ground, him with an injured person and two guys in the barn. Then it hit him.
"Nothing to worry about folks." Seren said over his shoulder, shifting to obscure the injured lady's wings from the people. "Just a training exercise that got a little out of hand. Go back to your beds."
The crowd started to dissapate although some seemed to have thoughts on staying. This could be bad.

[Anonymous]

This was all very touching a slave fighting for her freedom mysterious strangers coming to her aid, but this whole thing has become a bumbled mess and it threatened his existence if he stayed about any longer. He saw the winged beauty make a charge the device ringed as it coiled back a projectile pireced his former patient she lay bleeding on the ground. A interesting instrument of death it worked like a crossbow except with small steal balls a whole lot faster, then one to. He couldn't make out where the round hit till it was to late. It seemed like a good plan at the time in any case this was his chance to escape. The distraction he needed to save his own self a fair trade in a way he did help her get this far. Hopefully, there would be no hard feelings.

Glancing back to the stranger who's curiousity got the best of him the betrayor. He seemed to be stuck between helping the solider and helping them. Merco's deception has made him seem like a enemy of this part of the world, but that's what he gets for switching sides so fast. Still debating the fate of him if he ran into him without this magic-sucking vixen of a soldier around. It would involve destruction of his being, but oh the possibities. A quick solution to the troublesome being would do for now, since he didn't like Mecro to much. Those nimble fingers reached into his cloak while everybody was distracted contemplating their next move a bad idea not to pay attention to the tricky malicious necromancer. There was a gleam of steel a scrapnel held in the plam of his hand as he swifted his arm back severing the distrubed horses reins.

The unruly beast would stampede into the wrongfully accused man of shape-shifting. It would stop roar it's hooves as it came across the bleeding mess that lay infront of the magic sucking soldier. Turn stamping it's hooves on the ground again with a frightened knee as it took off across the stable trying to find a exit to escape. There was the sound of the inn door closing shut with a slam and there was one less person in the stable. Mecro had vanished escaped through the interlinking stable door making his escape. His fun wasn't going to end here. It was much to soon for something like that to happen.

[Anonymous]

Gripped by terror and pain, Ziel fought off her animal instincts to either fight or flee.  It was difficult.  She was not human and that part of her had ruled for so long...  She was weak, though, even too weak to flee now that she'd been shot.  She flinched visibly when she realized that the man behind her wasn't actually a wall and growled when he leaned her forward to check her wounds.  At this point though, her bark really was worse than her bite.

Trying, unsuccessfully to wrestle out of the man's grasp she only succeeded in twisting painfully, falling back down to the ground on her side.  Her wings trailed out behind her in the mud and the rain that slicked down the black feathers made them look almost like oil on a puddle.  It was in this near-prone position that Ziel finally got a good look at the man that was trying to help her.  As her crouched above her, gentle hands examining her wounds, she caught a glimpse of wings under his cloak.  They were tightly bound down so as not to appear as anything but loose clothing, but they were there sure enough.

Ziel's eyes snapped up to the man's face and her mouth opened in a silent question, just as a stampeding horse came careening past, one of its hooves coming down where her head lay on the ground a moment before.  Levering up with her good arm, she managed to shove herself clear of the terrified animal so that it had a clear path down the street to the small crowd gathered at the end.

Everyone scattered.  A few brave souls tried to stop and calm the animal but it was beyond reason and it would run until its heart burst somewhere thee days east of town.

Mecros was gone.  "Jack!"  She called to him only once before  her face hardened and she spat on the ground.  She glared up at the red-headed man, now that he had finally gathered his weapons up again.  

"Damn humans, you're all the same."  Her voice flowed out like molten gold, beautiful and deadly.  She pulled her left wing around herself as best she could, trying to protect herself from the cold, the rain, and the people that wanted her dead, all at the same time.  She glanced back up at the man with the hidden wings, eyes brimming with tears, anger, fear and a deep need to live plain on her face.  When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper and reminded him of snow falling in the dead of night.

"Please...  Help me..."

[Rhindeer]

[Holy fudge, I am so sorry this took forever. @_@ School happened, and most of my muses choked and sputtered. Gaah!]

Beatrid had time enough to register that the bullet had struck true, exploding through the creature's shoulder, but she had no time to actually move out of the way. For the split second she had left to think before impact, she realized she'd probably made a very, very stupid mistake--the man behind her had a sword to her neck. She was probably gonna get stabbed, badly. It was amazing how calm and dull such thoughts could be at a time like this, but the next thing she knew and the demon slammed into her head-on and she toppled backwards with a loud grunt as the air left her, the gun flying out of her hand as she hit the ground hard. Thank the powers that be that the man behind her had already put his sword away, otherwise she would have easily been skewered on it--Beatrid hadn't even realized he had put it away, she had been too focused.

Stupid, stupid. That had been a costly mistake and it could have easily cost her her life...she should have dodged, because what if that sword had still been there? She'd been very lucky, and she realized that as she lay there on her back on the hard cobblestones, panting for breath, eyes wide in amazement that she was still alive and unharmed except for some cuts from the creature's claws and bruises from the impact. But she had no time to think further on it; it wasn't her job to get shook up by small shit like this, hell, not a few months ago and she'd nearly died from getting her side thoroughly slashed open.

For doing something else that had also been rather stupid, but necessary.

Scrabbling at the slick and muddied cobblestones, she quickly sat up and realized that her pistol was gone. Fuck. Well, not gone, but she thought she spotted a flash of silver out past the new man and out in the mud...far out of reach. With a guy with a sword and a wounded demon between her and it. A demon who was currently leaning against the new man, muttering some craziness or other, as the man knelt and began to examine her injury, which Beatrid glanced to.

...Feh. Just a shoulder injury. She wouldn't die if the bleeding was stopped. Not that that was a good thing, but it wasn't a bad thing, either. Beatrid was a soldier, not a judge and executioner. While she did and had killed in the line of duty without blinking or hesitation or guilt, her job was to kill only when necessary or when ordered to, and in the meantime she brought offenders back to her superiors who would deal with all the judging and executing if it was necessary--which it always was with mages, after they had been interrogated of course. In any case, Beatrid was also glad that the demon was injured now. A little blood loss wouldn't hurt too bad, it would mellow her and make hauling her off easier. It was annoying when they struggled.

With a sligt huff of annoyance, Beatrid pushed herself up to her feet and winced a little. Ugh. Her ass was sore. But at least she'd fallen on that first and not her head, which also aching she found. Bah. No time to focus on that, though...she still ahd to deal with all these people, weapon or not, and goddammit where was her backup?!

That was when she heard the new man speaking to the crowd outside that had apparently been attracted to the gunshot.

Training exercise that got out of hand?!

Goddamn him! At this point she needed that crowd! Well, for one she needed someone to toss her that pistol, and it wouldn't hurt if someone could go call for backup, or even just help her detain these fuckers. Three of them. The demon and two men, the newcomer with a sword and the other one who was--

Currently siccing a frightened horse on them.

Before Beatrid could open her mouth to call to the crowd or berate the bastardly sword-guy--for she still didn't realize that him holding a sword to her had been a bad mistake on his part--the roaring animal was charging toward them. With a loud curse, Beatrid threw herself out of the way as it came storming by in a panic, not really caring if the demon woman or the sword-guy got trampled. She was a little concerned for the other man, the red-headed man that had agreed to help her...but at that point there was nothing she could do but get herself out of the way as it charged out of the stable and out into the dispersing crowd.

Oh shit, the crowd!

Pushing herself up to her hands and knees, she could only watch as it barelled outside, though luckily everyone scattered smartly, and then watch in horror as the stupid animal managed to land one of its hooves on her pistol, which crunched loudly beneath it. Fucking wonderful. That had to be one of those "one out of a million" probablity things, and of course it would be her damned pistol. That was also when she heard the demon cry out a name.

And the stable was noticeably missing a certain shady fellow.

Beatrid repressed a loud groan. This...was not her night. She was failing her job completely and utterly...and it had to be the most horrifying feeling she'd experienced, even worse than nearly bleeding to death or stumbling onto a naked Kuro, a fellow Mordecai who she happened to bitterly loathe. And THAT had been horrifying.

But...she had to make due with what she had. She'd remember what that man looked like, and she would get posters made. In the meantime, she certainly couldn't just go looking for him and abandon the remaining criminals.

The demon creature was speaking again, damning humans and then asking the newcomer for help, and by that time Beatrid had regained herself again. Crushed pistol and outnumbered or not, she needed to regain control of the situation. She wasn't a Mordecai for nothing. She had to live up to the title.

She pulled herself back up to her feet and nodded to the newcomer. "Do what she says. Stop her bleeding, already, before it freaks out the other horses," she ordered him in a tone that said she would clearly not tolerate protest. As for the demon? Well, her tears and pleading had no effect on her. Not anymore. She'd grown used to such sights after years of serving. Then she turned to face the red-haired man, who seemed okay except for a cut on his face--he'd live, too, and she'd also have to remember to thank him after all this was over. "Give me one of your weapons."

Of course, Beatrid wasn't used to using a blade, she'd been trained in firearms, muskets and pistols. She had minor training when it came to blades but nothing she'd really be confident in employing against someone like, say...the guy with the sword. He carried a sword so she imagined he was skilled at using one. However, she still didn't want to be unarmed.

As soon as she was certain that both the newcomer and the demon were under control, and the the red-haired man truly was going to help her, then it would finally be time to bind them both and haul them off to be questioned and dealt with.

[Gold! XD I made an assumption that Xyinthe was okay after the horse thing, but if not I can edit my post. x3]

[Goldie]

Gods, this whole ordeal was getting more fucked up by the minute.  All that he had wanted was to fill his purse a little bit from the unsuspecting in the city, but that had turned bitterly wrong after he decided to shove his nose in someone elses business.  Now, Xinthe could hardly say he was in a prime position.  The soldier chick would probably still want to take him in, just to make sure he wasn't lying...and for all he knew these crazy bastards had some magic detection system which would point him out as a big fat liar.

After that....

Hell it wouldn't even matter if he survived the night or not!  The damn kingdom would have his head before he could say 'magic'.  What a fine spot of trouble he had landed himself....what a fine, fucking spot of trouble.

So what the hell was he to do?

He couldn't very well let the winged girl be taken by the soldier, but he definitely couldn't turn against the soldier while there was a crowd gathered around them....but...if he didn't do something to incapacitate her this very moment, back-up could arrive and then where would they be?  They'd most likely bring more of those weapons...and then...just shit....then he'd be trapped....

Gyah!

How in the world did he end up in this situation in the first place?  He should have stayed snug in his little corner....an innocent bystander.  But no...he had to have a streak of curiosity....Hell, who was he kidding?  He was always curious, but this was the first time he had even been trapped by his own meddling...

Welp, there was only one thing to do:

He handed her the dagger in his hand along with another that he pulled out from a strap around his boot.

Now he didn't have his daggers, but at least he still had his sword, and although it wasn't his best weapon, it was the best for what he had to do.  Long and pointy, it would be much more handy in the pending fight than the daggers. He just hoped that she wouldn't kill herself with them...he didn't know how much training they got in anything other than their explosive darts, but he certainly didn't want her killed.  Believeable or not, he did recognize courage and determination when he saw it, and this chick certainly had it in spades.  Xinthe would never have confronted a situation like the one in which she had found herself.  Props to her.

"What the hell!?" He cried, quickly turing to her left where he raised his sword as if to attack whatever was supposedly flying towards them.  He just prayed that she took the bait.

Stopping his slash in mid-air, he swung his arms backward and slammed the hilt of the sword into the back of her head.  Or at least he hoped....

[Rhindeer]

Whew, he agreed, and without a fuss or a word or anything, and she took the offered daggers greatfully with a silent nod of thanks. Well, that was easy, always good and easy when people cooperated, and she felt kind of bad now for judging the guy so harshly in the beginning. Kind of. She was usually never sorry, after all! Finally armed and feeling more confident because of it--not even she was big-headed enough to think she could fight all these people with her bare hands; she'd could fight hand to hand, but there were limits and she knew her limits well--she turned back to the demon.

And she was about to shout some more orders over to the red-head, too, when suddenly he was shouting out before she could.

Startled, Beatrid took the bait with a jump of surprise, twisting to look where Xyinthe did, lifting her own daggers--well, his daggers--defensively in preparation for whatever attack was coming.

Sigh.

It was the oldest trick in the book, but even she wasn't immune to making simple, obvious mistakes. Perhaps her first mistake was trusting him--which was why she fell bought into that so completely, and she only had time enough to see that, what the fuck, there was nothing there before blinding pain exploded in the back of her skull as something cracked hard against it. Her vision whited out, and then she was vaguely aware of the sensation of falling before everything got dark. She didn't even have the time or coherency to gasp in pain or anything.

Her last lucid thought before her eyes rolled back and she slumped forward unconscious was that she really hoped she didn't stab herself on the stupid daggers.

That would really suck. It'd be a pretty embarrassing way to die, too. "Oh yeah, I fell for the 'LOOK THERE!' trick and gored myself on some dagger." Very epic and memorable. Just what she wanted to be remembered for.