Spirits of the Earth

OOC NOTE: This is kind of long - but it's meant to be the official "introduction" of my character into the "Spirits of the Earth" story. I don't intend for all my posts to be as long-winded, but I needed to set up some exposition so anyone seeing this before reading my character's back-story would kind of get Janus' "deal."

I'm open to absolutely any kind of interactivity you may introduce to this story. If you want to move it away from the starting location, feel free - if you want to kill an "NPC" that I created, go for it - but please be sure to leave character choices for whoever replies next to follow up on - character-presented decisions are the best! Mine will always be presented in bold at the end of my posts!

To read up on Ser Janus, check the thread, thanks!:   http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=19353.0 (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=19353.0)

Finally, enjoy! I look forward to role-playing with all of you!

"The Big Fight"

Janus Fairview, who would still like to think of himself as a knight meant to fight in the Civil War to the North, sits alone in an empty corner of a Moral Bros. circus tent. This tent is the same he has won many victories in during recent months. 4 weeks ago he became a prize-fighting champion without ever revealing his real name to anybody. Tonight, he defends the belt that brings him higher pay from the fight-promoter Tary Brookskin, a Serenian out to help his "Moral Bros." brand transcend Cerenis and coastal Serendipity.

"One day, I'm going to headline Reajh and the Grand Duke will seek my entertainment!" was all Janus needed to hear from Tary's thin lips to assure him that his time as a prize fighter in the Moral Bros. show was coming to an end. Janus could never travel to Connlaoth, much less the capital. He would become the witch in a witch hunt, and he wouldn't have that.

These thoughts seem to effect the once-strong willed man more than usual these days. In the back of his head, his inner-twin, the evil demon called The Who whispers to him...

"That strap of leather can't make you what you are..." The soft voice seemed louder than the voices that were entering the tent to prepare for the "Big Fight" show later that night.

Janus shook it off before opening a book filled with hand-written pages. Janus thumbs to the middle, closes his eyes, holds his face to the sky & recites a verse from the scribble below. Whomever he's reciting to is asked to relieve him of the "burden that is The Who," acknowledging that the demon is his penance for abandoning his family during the War for the Valley.

"Whattaya readin'?" The question presented by a portly crew member pierces Janus' concentration. Suddenly, the fighting tent seems all more real. Janus slaps the book closed, quickly. "Are those prayers?"

"No friend, they're pleas."

----

Janus stares blankly at his championship belt as he gets ready to make his way to the make-shift ring set up in the middle of the fighting tent. His promoter Tary Brookskin blabbers something about how he intends their next show to make them enough money to "really start touring." It becomes white noise to Janus as The Who attempts to get him to rip Tary's eyes out through his throat. Janus' inner-dialogue questions this but The Who feels he could find a way.

Suppressing these urges, Janus warns Tary to back away. Tary, confused, agrees to do so and backs off just as the ring-announcer introduces Janus, known in the Moral Bros. fighting circuit as "The Glassjaw," to the rabid crowd of on-lookers.

Janus chose the name "Glassjaw" for two reasons. The first reason is that he believes no respectable knight would refer to himself as "the Glassjaw," knowing the term means "a weakling." This is to hide in plain sight... Janus sincerely doesn't want to be recognized as the murderer of Connlaoth's King Darren IV. Darren was a good man, Janus' king. His friend. It was Darren that knighted Janus - a privilege he could no longer uphold during his self-exile to Serendipity.

The second reason Janus calls himself "Glassjaw" is to lull his nightly opponents into a sense of security. Someone with the nickname "Glassjaw" certainly couldn't hold up in a fight, very less be a highly accomplished Connlaothian Knight.

Janus entered the ring to loud applause, a stylized pig mask covering his face - revealing only his heavily bearded mouth. He held his belt nearly 7 feet in the air...

Just then, the circus tent began tearing on several different sides. The cause for these tears were the rogue blades of pirates who had apparently come ashore a few miles up the coast before singling out the Moral Bros. Big Fight show as a worthy target.

Janus was rushed from all sides by pirates of all sizes. Janus blinked his eye, and in a moment heard The Who whisper out a suggestion...

It burned. There was a bright light. Janus did that thing again. For a second he thought the onslaught had finished - but beyond the scattered limbs of the pirates he had just blown apart with extremely-demonic powers, Janus spotted what looked to be the Pirate Captain holding the Moral Bros. head promoter Tary Brookskin with a very sharp looking dagger to his throat.

"My name is Simon, I'm captain of those fellas you just roasted." Captain Simon yelled toward the ring, "I came here for some pocket cash and suddenly find myself eight men down. I came for gold, mister prize-fighter, but I ain't leaving until I take your head."

Janus, recovering from the evil powers he just omitted from his very being, staggers to get to his knees. One foot goes up. He's seeing double. Regardless as he looks up toward the entrance curtain, he realizes Brookskin, his only real link to earning money, is being held by knife point. A trickle of blood runs down Brookskin's neck as the blade ever so gently enters the top layer of skin. Surely this is just scare tactic to get in Janus' head?

As Pirate Captain 'Simon' holds Janus' promoter Taary Brookskin with a blade to the throat, will someone arrive to aid him - Or will Mr. Brookskin have a new smile crafted into his neck?

That didn't look good.  Lorin dashed for the tent as the pirates entered. 

The elf thief had been just walking the streets, picking pockets and just enjoying the day when she had seen the group of people.  They were obviously pirates, and she could only assume they were up to no good.  She had been right.  She had followed them out of curiosity and had seen them enter the tent.

She burst inside the large structure to see a man being held with a dagger to his throat as another stood by.  The pirate with his dagger to the other man's throat was obviously going to kill him.

A dagger flew through the air and embedded itself into the pirate's back.  Lorin readied another dagger, but it seemed as if the other pirates had already been killed, blown apart by some force.

The pirate fell to the ground and Lorin stepped forward, looking at the man who the pirate had been about to kill. "Are you okay?"

Brookskin could only stammer on in awe. "G-g-get me the f*ck out of here!" He clawed toward Lorin's outfit for leverage as Janus staggered up the aisle - but she quickly stepped back and evaded his oily hands.

"He's not one for thank-you's." Janus was still regaining his breath.

The final onlookers attempting to flee the action were exiting the tent in a frenzy. Janus surveyed the scene. Searching the captain, he found a small journal tucked in the inner pocket of the dead pirate leader. Janus opened it, revealing names of many more pirates under Simon's command, telling the former knight that more pirates were likely inbound.

Janus then pulled his prize-fighting persona's pig-mask off, revealing uneven hair and hardened eyes to go along with the heavily dirty beard he sports.

"More coming. We should hide in plain sight, scatter with the crowd." He hoisted Tary up by the collar and set him on his feet, urging him to quit whimpering.

"I'm not sure of your name, stranger, but I'd sure appreciate some help out of this coastal town. I'm not from around here... and my big tent-shaped compass was just torn apart by pirates."

"Should we exit among the crowd or do you happen to know of a better plan?" Janus asked Lorin, eagerly.

"Well, if you really want to leave. . ." Lorin said. "With the crowd would be a good idea.  I know my way around this city, I think I'll be able to get you out quickly, or at least hidden., I know a few good hidey-holes where you can go.  But about all this stuff here, do you just want to leave it?" 

"I'm sorry if my urgency didn't come across - but there are many more pirates heading in this direction and I imagine they'll be rather upset with me blowing their pals up and you daggering their captain to death." Janus had to stop to calm Tary down again.

"We need to head out - now!"

Outside the tent, the rowdy pirates were closing in...

Lorin grinned despite the impeding danger.  "Then let's go!  Stay close behind me and I'll lead you to a safe place!"

She waited for the men and then dashed off towards the crowd.  She made sure the men could follow her, but she waded into the throng of people, using her elven grace not to get trampled by the fleeing people.  Once outside of the tent she motioned to the two men.  "Follow me!"

"That's the spirit, sunshine," Janus smirked as he shoved Brookskin ahead of him.

Playing his best "unassuming citizen," Janus followed Lorin through the moving crowd of frightened spectators. Suddenly, Brookskin trips over his own left foof. "Kill that fat boy already," The Who whispered to Janus, "it'd be so satisfying."

Janus spots Lorin, who was gazing questionably at him. "She sees you... She sees me. she can tell..." The Who was unrelenting. Janus wondered if Lorin saw him unintentionally contemplating killing Brookskin.

Eventually the group came to a pass where they are able to see the remaining pirates siege the circus tent.

As they watched on as citizens were slaughtered in front of them, Janus, growing worried that The Who would get the best of him, asked Lorin, "Where are you taking us?"

"At the moment, nowhere," Lorin said as she saw the pirates starting to kill innocent citizens.  "Ican't just let those pirates kill those people!"

She drew her daggers and started back towards the killers.  She threw a dagger, killing a pirate.  As he went to get her dagger, she looked over her shoulder at the two men.  "Well?  Are you going to help me or not?"

Janus looked on as his new-found companion made her apparent death wish known to him. As Lorin ran back toward the mass of pirates, Janus simply looked down at Brookskin.

"W-we have to get out of here!" Brookskin stammered. Janus couldn't help but agree - it was too much of a risk for him to fight. With the blink of an eye, he could murder anyone around him!

Janus saw Lorin tossing her daggers as if it were a hobby & though she was impressively trained, he decided it simply wasn't worth it. Janus couldn't picture any way out of this situation without mass casualties. He had to run.

Janus silently wished Lorin the best, grabbed Brookskin and turned away from the melee behind him...

Only to be met by a piercing arrow through his shoulder.

Reaching over to his shoulder blade, Janus could feel the smooth wood sticking out the other side of him. He looked up and saw more pirates flanking them from the direction he was planning to flee. Janus felt his blood trickle down his arm.

As he looked to his right, he saw Mr. Brookskin's cold body on the ground as arrows protruded from different areas of his chest & a thick red tint filled his shirt.

"Sorry 'bout that, Tary."

With Brookskin dead & an arrow  disabling one of his arms, Janus allowed himself to be backed up toward the tent by the oncoming threat. The pirates were closing in on him.

As Janus stumbled backwards, he bumped into Lorin who was doing the same.

Ser Janus & Lorin stand back-to-back next to the tattered circus tent as a crowd of pirates swarm them from all directions...

"Great," Lorin said as the pirates continued to surround them, most of the civilians had fled, so at least they were safe. "Now it's only us that'll be killed," she said to the man. "At least most of the people got away.  Ouch, your shoulder. . ."

Lorin readied her daggers.  She had retrieved them from the pirates bodies, but now there were more pirates than the two of them would be able to kill.

Lorin looked around frantically, then she saw it.  "Follow me!" she cried, and she made a dash for the center of the tent.  There was a tall pole holding up the tent there, and Lorin started to shimmy up it.  She looked down at the man and hoped he would be able to follow.  She was very strong and agile, and she hoped the man was as well.

"Does she expect us up there?" The Who taunted the large-framed Janus. Janus suddenly felt his right hand heat up. As he stared at it in wonderment, it became a giant fireball.  His flaming hand, an effect The Who grants Janus, effectively frightened the pirates at first. "He's a magic user!" He heard one shout.

"Nice idea, demon, but this trick won't last long." Janus wasn't sure what The Who was planning, "Pirates don't scare easily." As he was talking, he realized his flaming right hand had grabbed the giant tent pole Lorin had begun ascending. "Oh no," Janus whispered. He looked up and saw Lorin staring down, expecting them to follow. Her expression changed, however, when  she realized the pole she was climbing was burning down.

"Get down!" Janus yelled.

"Oh she's coming down..." the Who teased.

Suddenly, the entire tent came toppling down on top of Janus & the pirates all the same. Lorin is lost to Janus' sight in the falling tent.

As the tent hits the ground, it becomes engulfed with flames. Janus is able to walk through them thanks to the demon that resides in his soul.

Janus, worn out, walks away from the burning tent and sits on a bench facing it. As he watches on, he hears the screams of the burning pirates and feels immediate regret for the chaos he caused. Suddenly, he sees Lorin approaching him from the disaster.

Without knowing about the demon living within him, Janus expects Lorin to have perceived the events that just happened as an attempt on her life as opposed to a Who-devised defense against the pirates. He braces for conflict as she gets closer, unsure what to expect...

Lorin's eyes widened as she saw the man start to light the pole of fire.  It burned amazingly quickly, and she started to climb down, but it was to quick.  The pole burnt through and started to fall.  Lorin threw herself clear of the pole, and she landed in a pile of the fallen tent.  She lay there for a moment, groaning and trying to get her bearings.  She was bruised, but nothing was broken, as far as she could tell, and now the tent was in flames, and they were creeping towards her.

She got to her feet as fast as she could and looked around for the man.  Why would he do that?  After she was trying to help him?  His friend had died, did he blame her for that?  She finally spotted him.  The pirates were all dead or dying, and lorin was sorry, she hated death, even if those dying were cruel pirates.

Lorin got clear of the burning tent and then started for the man.  She wanted to know why he had done what he did, and hopefully he wouldn't kill her now.  All the same, she readied a few daggers in her hands.  His magic was strong, apparently, but she was quick, and there were many buildings nearby that she would be able to take cover behind if the man took any violent action.

"What did you do that for?" she called to him as she approached. "It wasn't my fault the pirates attacked!"

She stopped fifteen feet from him, watching him, ready to dodge any hostile action.

"I mean you no harm!" Janus yelled out to Lorin, though he felt the flames welling up in his palms were going to send her mixed signals. Within his mind, Janus plead, "Please don't do this. You recognized we needed to survive the pirate attack, don't blow my cover now!"

"I am the best of you, Janus Fairview." The Who spat, as arcs of fire spewed from Janus' hands toward Lorin. "I shall be realized!"

Bands of fire criss-crossed across the field. If the night hadn't been dressed in the scent of burnt flesh already, you might have even considered it a beautiful sight.

"We need to hide, Who! We need to get out of here," Janus realized his time spent in Cerenis was coming to a close. With a dead promoter and a tent in ashes, there was effectively no prize-fighting circuit left to speak of.

"The elf is our only guide! Our only hope..." Janus was tired.

The Who seemed to understand the notion. His attack had been quelled for the time being. After all, he had been resurrected in Janus' brother Ryon's body so many years ago for a purpose. The Who's bidding in Connlaoth had yet to be completed. If Janus were to leave Cerenis, The Who would be one step closer to the grounds he wishes to walk - though he knows Janus is exiled from the country to the North.

As the fire arcs hit the ground where Lorin had been standing, Janus alarmingly awaited to see how the dagger-wielding elven fighter had fared his attack...

Lorin dived out of the way, rolling to her feet.  Despite his attack, the man's demeanor was not one of an attacker, and he said he meant her no harm  She stepped back from him farther, but did not run.  He seemed to be having an internal struggle, so she decided to give him a chance.

"You just attacked me!" she shouted. "But you say you mean me no harm." She pointed a dagger at him.  "Explain.  Now.  Or I'm leaving and you won't see me again, and you won't be able to find me, with or without your magic, I know this town, all the nooks and crannys.  I can hide very well."

Massimo sat out of sight, on a building overlooking the chaotic scene.  He had originally been there to eliminate some competition, but that seemed to have been taken care of for him already.  He didn't care what anyone said, competition was terrible for his business.  The lunatic knight had all but destroyed the men he was here to eliminate while providing an entertaining battle.  While he could have simply stopped the rampaging fire starter in his tracks, he took this opportunity to see what the man and the monster were capeable of.  This was certainly not the first time he had witnessed a person in this condition, and it wouldn't be the first he had eliminated were it to come to that.  This one in particular seemed like a potential asset, he would simply have to wait and see.

"Let's see how much you can take, maybe you just need a little push over the edge."

He gestured a few hand signals in the air and continued watching the mayhem below.

"I didn't attack you... the... the Who did..." the sense of self-doubt in Janus' voice was likely to give away how mad he thought he sounded.

"Look, I have a condition. This thing... it lives in my mind and my soul. We can talk about it at whatever length you want later. For now, I think I have him appeased."

Janus waited, listening to something no one else could hear. "He's snoring," Janus exclaimed, "I'm in control now!"

While The Who's mental onslaught had seemed to take one of its temporary lapses, Janus was unsure if his less-than-convincing explanation would get through to the elf fighter.

Janus readied his long sword that sat warm in its scabbard, unsure as to what Lorin would do next...

Lorin narrowed her eyes.  "That's a pretty suspicious story, mister," she said.  She studied the man's face, he didn't seem to by lying, and Lorin knew of demons living within people.  After a few very long moments of scrutiny, she nodded.

"Okay I'll help you get out of here, who knows how many more pirates could come." Lorin frowned at the man. "But that doesn't mean I believe you, or trust you, at all." She looked over him again, this time her eyes were less accusing,but she still didn't sheath her daggers.  "I'm Lorin, Lorin Silverith, who are you?"

Audhilde had arrived late to the fighting circuit, but rationalized that it was for the best given the circumstances. And simply enjoyed the new show the pirates had put on. Until they began slaughtering the bystanders.

Where are the guards, or the fighters? She thought to herself, readying an arrow. Are those two the only ones who are going to confront these cutthroats? Referring to an Elf and a masked man.

Audhilde took a firm grip of her short bow, drew back the string and arrow, adjusted her aim slightly higher than a somewhat distant pirate, and loosed the arrow. Well above the pirate's head and into the masked man's shoulder.

"Oops," she said, turning to find her horse. "That's embarrassing, Prudence-- Prudence?"

Her horse had fled to the edge of the woods.

"Prudence, get over here," she continued, stomping her way to her horse. "I can still help, but I'm not showing up with the same arrows that are in that man's arm."

After a few moments of chasing her horse, the sound of crackling fire caught Audhilde's attention. The flaming tent fell, and Prudence reared before darting into the woods.

"Well, can't really help with-- Prudence!" Audhilde broke into a run after her horse. "Don't leave me here, you coward!"

Janus thumbed the arrow still stuck in his shoulder, noticing horse hair hanging off it. Shrugging it off, literally, Janus replied to Lorin's question the best he could.

"I am Ser Ja-" Janus froze. Who's to say Lorin had never heard of Ser Janus of House Fairview, Knight in King Darren IV's Army of Connlaoth, the 'Hero of Sirantil Valley Valley.' Janus couldn't allow that. If one word of him living in Serendipity made its way back to the Valley, and the "Brothers of Sirantil" would be sure to use their network of trained killers to track him down and take his head in the night.

"Just call me Glassjaw." Janus spat, "I'm sorry - but it's all I can offer you."

Janus understood this probably came off sketchy to the elf.

"I understand this probably comes off sketchy to you ,elf," Janus yelled, redundantly, "But I swear to you, I mean you no harm. I just need to get out of here before any guards show up. They'll want to talk - and I can't be having that."

Janus' mind wandered - his gold! He had saved up enough from his championship reign that he should be able to at least bribe Lorin if he couldn't get her to trust him.

"I've got gold, plenty of it," Janus spoke up, "It's yours for safe passage off the Coast." The offer was on the table.

Lorin listened suspiciously. "I understand that you can't tell me your real name," she said. "But why can't you talk to the authorities?"

But he kept talking, he said he had money, and could pay her, and her lip curled. "I don't want your money, if I'm going to help you, it's going to be because I want to.  Now, follow me."

She started walking away towards an alleyway, completely alert in case he tried to attack.  If he wanted to follow, he could, if he didn't, that was fine with her.

A number of well armed men waited just above the alleyway for a victim to wander in.  The moment Lorin decided to stroll down the path, she was caught in their trap.  Several dozen rained down from either side, the ones behind her ran back to confront Janus.

"Following you would be a death sentance now wouldn't it?  Fight back or don't, I'll enjoy playing with your corpse either way."

The rogue licked his short blade clean of what remainder of blood it had on it.  They started forward and tried to herd her towards Janus.  Meanwhile the others exited the alleyway and didn't even hesitate to attack Janus.  They charged violently swinging into close quarters with nothing but bloodly intentions.  The brutish thug at the front screamed through the men's violent roars.

"Let's see what you got champion!"

All the while Massimo sat watching, playing the puppeteer to the war soon to be raging below.

"Listen friend, you really don't want to do this..."

The words carried weight, these men would be foolish not to heed them. The Who may seem dormant at the time being but as soon as a threat comes to his vessel, Janus' body, the demon defends without caution. Janus didn't want to risk another catastrophe like the circus tent.

"There's something very wrong here..." Janus looks around. Why were these men attacking him so eagerly? Their armor gave them away as not being pirates - rather, they seemed to be sell swords. Swell-swords looking to instigate a fight between someone who just obliterated a crew of pirates by blinking his eye.

Someone was pulling the strings, someone saw Janus' unwanted powers. Someone wanted to unleash The Who...

"Listen ugly," Janus roared, "Since Lorin here won't take my gold, what say you will? Whatever is being promised to you & your comrades to do this, I'll DOUBLE it to let us pass," Janus waited on a reply, believing no sell-sword to be able to pass up MORE gold in their pockets...

Lorin lifted her daggers as the people jumped down around her.  She looked around for the leader, but she could see no one who seemed to be in charge.

"Wait!" she cried to the leader, wherever they were. "Stop, I don't want to fight!  I'll give you money, if that's what you want!" If this man wanted money, she could get it to him, but if he wanted her dead, then she had no choice but to fight.

A familiar fair haired woman plopped down next to Massimo who was watching the mayhem intently.  His eyes darted between every thug and every weapon almost faster than the eye can see.

"I didn't miss anything did I?"

She leaned in and gave him a peck of the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Not really, I was just getting started."

The hellish rogue spat at Lorin's offer.  "If you have anything on you, I'll have it soon enough regardless."

Massimo's arm twitched as the woman dangling there shuddered with a ghastly look on her face.

"I really don't like that man."

Massimo swallowed his desire to laugh off her remark.  He was pretty sure that life didn't like that man.

"Well Roland didn't seem to fond of him either, seeing as how he plucked him to pieces like a fresh bunch of grapes."

The horde reached Janus and came down with inhuman strength, smashing the ground with each near miss.  The thuggish brute's neck tattoo began to glow as he dropped his axe and unleashed a plume of fire from his mouth.  The flames engulfed the street behind the knight and blasted waves of heat in every direction.

"I remember that guy now, too bad he couldn't swim.  He might have lived long enough to turn his life around."

Massimo laughed heartily at the though of all the warriors below serving him now even after death.  While they had all the outstanding attributes they had in life, they couldn't actually hurt anyone.  Not that anyone fighting them would know the difference.  The pain they inflict would seem as real as anything, only to vanish the moment he stopped paying attention.  For this reason, Massimo pitied the false life flailing fruitlessly about below and wondered what his life meant in comparison.

"I think it's time to put the pressure on our knight for the day."

No one answered her call. 

Lorin was about to call out again when the people attacked, but before they could get too near, Lorin rushed to the building nearest her and climbed up the wall as if it were a ladder.  Perched on top of the building, she threw a dagger at one of her attackers.  Both she and the man, Glassjaw, would have a better chance if she was up here, firstly, she could kill from a distance, and, second, if Glassjaw used his magic, which seemed uncontrollable, it would not be able to harm her.

As the huge thuggish man came thundering down, Janus was caught off balance and fell to his ass. This gave him a clear shot of the man and woman watching from above.

His eyes grew stern.

"Lorin! Get to that peeper up there!" He pointed toward Massimo, "And take out the creepy broad too, for fun."

As she sat perched atop the wall with her daggers, Janus met Lorin's gaze, "I think I've got a trick for these guys," he assured her. Truth be told, he was likely trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

A spark lit in Janus' left finger that ran up his arm, into his shoulders, down his other arm and ignited his long giant-forged steel sword. With his flaming Hell-sword in tow, Janus swung the blade in a lumbering helicopter motion. Flames whipped off the end.

"Stay clear of the flames, Lorin!" Janus picked up momentum as he swung. Suddenly time stood still. The undead fighters attacking him, the wisps of fire pouring from his blade, his temporary ally Lorin and the man "pulling the strings," they were all moving in slow motion to Janus - who saw them all to clearly, "So much for keeping a low profile."

And in one quick burst of movement, reality flooded back to Janus as he slammed his flaming blade into the soil below - forcing impressive chains of flames to erupt up from the ground below each of his oppressor's feet. Nearby buildings and structures were effected by the wave of flames Janus was spinning and suddenly this once-busy block of Cerenis became a pit of hell fire. He just hoped the man "pulling the strings," Massimo, was caught in the destruction.

With structures flaming and crumbling around him, Janus gripped his Hell-sword tightly as he leaped at the beastly man with glowing tattoos - the blade lined up perfectly with the thugs throat...

Massimo and Claire evaporated in the flames that consumed the building, followed by a violent explosion.  Splinters of charred wood rained down at the site of the once beautiful residence, luckily nobody was inside.  At the edge of demolishion in progress, Massimo hammered a sign into the dirt path reading "Future Location of The Mr. Carp Residential District".  Claire spoke as she watched the buildings explode in a brilliantly fiery symphony of destruction.

"They certainly are energetic aren't they?"

Massimo laughed as he finished placing the sign.

"Ha ha, and apparently psychic too.  Will wonders never cease?  I suppose we can finish this up quickly, I have some zoning permits to apply for."

He held out his arm for Claire.  "Shall we my dear?"

She giggled as she hooked her arm around his and the started towards the distant explosions.

Lorin's dagger met it's intended target, who reared back catching the dagger in his left eye.  He whipped forward with a deadly glare and shifted his form to that of a fully realized werewolf.  Leaping in pursuit, he scaled the wall with ease as the others found an alternative route.

Janis's flames scorched many a henchman, and blade plowed clear through the hot headed thug.  One of the thugs rose back to his feet as the flesh began to return to his charred bones, only to crack and crumble away.  Under the skin, a body of solid stone stepped out of the hollow shell.  It spread it's wings, bared it's teeth and claws, and reeked of vile intentions.  It charged the knight without a second to lose, swiping and whipping it's tail in the traditional gargoyle fashion.

(OOC: "Massimo sat out of sight, on a building overlooking the chaotic scene."  Being able to see him without effort is kind of odd, and knowing that he's "pulling the strings" when he did nothing to allude to that is kind of meta.  Fine for now, just read carefully in the future as to not step on any toes.)

(OOC: Sorry about that, I'll change my post)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Glassjaw started to use his magic, Lorin's eyes widened, this guy was powerful!  The buildings around her were destroyed in the fire, but Lorin was on a stone building, so she was safe, at least for the moment.  The attackers seemed to be dying, but then. . . Oh no.  A gargoyle emerged from the body of one, and another had turned into a werewolf.

Lorin leaped back as the creature climbed the building and started to attack her.  She blocked it's first attack, and rolled out of the way.  She got to her feet and threw a dagger straight at the beast's side.

(OOC: Yah I figured since Lorin spotted Massimo first, it'd be alright. Won't happen again I hope, sorry about that! But I don't feel it's too "meta" for Janus to be able to figure out Massimo was the one pulling the strings if he could see him. He's randomly under attack by a bunch of tattoo-glowing thugs, and there's an ominous looking guy with an equally ominous looking lady watching on from a rooftop? Janus would have to be a moron not to realize what was up haha. I didn't intend for him to just "know" in my last post - i figured it'd be obvious that he was putting 2 & 2 together to figure out who was behind the attack haha. Again if he could see him (which I now know he shouldn't have been able to), he would have been able to figure the situation out.

Regardless, I've had some family issues so I haven't been able to post in the past day or two. I'm on my way to work now, so I'm hoping to continue this story asap! sorry for taking so long!)

(OOC: I know what you mean, but Massimo's characters were completely out of sight, I thought they could be seen as well, but I guess they were hidden.  Massimo actually wrote that in their post, but I must have missed it, my bad!  :P)

Audhilde was panting heavily as she ran after her horse, Prudence, and desperately called out to her, "Wait. You stupid... horse!"

Prudence came to a abrupt stop, and Audhilde nearly ran into her. Audhilde caught her breath as she leaned against Prudence's saddle, readying in position to mount.

There was the sound of a heavy foot on dry leaves and a looming, wispy shadow hovered across the forest floor.

In a snap Audhilde drew an arrow and launched it at the shadow's chest, striking the figure between the ribs.

Roland was not happy about the arrow in his gut but it didn't pierce far enough to barb him, so he simply pulled it out and dropped it.

"Oops," said Audhilde. The dark must have fooled my eyes, she rationalized, this old man is an inch shorter than myself. "Why didn't you hail me, old man? I could've hurt..."

If I was given a cheap trinket for every time I've had this conversation. Roland's thoughts were a bit heated given the circumstances.

"Wait." Audhilde noticed this stranger was tanned by the sun and wore a leather justacorp over his otherwise bare chest; he was even without boots. "Are you with the pirates attacking the fighting circuit?"

Roland did not know how to answer that question if he could. He had seen the pillar of smoke rising in the night sky and, soon afterward, noticed the disappearance of his employer.

"Answer me!" Audhilde commanded as her hand shot like a bolt to her quiver.

Roland did not like the idea of getting stuck with another arrow, and rushed to grab the woman's shortbow. He succeeded in snatching the bow from Audhilde's grip only to recieve three blows to the nose.

"You better stand down now," she said, bouncing on her heels. "I once killed a moose with eighty-seven punches, and I doubt you are half as sturdy."

You are half right, young lady. Roland's face and vision flushed red. A moose and myself are on whole different tiers of dangerous.

Lorin leaped away from the werewolf again, and attacked.  She stabbed it, but it acted as if the dagger wasn't even there.  She yanked her dagger free and jumped away yet again.  She scrambled away from the beast as it advanced,  She sheathed her daggers, and anyone who saw her would think her crazy, but she reached into her pouch and pulled out a lantern and a steel and flint.

She screamed as the monster grabbed her leg, and she chucked the lantern.  It broke over the werewolf's head, the gas spilling over it's face and hairy neck.  The werewolf dragged her close, but she kicked it's face with her free foot and struggled away.  She rushed around it and leaped upon its back.  She struck the flint.

Then she found herself atop a flaming werewolf.  She leaped off and rolled away as the beast was consumed, and destroyed, in the flames.