Kindred Shadows Draw Near [Painterlee, Closed]

[November]

Arriving, Belle wasn't sure if she'd ever been in such a place, which was something quite strange. But, then again, the land had changed so much in her years, and she had moved so often, that it was likely if she had ever been this way before, this village may not have even been here, and anything that might have been recognizable, gone. Battered by time and humans. As was so of these things. At least they still had sunlight. They hadn't been caught up for as long as she had imagined. Down in her place between places, time was a mystery to her. There was no sun to track, and everything was so disconnected from outside. If you could call the space beyond 'outside'. "Nice place for a picnic. Oh if we were human." She teased him on the location, and making a jive at her own nature, as they further themselves up the pathway towards their destination.

Upon seeing Juviel at her humble little home, Belle became somewhat relieved that she hadn't just run off in a fit of emotion. It seemed she was doing just fine, and suddenly, she felt quite annoyed, like she'd missed out of something. She eyed the red haired devil next to her. Wasn't far from true, but still, she had made her promise to Juviel. It wasn't fair to make her fellow sister wait forever. She'd done enough now. Belle smiled and Mephisto's reply and scoffed a chuckle. "My fault. I almost killed him." The demoness left a pause, looking into the Blacksmiths eyes with a twisted grin. "Twice." Then she leaned back on one leg "No point keeping secrets, Mephisto." She left a pause and then suddenly tagged on the end veering herself towards Mephisto, probably leaving Juviel a little confused as to what she meant. It was likely her Devil would be much more well informed on her meaning. "I might have peaked." Belle continued to grin, her eyes scanned the tall man up and down quickly. It seemed as if she were almost trying to hide a laugh before she got herself into a much more business-ready state of mind. Then she stepped towards Juviel.

"So, you have a letter? Something about your sisters whereabouts? May I see it?" Belle folded her arms, not really giving her a choice in whether she handed it over or not. "If it's a trap, which is likely, then they know you're up to something, and it'd be best to move quickly and get this done before they decide they want to try and drip-dry your sister for any information."

[Nascent]

"You two are the strangest couple, I swear." Juviel half-muttered as she fished around in her blacksmith's apron, finally drawing forth the note. She stepped up to Belle and her voice hushed. "I've been bribing the guards at the manor on a regular basis for the past six months, whatever I can spare in exchange for information. He had a runner deliver this just yesterday." And now, even through her hushed tones, the brawny woman betrayed her hope and anticipation. "She's    there. Elise, my sister, is not only alive, but I know exactly where she is, for the first time since the night they took us and my nightmare began."

"Which is, unfortunately, problematic." Mephisto chimed in. Juviel instantly shot him a look of angry disbelief but his neutral expression mellowed her moment of wrath somewhat. "Think of it this way. We were going to discover your sister's whereabouts, yes, and also give to the Rasaldanis the end you so desire for them. At a glance, it seems a case of two birds with one stone." He held up his hand in a cautionary gesture. "Not so. Unless we're cautious, pursuing one will invariably jeopardize the other. Extracting your sister will give our enemy a chance to learn of us and deny us the element of surprise; conversely, charging in with a murderous rampage means your sister could very likely get hurt in the chaos, possibly even used as a hostage."

The woman stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to find a fault in his argument... only to change the subject abruptly. "What on earth happened to your face? Looks like you fell into a bed of hot coals... and then rolled around in it." Her eyes turned to Belle. "Your handiwork? Damn. And speaking of hands, wasn't he right handed before?"

"I did this," Mephisto, somewhat annoyed, pulled open his shirt at the collar to reveal a glimpse at all the grievous burns on his chest. "To myself. Her attempts to kill me left other wounds. Now can we please --"

"You didn't cut it off, did you?" Juviel gave Belle a look that was somewhere between amusement and jest. The devil's face dropped at the lewd comment and he sucked in a deep breath as the blacksmith made another untoward jab about his 'pride'.

It was not turning out to be his day. Or week, for that matter.

[November]

It seemed that Juviel was growing on Belle, despite it all. Her anger, her sense of humor, the way she carried herself was self-assured, purposeful. She was hands on and not afraid, as was evident by her handy-work with her roof, she knew what she was doing, and she certainly did what she did well. Her jab at Mephisto certainly amused her to no end as well, it appealed to her style. Belle could almost feel that sense of pride being dented as the words fell into place in his head. It was quite the amusement. Of course, she wasn't going to stop her fellow woman poking and prodding him. If a man couldn't take a joke at himself, then he probably needed to be taken down a peg or two. Or more. Mephisto, it seemed, needed a good kicking, right off the mountain of pegs. The blonde demoness jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Not quite, but I'd sure like to see him try."

"But on the matter of your sister...the Devil has a point." She sighed. "I'm not one for under-cover work, especially given the circumstances I would find myself under. If I can avoid it, I'm certainly not going to 'present' myself to them as another worker. Even so, it might not even work. They might find me more fit for 'work' further afield, take me off the tracks of your sister and then the only option is to be very unsubtle about what was going on. Escaping without the target, in this case, would not be viable. Word of the escape would put pretty much everyone connected to this family on high alert." Belle turned to Mephisto with the growing signs of rage in her eyes. "If you thought having me place myself among their workers was something I was willing to do, then you might want to rethink your course of action thoroughly. I'd rather go in all steel singing than that. No doubt they'll want to test how valuable an asset I would be first." It seemed he had hit a hot spot again, even if he hadn't meant to.

"I can infiltrate just fine, I'm a thief, that's what I do. I get in, I get out, no one knows until too late." She stood back, crossing her arms. "But that's not what I've been asked to do. I'm to leave no pig alive, and doing that on a separate occasion would leave too much time for them to hunt down Juviel, and use her as bait for her sister again."

"Nothing like this comes without a risk and I'm pretty sure Juviel knows this too, she summoned you for crying out loud, and if you want to back out because of that, that's fine. Like you said, this thing is mine." Belle cast her eyes on Juviel, like she had when she had made her promise to serve her. "I'm not afraid. If you have faith in me I will try. If you would prefer to try and find a less uncertain avenue, then we will. With your word, I will do whatever you ask."

[Nascent]

"Then I won't hesitate either." Mephisto added, deliberately overlooking Belle's jabs at him. "Nor was I intending to. I merely suggest we fashion a plan is all. This is not a family known for leaving loose ends -- if my instincts are right and this is a trap then we had best work out, as near as we can, what the Rasaldanis are and aren't expecting."

"They are, for one, expecting you." He cast his gaze towards Juviel, then upon Belle. "Us, on the other hand... well, they would need an oracle, and an army, to be prepared for what we can unleash. The question is doing so skillfully..."

Blood-ruby eyes drifting to his mundane-masked servants, Mephisto smiled. "And I think I have an idea."

"We may be able to mitigate the risks somewhat." It was his turn to drop his voice somewhat. "I doubt not your ability to infiltrate the manor -- anywhere, in fact -- but we could set up a diversion. My troupe can take on any human appearance they need to, and I have no qualms with putting them at your disposal. They're light skirmishers in a fight but have indirect uses as well. Merely half-born lesser demons, they are more an extension of myself than independents so you needn't worry about getting them killed -- I can revive them later, with methods I gleaned from..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You know who."

"It's an option, in any case. Another tool at your disposal..." Another pause, this one followed by a bowing of his head to Belle. "As am I. Whatever you decide."

Juviel looked a bit stunned for a moment but quickly recovered herself. "Demons. Geez, anything you lot can't do?"

"More than you might suspect."

"Look, I'm a blacksmith." She held out her hands as if showing off the markings of her trade. Indeed, hers were rough will callouses and tanned as one would expect from her craft. "I don't know jack-all about sneaking around or tactics. I do understand what a warhammer can do to a human skull, though, and I plan on using one a fair bit before this is all over. So," Now it was her turn to look Belle's way. "Whatever you decide to do I'm fine with."

"I just want a crack at the bastards too."

[November]

"You can have as many of them as you like. The trick will be keeping them alive long enough for you to have your go, and not enough as to try and get away or raise alarm. I imagine, in this case, you plan to come with us in some degree?" Belle looked at Juviel, as ready to take names and throw blame as any woman in her situation, as she was entitled. She commended her bravery, certainly. However, she was fairly sure her excitement, finally being given the chance to do what she had been desperate to do for so long, might be getting the better of her.


Eyeing the troupe she was growing strangely familiar with, she summed up what she might be needing once inside. People to replace guards was obvious. The real problem was disposing of the bodies for as long as no one else was around or alive to notice them. They would do, however. Even with her beyond human abilities, she couldn't keep track of the whole manor. It would be hard to tell the innocent from the not so. The background of troupe from the targets. "I will take them, if they will obey me, and stay so silent that I forget they are there. You however..." She eyed the burnt demon with spite. "You can stay out if it. Not really enjoying your company so much now." It seemed he was going to be the same in all the ways that mattered. Understanding wasn't in there, listening wasn't in there, comprehending wasn't there. He liked to talk ambiguously about things that mattered to him but rarely listened to anyone else who did. It was becoming harder and harder to pin how she was going to label him. He had told her he was ready to listen, but that mind didn't register anything. Not her pain, her spite, the words that showed who she was, where she had been.

Why, then, was she compelled to hear that in his own words? It was a flaw in how she had been raised, she supposed, taught to pander to people. She was always listening, processing. Digging for the gold in among the words that were posed to comfort the meaning, the gold.

"Demons are capable of much, true. But I know few demons who know how to listen. I can't count them on two hands. You get those who kill when you ask to see their skill, and those who forget their convictions no sooner than they are founded." She stepped up to Juviel "That's why I'm not a demon. Humans and mortals listen, and they hold their convictions so tightly they are often their demise. And so do I."

She counted the troupe, and set her eyes back to Mephisto for a second, before bowing towards Juviel "I'm ready to go when you are. I'd prefer not to waste time, if that isn't too much trouble. You should stay hidden until I call for you, unless you'd prefer to get your hands dirty, too?"

[Nascent]

He'd slipped right back into old patterns almost without realizing it, acting like a spider in the midst of a web rather than...

... Rather than what, indeed? Mephisto took a moment to contemplate exactly what was going on, both with Juviel and everything that had been ongoing with Belle. He had disappointed her again, that much she'd made clear, and the more he thought on his own words the clearer it quickly became. Not only was he not listening, not really, again... but even with words of suggestion and compliance his overall message had clearly been "You should do it my way." His arrogance had earned her wrath so many times already, and yet he persisted in it, over and over, and expected what from the demoness, exactly? That she'd be charmed by his inability to learn from his mistakes? Put due weight and credence to her words? Respect her, well and truly, for more than a few minutes at a time? How shallow he must have seemed to her right then; he couldn't help but cringe at his own fallacy.

"My... apologies. Old habits." And egotism, he added in his own mind, only realizing after he'd thought it that she could likely hear it as plain as if he'd spoken out loud. No point mincing words, then. "You're right, of course. There are risks that not only can but should be taken, considering the nature of this undertaking. This is no time for undue subtlety." He paused, letting his own mind fill with just a dose of fire and brimstone. How long had it been, anyway, since he'd strode into open warfare? Too long, perhaps.

Belle had the right idea -- even beyond rescuing Juviel's sister and giving Juviel retribution, the demise of the Rasaldani family served another, greater purpose... one he now saw as vital to the hell-bent woman. One he should have seen much sooner.

A message, to those in the same "business". A warning. A threat. A promise. They were not as untouchable as they believed themselves. Their deeds in the dark had not been forgotten, no matter how much blood and gold now covered them. There were those they should fear and who, in turn, feared them not at all. Belle wasn't just doing the other woman's bidding -- this was at the core of her cause and the meaning of her life. A stealth infiltration suggested fear and submissiveness; she would clearly have neither. Leaving her mark in blood, shed openly, wasn't mere slaughter or self-indulgence.

It was an act of war.

"I wasn't listening, you're right. I saw only the surest road to the goal, not the truest. And even there I'm sure your vision is keener than mine. I have... much to learn, even more to un-learn, and I fear I'm not yet a very apt pupil." Mephisto flexed his fingers, feeling the muscles in his arm tense and loosen. Would he be a coward, hiding behind his weakened state and desire to keep his false mortal name unconnected to tales of murder and dark powers, letting her stride into battle on her own against come-what-may?

No... no he would not.

"You don't need me, in any way, to in this fight." He admitted with no small chagrin. "You have more than enough strength, power, and resolve on your own, I have no doubt. No doubt whatsoever." The demon paused. "You said earlier that I'd not failed you, but myself. I'd rather not fail so again, given the chance. Make use of me -- even in my current state I can still fight, at least enough to occupy some of them and speed your road to Juviel's sister. I may be all the worst things you surely think of me... but all I ask is the chance to see this through."

Please... He thought it, almost too ashamed in himself to say it. It struck him strangely for a moment how he'd gotten this way; not long ago he'd sought the approval of no one, not even his own kind, and bowed his thoughts to no notion of shame or remorse. Her effect on him was incredible, terrifying, and awe-insiring. He wanted her so desperately to affirm him...

... what was going on in his head? He wasn't even sure anymore.

[November]

Belle looked over her shoulder with a steady expression, still waiting for Juviels answer, so that they could move forward with this. Personally, she wanted it done. The Grand Duke couldn't be kept waiting, and if he was separated from his trinket for long then her whole plan would come crashing around her head. Although, she had estimated he would be doing fine, for a month or so, before he really started to notice that he had lost a little more than a necklace. This whole thing now had her tied to Connloath, and although she would prefer to avoid the constant trips and backpedaling, there wasn't much for it. At least now she had Mephisto as her anchor outside that place. Her eyes gleamed at him with no hint of an intent. "You can bet all the coin in the world I will make use of you. In one way or another. Still need to grow back that arm though."

Turning back, once again, to her sooted Blacksmith, with all her unbridled will and dusty charm, she asked again. "So, what'll it be? The sooner the better. If you would prefer to think for an hour or so that it fine. Either way, I head for the manor after dark." Belle's towering figure loomed over the stocky woman. It occurred to her that Juviel might have gotten more than she had bargained for, with both Mephisto and her. With their constant back-chatting, and almost childish squabbling. Though, even through all that, without Belle, it was likely this whole charade would have cost her soul. Now, that wasn't the case. The she-demon had her own plans, and it would not see the Devil take the soul of this woman, or any woman, if she could help it.

Mephisto saw himself as her student, that she was there to guide him to something more than he could see, but that simply wasn't true. Her student was before her. The dirty, blackened woman with a heart and head as hot as her forge, and her arms as strong as the metal she worked. If she wanted to, at the end of this night, try to be given the seed of the demons power, then she would let it be so. Belle would free her of her mortal coil, and into something more, if she wished. Either way, she would not hold it against her. It was her choice. Likely, it was the only choice she had ever had.

[Nascent]

"No need for that." Juviel assured her, hands on her hips. She looked at Belle, really looked, taking in all that simmering fury and hell-bent purpose. "Would you need an hour to think on it? I don't imagine so, hm? Besides," The blacksmith turned to look back at the house. "I've been readying myself for this for a very long time. I'm packed and ready; just have to grab my bag." She looked at Belle with a nod and a smile that betrayed just a hint of the vengeful bloodlust and dire purpose that was going through her mind.

"Back in a minute."

True to her word, Juviel was back with the two of them very shortly, hefting a pack that was almost as big as she herself... and jogging towards them like it weighed next to nothing. It sounded like she had a full suit of armor packed in there; what's more, as she got close the long handle of what Mephisto guessed to be the warhammer she'd mentioned earlier could be seen sticking out of one corner of her pack. He couldn't help but raise an impressed eyebrow -- Juviel certainly meant business.

"Right then," She re-centered the pack on her shoulders as she came to a stop near Belle. "We can get a team of horses and a cart at one of the farms at the edge of town. I just need to ask; I know the farmer's wife pretty well and she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to raise the old sod's blood pressure a bit. From there it's just a few hours to the manor, halfway between here and Ilaceth. It's set on a lot of land and basically a small castle, for all intents and purposes. C'mon, let's go!"

And with that the blacksmith set off down the winding path with a bounding, purposeful step.

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

M U S I C A L  S H I F T
Sherlocked
from the Sherlock OST

The manor was exactly as Juviel had described, a castle in miniature. With the dark setting in the last rays of daylight fell upon it, the place casting a shadow that seemed exaggerated and completely out of proportion to its real size. Glowing pinpricks -- sentinels carrying torches, no doubt -- could be seen from the vantage point Juviel had chosen on a nearby tree-covered hill, the manor's guards patrolling the grounds and standing watch on the tower and balconies. Light streamed out of the windows and the distant echo of laughter and merriment within could be heard as well.

Crouched and peering at the building, Mephisto scanned everything with both his eyes and other senses. There were guards with torches, yes, nearly a dozen in fact... and twice that many laying hidden in the trees and brush and shadows, their presence unannounced. He could sense a nervous tension in their souls -- not fear, per say, but anticipation. The kind of heavy-handed repose one would expect of professionals. And within the manor was a stew of human sentiment, all manner of emotions flowing together. There were drunkards drowning themselves in drink, revelers reveling, businessmen plotting and calculating and worrying, more guards with minds stoic and reserved...

... there were those crying out in silent anguish, abused and taken advantage of. There were others lost in pleasure and "conquest". In amongst them were individuals with a ready sense of anticipation in their minds, likely members of the family itself who'd been preparing for Juviel's act of reprisal. And somewhere in all of it was Elise, Juviel's sister. Would that but one of the attendees were to speak his name he might've been able to overhear something that would help, but that name fell from no lips here. Unsurprising; morality plays weren't much in favor by the likes of the Rasaldanis and their kith.

"We are expected." Mephisto turned and looked at Belle with a telling nod.

"All the better." Juviel spat, doing her best to hold still as members of the troupe fastened buckles and tied knots. The armor she'd brought wasn't just anything, as it turned out; dark as the falling gloom and darker still, her full-body suit of ebony plate was a thing to behold. Juviel had certainly not been mastering the smith's trade just to make coin -- it had been years at least since Mephisto had seen armor with quite so much skill put into its production. "I hope they soil themselves, the bastards."

With the final strap in place she flexed, testing the weight and feel of her midnight second-skin. Satisfied, the blacksmith-warrior slung on the sword-belt she'd propped up against a nearby tree, steel short sword bound within its sheath. Next came a hefty ebony shield that looked like it could break a man in half through sheer force of weight, and at last a jet-black warhammer that gleamed and glistened darkly in the dying sunlight. She was ready; Mephisto could sense it in her mind. Utterly and completely resolved -- not calm, but certainly focused, steeling her nerves with images of violence and much-deserved retribution... and the thought of being reunited with her sister again.

Taking a deep breath, the plate-clad woman turned to Belle. "Whatever happens tonight... thank you. For helping me. For believing in me. I just want you to know I'm grateful."

[November]

As he watched, so did she. Pin pricks of fiery red and yellow against a blue background. There were a lot of people, certainly. But guards came first. It wasn't highly likely that these 'business men' knew how to fight, and if they ever had, well, it seems they had other matters on hand. Just the echo of roaring laughter was enough to set the she-demons heart ablaze with fury. She could almost feel the pain from inside that building, shouting, screaming, desperate to be heard over the ignorant laughter. Belle eyed her armor-plated blacksmith with a curious eye. There was a woman not fit for sneaking about a manor. She intents were good, but, still. Although Belle knew the chances of remaining unseen were low, it was even lower if her shadow weighed more than she did. Then she set her eyes on Mephisto. "As it obvious. Covered from every side, as it should be." Her hood was up, her face shrouded. Somewhere in the lingering depths of her mind, there was a mask to be called upon at a moments notice.

Aiming her words back at their tank, Belle spoke of her more imminent concern. "Juviel, honestly, getting in there and taking out the guards as quickly and silently as possible is going to be hard when you're as heavy as that." Belle starting placing a hand on everything that was individual. "So, we'll save this, alright?" And then...the armor was gone, replaced with the under-layers to stop the armor rubbing. It was dark, and weighed little. "At the moment, our priority is getting inside without being seen, but killing everyone on the way is the idea, too. Once we're inside, and the majority of threats eliminated, you have have that back. Remember, we make too much noise taking out their crew, and you'll be putting your sister in danger." And then, Belle handed her a dagger, simple in design, and placed and gentle hand on her check. Belle climbed into that mind, and calmed her down. "This isn't just about revenge. Not for you."

She eyed Mephisto again. There wasn't a way in hell she was going to go back on her words about him not coming with them. She was too stubborn to say outright that he might be useful. For a moment, she watched him survey the area, before she got up, silently with her boots muffling her steps. "Give me a second." Her whispered words to Juviel, giving her a moment to readjust to her new role. Grabbing Mephisto, she pulled him away, before pushed him against one of the trees, her forearm pressed against his neck, their line of sight to and from Juviel broken. Her voice came harsh and low "Look, I'm only going to say this once and good GODS you better listen to me so keep those ears sharp, boy." She pressed against him. "If things turn nasty, and I mean REALLY nasty, I will call for you, so bare that in mind. Even if Juviel is screaming your name at the top of her lungs, you will not come. No matter what happens otherwise, you stay here. Got it?" Her eyes burned a vicious blue from behind the hood. "You put me in charge, and I'll admit if I screw it up, but you will listen to me, and you will do as I say."

[Nascent]

Her meaning was such that, had a lightning bolt carved it into a mountainside right in front of him and every herald from here to Connlaoth repeated it verbatim to him on a daily basis, it couldn't have been any clearer. There was an impossible silence and stillness that passed between them, his gaze fluxing from mild shock to disappointment, and wordlessly he nodded. There wasn't even the possibility of double or hidden meanings in Belle's words right then, after all, nothing to second-guess or mystify him.

And she could sense it in his mind. He would wait, perched like a hawk -- a second set of eyes and senses that she could use, but otherwise uninvoloved.

Despite how much it pained him to sit by on the sidelines.

Juviel, meanwhile, was testing the dagger Belle had placed in her hands, adjusting to its weight. Light. Very, very light. There was a slight pout to her expression, as though someone had taken away her favorite toy and replaced it with a stick, but she didn't complain. Belle was right, after all... though, truth be, she had zero experience when it came to sneaking around. Part of her was terrified of stepping on a twig or breathing too loudly and suddenly finding a dozen arrows sticking out of her. Subtle wasn't a thing she really knew how to do. Seeing Belle and Mephisto 'otherwise occupied' just out of sight, she hesitated for a moment and then turned to the nearest troupe demon.

"Any of you think you can teach me the whole sneaky-stabby thing?"

The masked demons looked at one another, seeming to communicate wordlessly through a series of slight gestures and head tilts. Then, all as one, they leapt back and vanished into the trees -- not literally, but hiding in trees and bushes and wherever else was suitable. One of them popped out and gestured for her to follow, as if inviting her to play.

The blacksmith, amused at the impish antics, grinned. Dagger in hand, she set off after her "opponents", crouching low and sticking to the shadows.

[November]

Truth told, she wasn't in the mood to sympathies with him and his self-pity. He would sit this one out because she had said so, that's all he needed to know. Even if it bored him to death, he would have to do it, she had demanded it of him while he'd been slipping quickly back into his habits. He would listen, and he would take her seriously, even if it meant putting him on the naughty step for a few hours. Juviel didn't seem too bothered, and was more than happy to let Belle run this thing instead. A woman was more trusting of another woman. She'd only wanted the power he could give her, and Belle was offering it at less than his asking price, her soul.

"Good. Glad we understand each other." She shoved him back into the tree as she pushed away from him, and left him, walking back around to Juviel, once more lifting a curious eyebrow to the strange and almost hyper woman. "Just stay behind me, you'll be fine. I know it's a bit out of play for you, but the chances are your sisters life is resting on how long we can go undetected."

Belle pulled her hood forward slightly, from nowhere she threw one at the blacksmith, and ordered the troupe to do the same. "You have very simple orders. Eliminate all of the guards outside of the house with discretion and care. After that, infiltrate the manor with equal discretion." The she demon turned around to face the manor, the lights from the windows shining out into the darkness. "We don't crash their party until I say so." Looking over her shoulder, she cast a glance at the young Blacksmith. "You will come with me. We will take the two front guards at the gate. I can dispose of the bodies easily enough."

"Tonight you get your revenge, and I hold true my promise that you will see your sister." With that Belle sunk low into the shadows, and began to calculate. She could get this done in two hours, at least, if nothing went horribly wrong, which she was counting on. Or she'd have just as many pride-inflicted wounds to tend to as Mephisto. If there's one thing Belle wanted to avoid, it was pandering up to him. She would never say that she was sorry. 

[Nascent]

S C E N E   M U S I C
Battery
from Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory soundtrack

Juviel donned the hood Belle had given her, its shadow casting her face in darkness from which her eyes gleamed with a focused expression. At her command the panoply of the troupe shifted, all five of them re-emerging from their hiding places with their hoods larger and more simple than they'd been before, dangling jester-tails and faux-bells. And once Belle had given them their marching orders they shifted yet again, this time in color, blending like chameleons with their environs and stalking out into the falling dusk.

And so it began.

Silently, bodies fell. As the infiltrators fanned out, using Mephisto's soul sense to guide them to their quarry, they took positions and made quiet approaches. Many of the guards in hiding were armed with crossbows, meant no doubt to spring from ambush if one of the torch-bearing guards were assaulted -- but since no one was watching the crossbowmen, ending them was a simple matter. With nary a rustle of leaves necks were snapped, throats slit, bodies dragged into underbrush and concealed. The five worked silently on their designated targets, leaving Belle and Juviel their chosen prey.

It wasn't done fast, but it was done well and discreetly. At length the lesser demons had swept the premises of the guards in hiding and began coordinated assaults on the torch-bearers. According to the presence of their foes they struck, sometimes alone with a single sharp blow from nowhere, other times in two or three to take down and mute a patrol before any alarm could be sounded. Those guards near doors were quickly replaced, the troupe assuming the guise of their victims, torches and all, to avoid suspicion. Everything went well.

The way was clear, save for the two guards Belle had indicated. The interior of the manor awaited.

Mephisto watched from his reluctant perch, a scowl on his face but altogether focused, unmoving and thoughtful. The Rasaldani family's security wasn't bad, per say, but certainly less than he'd been expecting. The ambush they'd laid was decent but by no means inspired -- it could have been overcome or circumvented in any number of ways. Perhaps they'd underestimated Juviel; it seemed likely. They certainly couldn't have anticipated she would have assistance at this level, anyway. And no one inside seemed yet to have the vaguest suspicion of the attackers descending on them.

Then why did something feel... off?

Through the eyes of his troupe Mephisto could see glimpses into the manor through doorways and windows. It was everything one would expect from a rich crime syndicate family's home -- lavishly decorated and adorned, brilliantly lit with chandeliers and various arcane luminants, servants and guests milling about. The main entrance hall, a two-floor affair with a double staircase, had some people present but not many. If Belle's intention was to get in that way it would be rather open but lightly defended at best. Nothing seemed off, from what he could gauge, but the nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

What was he missing??

[November]

Whatever Mephisto felt, she felt too. Something was off. Not quite right. Nothing was wrong, exactly, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Just like him, Belle was having a hard time pinning down whatever was off. Either way, she couldn't let it rule her thoughts too much, after all, she had a job to do. No matter what arose from this situation, they would deal with it as it came. She just hoped that it wouldn't mean calling on Mephisto. That would wound her pride enough, and she wasn't willing to swallow it just yet. Not until she had something on her trophy set for him to see.

Seeing the bodies drop around the manor, she kept a close eye on the movements of Mephistos little gang. Somewhere, she didn't quite trust them. Maybe it was the way they were all him, in some way, they moved and thought as one. Belle wasn't exactly comfortable with that idea, obviously.

She kept an eye of Juviel, and they kept close to the exterior wall of the Manor, slowly working their way around, keeping deep within the shadows. They came to the corner, the bodies of the two guards appearing plainly from the other side, at the gate. For good measure, she leaned over, peering out slightly, just to get a better idea of the space. They were a good few meters apart. Belle jumped the small wall, not but 3 feet tall, hidden behind it as she crept along in it's small, but suitable shadow. "Follow me." Her voice a low whisper to the other woman as they both moved quickly and silently.

When they reached the gap, where the two guards where standing, the she-demon indicated wordlessly for her to stay there, before vanishing, a reappearing on the other side of the entrance in the shallow wall, dagger in hand. She gave Juviel a knowing stare, putting her spare hand to her mouth, and the dagger to her neck. When her message looked received, she raised three fingers. A count down and strike. Muffle them, slit theirs throats. And that is what they did. On zero, Belle rose from the shadow, first placing her hand to the guard mouth and pressing down, pulling him low into the shadows, then mercilessly took the dagger up, drawing it across the soft skin. She let him bleed out quickly, without taking her hand from his mouth, so that he could not raise alarm. When he fell loose, the body vanished, and when Juviel had completed her task, Belle placed a hand on him, and he too, vanished.

It seemed that they had no guards manning the outside of the door. Interesting. Not a good idea. They made their way up to the walls of the house itself, backs against the stone pillars. She turned to Juviel "How well can you climb?" The question was quiet, and the intent obvious. Juviel shrugged somewhat. "Fairly decently." Belle nodded in response, looking up at the balcony, empty. The upper floor was certainly emptier than the lower one, as so she began effortlessly climbing until she reached the open plain, and peered inside. They would be just above the entrance hall. "Perfect." Belles voice came almost joyfully, as she pried open one of the windows. "Clear out the hall from above. Plaster the place in blood." Stepping inside silently, there was one person to her left, taken out silently, in the same manner as the guards.

Belle then did something curious. And began to pull the body back through the window. Lifting the bloodies corpse over her shoulder, staining her own clothes, she looked down below the balcony, and grinned, summoning a large amount of rope, she tied one end around one of the juts in the stonework of the balcony, and on the other end, tied a noose, that she wrapped around the bodies neck. Throwing the body from the high place, Belle slid down the rope, before knocking on the door, and rushing back up to meet Juviel. "Quick, quick, GO!"

And by the time the guards opened the door to see the lifeless, bloody, body hanging, Belle and Juviel would already have taken out any witnesses, starting from the outside in, covering any doors. Belle took both the guards by the neck and pressed them against either wall, lifting them off of the ground. "So." She spat, clothes showing signs of blood. "Where are your Masters, you pitiful dogs?"

[Nascent]

Watching her handiwork through the eyes of his minions, Mephisto couldn't help but crack a smile and laugh somewhat at the maneuver Belle employed to get the drop on the guards. She was, without a doubt, just as brilliant in combat as she was in everything else he'd seen from her.

The guards, unfortunately, were not quite in such a position to admire her handiwork -- as they were about to become it. Juviel, sticking as close as she could to Belle's side, watched as the armored men squirmed and flailed helplessly against Belle's strength. To be like her... to be able to take her own fate by the reins with that kind of power...

"There's no need for that, ladies."

M U S I C A L   S H I F T

The disembodied voice rang through the room -- male, refined, entitled, self-assured -- and, it seemed, completely aware of the entire situation. A quick glance around the room would note tiny spheres on the sconces and furniture glowing with the pale blue light of previously unseen magics. A hazy glow in the air coalesced as a spectral bluish-white image took shape: a young man, all groomed appearance and opulent clothes, striding around and examining the carnage. The image flitted from place to place, seeming to blink into and out of being at will. His expression was a mixture of bemused and scornful, as though mocking the dead for their incompetence. "What a waste. Of money, I mean. But I suppose at the end of the day you've actually saved me a fair bit of payroll, haven't you."

The image blipped to where the two staircases meet, the man bowing in mock civility. "I am Facin Rasaldani, and you've made quite a mess in my house. Uninvited too, I might add. But nonetheless, welcome."

The projection blipped again, this time appearing in front of Juviel who, startled, took a swing at it with her blade before even fully realizing the reflex had taken her. The weapon passed harmlessly through, just making the arcane image waiver slightly like gelatin. "You must be Juviel, then. We've been expecting you. You're here for your... sister, I believe?"

"DAMN RIGHT!" She spat, anger quickly displacing the moment of surprise. "Where is she, you bastard?"

"Ah ah ah," Facin waggled a finger. "All things in due time. She's unharmed, I assure you, and will remain that way. You see, she's far too valuable to me, for a... number of reasons. You, however," His demeanor soured significantly. "Are a loose thread, one that must be cut like any loose thread, for the good of the garment."

"And I see you were at least smart enough to bring a hired hand. Quite some work, dear lady. My organization could use someone of your talents. Would you be interested in--"

[November]

Eyeing their new company over her shoulder, she cracked a wicked grin that made the two captives pause their futile attempts to escape her hands. "No need to answer that question then." Her words came, almost pleased, and with a swift movement, the two guards slumped to the floor, lifeless. Belle turned to face him, full on, pulling down her hood. Stepping forward, the demoness lightly pushed Juviel behind her, taking charge and calming her down. She didn't need Juviel going berserk where it wasn't necessary. When he spoke, he addressed her with some intent to 'introduce' her into their stockpile of goods. Before he could finish, the ancient woman let out a roaring laughter.

"AHAHAHAHHA"

"First off...hired hand? What do you take me for? The likes of your ilk? Hardly." Then she continued to laugh, apparently genuinely amused at this pompously dressed fancy-man. "Your 'organization' could not use the likes of me at all, as is evident by how many of your likes are currently dead. Although, their blood makes for suitable battle paint, don't you agree, man?" Belle moved on, passing through the magical hologram. "Not that I care all that much. Why should I listen to a man too afraid to show himself, and makes himself up with magic tricks." She flicked her hand up with a dismissive gesture. "Not that I give many of your kind much in the way of attention, I'm certainly not going to give a damn about one guy with no spine."

Reaching the top of the staircase, she took a moment to examine all of the open space. There were still people in the house, and by now they all knew. Belle's act deceived her mind, thinking about the situation. Thought they hadn't managed to get to the main all undetected, Mephistos little gang of freaks lay in waited, as far as she could see, unnoticed.  She opened her arms wide, smiling manically back down. "I'm just a humble serial murderer, who happens to have a strong dislike of people like you. Unless you'd propose a proper deal, in person, I'm not very likely to take you seriously. But, I don't think you're really interested in my 'abilities' enough to warrant that. I'd just kill you anyway." Then she shrugged. "Besides, I don't get my kicks from gold."

"JUVIEL" Belle called from the top of the steps, opening one of the doors leading to a hallway. "Lets get going. These people aren't going to drop dead themselves!"

[Nascent]

The look on Facin's face as Belle unleashed her war of words against him was somewhere between confusion, horror, and fascination. His illusory presence watched Belle with all the inquisitive caution one would give to a wild tiger -- very much beguiled but equally afraid, and unsure which impulse to follow. He also looked like someone had completely pulled the expensive gold-weave rug right out from under him... a position he clearly wasn't all that comfortable with.

And as Belle headed deeper inside both she and Mephisto would quickly feel the manor begin to practically churn with urgency, fear... and, uncomfortably, resolve. It seemed that Belle's homicidal tendencies hadn't yet broken the Rasaldani's confidence. Both were about to be tested.

Compared to the guards awaiting them the sellswords and marksmen outside were mere chaff; here the two women warriors met foes made significantly more of steel. As patrons of the house fled before the woman in blood-splattered wargear warriors who were likely just as expensive as the costly armor and weapons they bore came solo and in packs of two and three to end Belle's advance. These weren't rank amateurs but hardened veterans, most even wielding enchantments of various forms or bringing spellfire into the fight. None of them went quietly to their ends... yet all went, nonetheless.

It would be in a richly ornamented ballroom hung with tapestries and paintings that the two would find the cowering Facin... though, strangely, not cowering. Surrounded by what seemed a team of his four best retainers the pompous son of criminality stood, glaring despondently at the two as if heartily dissapointed, a shimmering rapier-blade sparking and searing with magical electricity in one hand and the other on his hip. At the edges of the room, behind pillars and food carts guests cowered, seemingly hesitating between staying their (terrified) ground and leaping out a window.

"Got you now, you bloody animal." Juviel, still following behind Belle, glared right back at him with murderous intent. The team of fighters flexed their arms and bared their weapons, although whether from confidence or fear was an open question indeed.

"You're one to talk." Facin retorted. "You could have spent the rest of your days in whatever 'freedom' killing and running got you, but like a savage dog you've sniffed around until you smelled blood. Now all you can think about is spilling more."

"YOU TOOK MY SISTER FROM ME!" The blacksmith shouted, pointing her blade from across the room. "You took my family and my LIFE from me! Now I'm taking it BACK!"

He shook his head, looking over at Belle. "Poor sad delusional child. She really thinks she can change the world rescuing her sister. And I'll warrant you think you can change something by killing 'people like me'." He swept the blade back aggressively, tracing its edge across the floor -- it seared and blackened, lightning arcs reaching out to caress the varnished surface in an unsteady streak of light. "You're both completely out of your depth."

"ENOUGH! WHERE. IS. SHE?"

"No need to shout... dear sister."

M U S I C A L    S H I F T
Ressurected Player
from Umineko OST

From behind one of the ballroom's pillars a hand was raised... and from that hand shot forth a javelin of ice aimed directly at Belle. In the next breath the hand's owner stood, whirled into plain sight, and sent two more icy bolts towards the demoness. The figure that appeared was a woman in a gown that was a confusing and resplendent cross of a formal gown and a mage's robes, arcane runes and glyphs woven in silver thread onto navy-blue satin. From beneath a crowned hood gazed two dark blue eyes that could almost pass for black, stylized tresses of auburn hair fixed in flowing waves by ornamental silver pins and thread cascading out the sides of it like twin waterfalls of amber. There was a cold reserve about the woman, a calculating bearing... and it was no surprise that she'd fixed Belle as her target.

"Elise...?" Juviel, eyes wide, stared into the gaze of a sister she didn't know.

A sister who openly sided with the Rasaldani.

[November]

When Juviel sister appeared along with the javelin, Belle wasn't given enough time to be left in a stunned silence. It looked as if the spear of Ice was about to get the best of the she-demon, but she vanished, re-appearing just a little ahead of herself, leaving the icy shard to splinter behind her. And then she was stunned. This was...unprecedented and unexpected. Belle didn't even have a retort for this, not witty lines, no damning words. It felt like even she had been betrayed by a sister. But no, that wasn't it at all.

But she remembered. She remembered tearing down her own mother when she had needed to, and every other spineless woman, and she smiled. "Alright then." The blonde haired woman stepped forward, one step after the other, grinning with eyes that promised death, holding out her hand, her Halberd came at her call. Then she put a foot down, heavy on the floor and her whole attire began to change from the feet up in a steady slew of power. "You seem ready for a fight, and I will not disappoint. This changes absolutely nothing." Her eyes glanced towards Juviel. "Not for me at least." Her transformation completed somewhat slowly, theatrically, she continued forward, in bridled, unhinged. She had showed a moment of reflection, and nothing had changed. "I have lived for many of your lifetimes, and I have never once been out of my depth. Maybe I seek to change things...maybe I just enjoy killing." Belle ran a her free hand through her hair, pulling in away from her face.

Stopping not even 10 foot from her opponents, she readed herself, and her weapon, hungry for their flesh, thirsty for their blood. She was making a pledge, a bet, and she let Mephisto know, whispering his name quietly, but he could not come to her, only hear her. "If a lowly dog like you and his fleas manage to get the better of me-"  Looking Facin, and then Elise in turn, in the eye, there was no doubt as to the seriousness of her proposal. "Then you can keep me. Use me as you will, do with me what you will." Looking over to Juviel, Belle called to her. "Seems like your job is done here." The readied demon rolled her shoulders. Right now, all she could rely on was her own skill. She had no offensive powers, no magic at her finger tips. But she was a demon, their vanilla magic would fail to harm her either way.

She decided to repeat her terms, loud and clear, to everyone who would be so kind as to lend their ear "If you defeat me, you attain what will be your greatest asset, without compromise." Her hold on the Halberd tightened. She couldn't afford to loose. "If I win?" The woman sneered, shrugging slightly. "Well..." She paused. "You'll all be dead, anyway."

[Nascent]

"Pshaw. like a self-professed homicidal maniac could be trusted to --" Facin began to speak. He did not, however, get the chance to finish... Juviel had had enough.

"SHUT. THE. HELL. UP. ALL OF YOU!!" Infuriated, clearly distraught, and with tears forming in her eyes the blacksmith slammed her fist against the nearest ornate column, expressing her anger but doing nothing ultimately but make her hand sore. Her eyes locked on Elise, expression wounded and confused almost beyond measure. "Just stop for one damn minute... for gods' sakes."

"Why?" The word was expressed with years of weight and torment behind it. There was a pleading to her tone, the kind borne by a child when they don't understand why they have to be punished... or by the survivors of tragedies struggling to understand. She looked like she was straining for words for a few moments, trying to put together her thoughts with greater clarity... but at length all she could find was to ask again. "Why, Elise...?"

And for just a moment, Elise's expression softened. There was just a touch of pity in her eyes. "Juviel..." And then they hardened again. "You were always just a bit naive, sister, thinking that the world was full of fairy-tale endings and mystical whimsy."

"Now, perhaps, you see the true color of things."

"That man," Juviel pointed at Facin with her free hand, trembling just slightly. "Butchered Ma and Pa -- murdered them in the middle of the night! It may not have been his hand on the blade, or his fathers', but they ruined our lives! And you're--"

"Ruined your life, Juviel." Elise, correcting her, strode over to Facin with an almost casual air, giving Belle a glare of cold indifference as she did. "There's no denying the brutality of that night. However, it was all just business."

"BUSINESS?!?"

"Yes. Father owed a great sum of money and assumed, wrongly, that since the man he owed it to was in jail at the time he no longer had to pay. He never told us about the debt, but while you were off pretending to be a magical princess day in and day out I was listening helping with the farm. I heard things, dear sister, saw what the drink did to him and how untouchable he thought he was. He was given ample warning -- Facin's father was nothing if not direct."

"None of that makes one damn bit of--"

"LISTEN to yourself! You think you're on some kind of crusade!" Elise scowled. "You remember that night as when you lost everything -- I remember it differently." She placed her hand on Facin's shoulder. "What happened was just cause and effect. Father put everything up as collateral for the debt and when it came time to pay he recanted, refused to honor it. Why shouldn't they have taken everything from him?"

"Even his LIFE?! Even Ma's life?!"

"An example had to be made." Elise's ice-cold gaze bore down on her sister with cold superiority. "No witnesses could be left. Unfortunate, but necessary."

Juviel could only stare, slack jawed, upon hearing those words. It was as though her entire world had just been pulled out from under her. "You... you can't be her... no, you CAN'T be!"

"I AM, Juviel! Open your eyes!" Elise made a fist and sparks of frost magic flared around it. She then pointed at her sister. "On that night I was liberated from an old drunkard's drudgery and into something far greater that I could EVER have been on that miserable pig sty of a farm! You always dabbled with the idea of magic, thinking yourself gifted... but what your family couldn't see this one did!" She placed her hand on her chest. "I bear the gift of magic, Juviel -- something Facin's father realized the moment he looked at me. I was given the best tutors, the best spell-tomes..."

She placed an affectionate hand on Facin's shoulder. "They accepted me in, made me all but royalty. Back on that farm I was powerless against fate, destined to spend the rest of my days in the fields and the mud while you pranced around with your head in the clouds, dreaming up imaginary spells and rituals that meant nothing to anyone. I was going to be married off to a goat herder!" The fury in her gaze was almost a match for Juviel's earlier fire. It cooled, somewhat, as she turned her gaze partially to Facin, watching Belle out the corner of her eye. "Things are different now."

"Indeed, my wife speaks true." Facin said; the word 'wife' hit Juviel like a ton of bricks and she visibly recoiled at the realization. "You think our family are monsters, but we are no more monstrous than any who succeed in this world."

"You.... YOU!" Juviel's head was spinning now, caught somewhere between blinding rage, crippling loss, and feeling like she was going to be sick. She leaned against the nearby pillar for support as she spoke. "They let me be RAPED Elise! OVER and OVER! Sold like a damn cut of beef to whoever wanted to use me! And you... you let them... you let them keep me thinking... that they were doing... the same thing to you! You..."

"Placed that knife in the room." Elise looked coldly at her once-sister. "On the night you escaped."

"... What...?!"

"I never forgot you, dear sister, but you simply weren't ready to accept the way the world worked. You think yourself poorly treated but you endured far less than others. Father's debts could not be ignored, not entirely. Even tonight you can still be spared if you just--"

"SHUT UUUUUUP!!" Juviel slumped, no longer able to ignore the unsteady shaking in her legs. All her strength and most of her anger was gone, leaving her just feeling violently ill and reeling from numerous blows to her psyche. Yet when she turned to look at Belle, it was with all the resolve she could muster.

"Please. Kill them."

"All of them."

[November]

It seemed that very quickly Belle was caught up in some kind of family drama that she really didn't need to know. Juviel was hurt, hurt more than in a way she could ever recover from. Her sisters attempts to tell her she had it better than most due to her 'interventions' were laughable. There was no real care. Her sister had simply sold them out, for her own gain. But at the same time, it wasn't unlike Belle to have done something similar. Elise had done so in order to create a better life for herself. To become all she could become, not simply some grimy mans trophy. In doing so, however, she had just fallen back into the hands of one. For a few fleeting moments, Belle was torn...

...coming down to it, however, there was one thing Belle would not, could not , tolerate. Abandoning sisters. Whether you were sisters by blood or not. For the most part, women could only trust other women. To Belle this was a vile misconduct, one that would revoke her sympathy. So, before them, they would see the true nature of Belle. In all her glory, and all her fire.

Her eyes turned red, pools of blood and roses, nails turning black tearing through the fabric of the gloves into vicious claws. Twisting horns grew from her skull, skin paling. There was a demon in her eyes, and an anger so pure it was terrifying. It made up her entire being, she would show no mercy. An air of terror overcame everything in the room. She was something far from natural, and her existence tore at the space around her. She vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving not a sign or a trace, not a hint as to where she was going. Appearing again not a few seconds later, behind the noble man, Halberd raised high to strike her fury with all hellfire behind her, seeking to cleave him in two with the sharpened pole arm.

As the battle began, her senses were on full, noting every move, every thought in the room. She would bee one step ahead, always. One toe that much more forward, that much more determined to kill them all and leave the hall a mess of blood. There was no time to drag Juviel chosen monsters behind. Just time to murder, and leave. Belle would not summon Mephisto little crew of demons. She would not summon him. This was a task given to her, and Belle would do her best to honor it, truly. This had turned to be more than it had appeared, and Belle tried not to care too much. Simply, a woman who deceive another woman should face death. A woman who needs a man to realize her goals...is weak.

And so must face death. 

[Nascent]

And death came.

With the room filled with the terror of Belle's transformation there was no real chance to respond to her in any way other than shock. The Rasaldani couple and their thugs had thought themselves to be merely dealing with a talented and deranged killer... they now found themselves sadly mistaken. Facin had just enough time to register that Belle had vanished when the demoness' weapon came down. His skull split, blood and cerebral fluids gushing forth as skin, bone, and brain meat were parted by impossibly sharp steel. And the stroke continued down, peeling the man open like a ripe fruit, sundering him from crown to groin and spilling all manner of gore out onto the ballroom floor.

The guards went sheet-white. The already trembling guests screamed and shrieked. There was the shattering of glass as someone, desperate to live, threw themselves out a window.

Even Juviel seemed shocked by the act's sheer level of destruction, tan face turning shades of green that barely seemed possible in the moments before she threw up.

"No..."

But of all the reactions in the room, of all the shock and terror, there was one that rose above the others. In the instant of her husband's death Elise's gaze had gone impossibly wide, pupils becoming mere pinpricks of black. Reacting on its own her body reeled back from Facin's now limp and lifeless mess. For a moment all she could do was tremble, eyes fixated on the devastated form of her lover. It was too sudden... too real. He'd always been so clever, so gifted, so shrewd... and now..

...now he was a pile of bloody organs, half a face staring up at her from where it had fallen at Belle's feet.

"NOOOO!!"

Something snapped in Elise's mind, something deep down. Everything she had ever strove for in life, all the money and opulence and acceptance she had cultivated... she had just watched it die in front of her. Anger swelled white-hot, but so did something beyond it, beyond reason and feeling. Beyond her ability to cope. Something impossibly primal clawed at her from within, looking down at that splattered corpse of the man she'd risen to greatness with. Everything was gone. Everything she'd worked so hard to build. Everything...

... except power. And as she drowned in a tide of fury and despair and terror swirling all around her, her mind latched onto the one thing she did, in fact, have left... and became, herself, a conduit for it.

The temperature in the room plummeted. From where Elise stood, stark winds burst forth, covering the floor in tendrils of frost at her feet. Magic burned in a bright-blue aura around her and, before they had the chance to react, Facin's guards would find themselves blasted back and frozen still with a wide burst of ice magic that had been meant for Belle.

Elise screamed, and magic flowed unchecked. Icicles burst into being on wall sconces and handrails and windowpanes, jutting out at unnatural angles like daggers of winter's invisible army. After that initial burst the mage wasn't even aiming anymore, quickly becoming the center of an icy maelstrom that buffeted the room with gale winds, hailstones, and random eruptions of magical energy. All control was lost, thrown aside, and her power ran rampant, everything she had poured into a single insane moment and a single desire: to KILL BELLE. Even Elise herself wasn't safe from what she was doing, thick layers of frost creeping with unsettling speed across her clothes, skin, and hair, tiny pieces breaking away as she bled power frantically. If she felt it, she didn't care. And whether or not she could sustain something like this for any longer than a few moments was irrelevant -- people were dying left and right.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"