Mirthholme Saga 1: A New Peril Beckons

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Kestrel had graciously accepted the strange material Scott had so casually handed to her, uttering thankful noises in his direction. She didn't really know what it was until she unfolded it and held it in front of her.

"Ah! Why, Mr. Sinclair! That was indeed quite quick-fingered of you. And I thought it might've taken a few days in making. You are certainly the most talented man I've met," she gushed, before looking at him a bit bemusedly, "ah but... how do I put it on?"

~~

Kestral's mind was already working. A forest, even one polluted with evil energy, contained a great deal of nature. Her assassin was very plantlike, much like Taharial in the skills department. It would be where the assassin's own powers were strongest, so...

Kestral listened carefully for them to finish. She knew about Evernight Forest. She had heard about the fall of it into the hands of evil, but didn't think much of it. And now? She wondered briefly about her assassin. The power she wielded was strong, and they'd demolished half her abode - a sky-scraping aerie - before she could rid herself of her.

"Joshua. Perhaps the others have already more information about who we're up against, but I'd like to know about any plant-mage assassins in the Reaping Lillies. Names, a vague appearance would be nice, even what they're capable of if it's been mentioned or heard of before," Kestrel said. Rubbing the fabric Scott gave her thoughtfully, she added, "I was targeted by such an assassin. It is likely she will strike again where her power is greatest. I'd like to be prepared if I do meet her again."

Alex interjected with his two-pence, and Kestrel smiled toothily.
"Wasn't that the point? Whether or not he's expecting us, sticking to a route and planning quickly and efficiently would be better than hastily changing plans. Besides, if we leave as soon as possible, it will give Dormand less chance to prepare for any possibilities of our routes and ambush us anyway."

[Overcast]

Scott palmed his face as Asche turned his own words against him. He fell to the floor dramatically as he pulled out two potions with anguish written on his face, both potions had skulls on them,

"Oh gods no! I've been outwitted by a demonic berserker. I shall ingest my most powerful poisons to escape the SHAME!"

He swallowed both bottles and fell to the floor...then got up again wiping his mouth off amused. Scritching at his scalp and realizing that the reason there was skull there last time was because he had worn away his scalp from constantly scratching there...bad habit,

"Nah, but you have a good point Asche, I figure we should try working together. I shall agree with Kestrel wholeheartedly from this point till the point when I can disagree to maintain my prideful demeanor."

He noted that Kestrel seemed to not know how to put on the garment. He giggled as he had a chance now to reveal his genius,

"Rather easily really, you just hit that metal part with a charge of electricity and it binds to you, it has been trained in all your forms so every time you change into one it will change with you. It is nearly weightless so you can fly with it on, and it won't be burnt by your abilities. It also is reactive so it won't be torn by conventional weapons. The downside is it retains no abilities as armor as a sacrifice for decency and fashion, but it will look very good on you."

He simply nodded at Alex as he asked for his assistance. He was a comrade, and by that extension a man who would be subject to his potions from this point on. He would just like to have a little bit of a list to know what he should be prepping for.

To be honest he had been to the forest before. where else could you find the regent, "zombified dragon blood?" Well you could make it in a lab, but nothing was quite like seeking out naturally occurring regents. This would be the first time the forest would be expecting him though, as a forest of natural evil he and it were kindred spirits in a way, but he didn't expect it to be any easier on him. It had never been before,

"So if we are set on our destination, and if preparations are well advanced, when do we believe departure may occur?"

[Astral Harmony]

Chapter 2: Fracas In the Forest

Departure had already occured.

Kestral had gotten the information she needed, but the weird thing was that it came from Mirika. Just who was that chick, anyways? At any rate, the one who killed Dylan and put Moraine into a coma was named Chlorona, a mandragora. To hear Mirika describe Chlorona to Kestral made it sound like she was describing Taharial. The powers possessed by the two plant-based individuals were quite similar.

"Here's one of her powers right here," Mirika said, kneeling next to a strange-looking flower. "Spyblooms. Chlorona must be using them to confirm that we're walking right into their trap. Well, better not keep her waiting."

But Chlorona wasn't the only one tracking their progress. At a great distance, a lovely platinum blonde woman in a maid costume followed their trek with a telescope. Only her head turned to keep them in her sights, but she lowered it slowly when the phone rang. "Huh?" she said, reaching into her cleavage and producing the phone. "This is Anne. May I help you, Master?"
"Where are they now?"
Anne raised the telescope and found them again. "They've left Port City Marldukes a few hours ago, Master. I am certain they are heading to Evernight Forest."
"All right, things are going as planned, then."

Anne sighed. Just what about all this made it his plan, anyway?
"I'll be in Tuscat Village shortly. I'd like you to be there before they get there, you got it?"
Anne lowered the phone. "Oh, how I wish I could end you."
"What was that?" the voice on the other end inquired.
Anne casually raised the phone to her ear. "I said 'It looks like a major ass-kicking is on the menu,' sir."
"That it is, Anne, that it is. There's no further need to keep tracking them. If they're going through Evernight, they will most certainly be coming to Tuscat soon. Report in as soon as possible."
"Understood, Master."

Anne put the phone away and took aim with her sniper rifle, targeting Mirika's bobbing head. "See you soon, old friend." she said, then without firing, she stored her guns away and began moving out.

-----

The trip was nostalgic to the point of being frustrating. Like many fantasy worlds in video games, pretty much everything attacked them the moment they left the city. But against the very best heroes destiny could favor, the scraps were quickly resolved and getting tiresome.

But they did get some excitement when seeing Mirika fight. At times wielding twin thin shortswords with skill that could easily surpass Mirthholme royal knight captains and at other times using the surreal-looking guitar that she transformed from the lute she was carrying before, Mirika was very deadly both closeup and at a distance.

Several boring hours of pointless battles later, the heroes plus Mirika beheld Evernight Forest with nearly tangible relief just as dusk was starting to settle over the land. "If there are Spyblooms, then your assassin is definitely awaiting us in there, Kestral." Mirika said. "Possibly more than just her. Let's exercise all due caution."

There was more fighting in the forest, but it was more scarce. Scarce than would have been usual for dungeon-like areas. "Yes, definitely more than one assassin here," Mirika murmured.
But where the hell were they? Nevermind, this was an ambush. They would wait in hiding until they had a perfectly good staging point.

And apparently, that was the only clearing in the entire forest, where they beheld no less than three assassins. They weren't hiding, but stood proudly near the other end of the clearing.

Asche beheld his pale-faced assassin, a beautiful girl with silvery hair and a noble demeanor. She wore an elegant dress and smiled warmly, her vampiric fangs jutting from her small mouth. It was Phrayke.
To Phrayke right was the one who put Kestral's friends Dylan and Moraine out of the picture, though Moraine was still fighting death. Her long green hair and violet skin matched well with the large green bulb and flower that swallowed her from the legs down. From the base of the bulb, four large green spider-like legs with blades running along the underside of them kept Chlorona's considerable weight held aloft.
Alex knew he saw his assassin without actually looking at her, but instead spotting the four katanas floating idly around her. Yukiko was an extremely powerful psionic, and she could masterfully wield at least a dozen killing implements independently. Her flame red kimono bore pale white butterfly designs and her black hair was done up in a bun.
They all had the tattoos on their thighs, but none of them possessed the other tattoo on their breast like Isabella had. They were in firm control of their own conscious actions, at least for right now.

All around the assassins and the heroes, strange yet sensual shapes appeared from behind trees and out of the murky water. Niflos Lusts. They were like assassins themselves, moving quickly and striking decisively. But they patiently waited just outside the clearing.

"Welcome, all of you." Phrayke said with a simple bow. "I blush at the sheer presense of so many esteemed personages. Truely, what a rare event to be able to stand here this wonderful evening and take part in the bloody slaughter that will stain this dew-moist clearing in crimson."
"Honestly, I don't like needless killing," Chlorona apologized to Kestral. "After all, what if someone wanted to hire us to kill your friends? Well, they're already dead, aren't they? And now those possible clients will have their contracts serviced without having had to sign it or pay an advance. I swear, it brings me no end of sorrow, and I shall extract every last disappointment in your quivering entrails."
"Look on the bright side, Chlorona-san." Yukiko said behind a small fan she fluttered. "High Chamberlain Dormond's ambitions are sure to draw out plenty of powerful enemies, which should suit us just fine. After all, if we can defeat those assembled before us here, then we can count on him asking us to deal with any threat to his grand design."

Phrayke readied her parasol. Asche knew better than to underestimate that parasol, or the frail and ladylike girl who wielded it. "En garde, honored Asche."
Chlorona reached to the ground and tore up a large scythe with a large, violet thorn as the blade. "C'mon, Kestral! I've been waiting for round two!"
Yukiko raised her right arm, and suddenly four shotguns flowed from where she has stored weapons and joined the katanas. "Honor me by dying like a warrior, Vorenthal-san."
Mirika readied her guitar. "Please take a look at this, everyone."



"We've got the assassins to ourselves at the moment," Mirika advised. "It won't stay that way for long, though. Be careful about sudden changes in the battle flow."

-----

Enemy Data: Phrayke - Boss-Rank Reaping Lillies assassin assigned to kill Asche. A noble vampire with lord-only-knows how many centuries of experience under her belt. Her parasol is full of all kinds of dark tricks, and her strength and speed make her a powerful nemesis all on her own.

Enemy Data: Chlorona - Boss-Rank Reaping Lillies assassin assigned to kill Kestral. She is the reason Dylan is dead and Moraine may never awaken from her coma. A mandragoran with a bloodlust towards humans and most other civilized races, Chlorona is quite possibly one of the deadliest in sentient plantlife.

Enemy Data: Yukiko - Boss-Rank Reaping Lillies assassin assigned to kill Alexander. A powerful psionic from the far east, Yukiko can independently and masterfully wielded perhaps dozens of weapons, making her somewhat superior to Alex in that she can use her own telekinetic powers to wield every weapon in her arsenal at once.

Enemy Data: Niflos Lust - Fodder-Rank denizens from the Niflos realm of war demons. Lusts are perhaps the only "easy on the eyes" demons in all of Niflos. Sexy, sensual, and sadistic, Lusts move with the grace, agility, and flexibility of true assassins and kill without mercy. Still, they don't bother with any of that stealth nonsense, making it quite easy to tell when you're all kinds of screwed.

[Overcast]

The random battles on the way through the forest had been dull and slightly longer than they should have been. Longer than they should have been because whenever someone asked Scott to participate more than firing his revolver at random things his answer was a loud and resounding,

"NO!"

He held his bag close and shifted his eyes neurotically. He gave the basics of healing to his comrades so they were always at top strength without massive fatigue, but he was not giving up the potions he may need in the big fight, which he KNEW was going to happen, just for the things you have to face in this forest. Though he was kept rather pleased by watching his comrades at fight. His personal favorite at the time was Asche, there was something about watching him cleave through opponent after opponent back to back that brought a smile to his face. Against the tiny men he was invaluable, for he didn't need to charge spells or cook potions after every fight. He just rested a little and the next group would meet the same gruesome fate. Quite a beautiful thing.

As soon as he saw the clearing he finally let his bag drop to his side as it typically was. For he saw the assassins. One of them had been explained in detail, Kestrel's own Chlorona. He dug into his bag and pulled out an odd orange liquid, he uncorked it and as a test let it hit the ground. The grass died. Yes this would work. He reapplied the cork and tossed it at her,

"Here! An herbicide, it should prove useful in keeping her at bay!"

Then there was the vampire, an easy thing to tell with that skin and those fangs, he would have to go to a potion he really didn't like owning. He dug in again and pulled out an oddly bright liquid that made him cringe for having made it. Though he was never one to enter a battle unprepared. It was made to be applied to weapons by forcing it to a jelly like consistency. He tossed it at Asche with gusto,

"Holy jelly! Apply to weapon for undead bane!"

He looked at the psychic. For a minute there he was stumped, what the hell could he do against a psychic? She was basically a human with special mind abilities, and humans didn't have any natural weaknesses besides being naturally weak. Something nullified by the brainpower of this bodacious bitch. He scritched as his bad habit made him and finally got an idea. Not a great idea, but the best one he could come up with. He reached into his bag and pulled out a potion with a large smiley face on it he tossed a potion at Alex,. It was Bonanza, typically a party potion made for when everybody was celebrating he figured in the right situation it was an annoying and distracting thanks to the loud noise, the bright lights, and the ridiculous amount of confetti. It might mess up her concentration, and concentration is necessary to do anything as a psionic. It wasn't much but it was all he had,

"Toss this at her before you attack! I can't assure it will help but it won't hurt!"

He fell back to a defensive stance keeping his eyes around, he took out some "deep burn" a fast acting acid for the Lust. He tossed them defensively, for he didn't like being surrounded, in the hopes of breaking their formation a bit. After all he wasn't expecting a hit, a potion isn't too hard to avoid.

[Naqel]

While everyone took their battle stances and Scott was passing some bottles around, Thar made his way to the front row.

In less than seconds, he was standing just a step in front of Mirika with his hands reached forward. From the tips of his fingers, countless arcs of electric energy started to flash in a chaotic dance of death. There was no aiming involved, just pure power coming from the world of gods.

After another few seconds, the show was over. Thar's fingers were slightly burned from the amount of power used, and he felt like casting even a spark more would kill him at this point...

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

"Ah, so like thi--gyAHAaaGH!" Kestrel's prod of curiosity with a static-laid talon ended in shock as the material instantly responded to the werehawk's magic. With a sigh, it leapt from her unsuspecting fingers and wrapped itself around her body in its silky mass. Kestrel froze, not sure whether to rip the thing off in reflex or see what it'll do to her.

She was pleasantly surprised when it settled about her in a fashionable dress piece of clothing. The fabric was like air that hugged her lavishly in the neat clothing. She gave it a bit of a cautious tug before flashing Scott a nervous smile...

~Catching Up to Speedish!~

So while Kestrel had spent most of her time hovering a small distance above the group, she had no trouble keeping the air grinders away from the party as they ventured forth into the frontier. She left the ground-pounders to the other people, mainly because she reckoned if she used her rapid-fire and supreme accuracy storm bow, the others might get a bit frustrated at her calling all the shots.

There was perhaps a pretty nifty moment where Mirika busted out a few ancient, yet well-known army song that Kestrel decided to sing lustily along with at the top of her voice. It was a little... odd to say the least when 'Blow My Brains to the Moon' and 'Take That Blade and Shove it' rolled easily off Kestrel's tongue while Mirika pulled out a few fantastic - and deadly - riffs.

The party was perhaps a little more cheeful after that - or maybe bashful. Kestrel didn't bother thinking much about that. It was good remembering the songs from her old army days, and it kept her from feeling the trepidation when they arrived near Evernight Forest.

But she remembered what happened last time she tried to get airborne in front of her assassin. It ended in a pretty damned big mess. So the moment they arrived at the entrance of Evernight Forest, she'd landed cautiously amidst the other heroes.

~~

"Honestly, I don't like needless killing," Chlorona apologized to Kestral. "After all, what if someone wanted to hire us to kill your friends? Well, they're already dead, aren't they? And now those possible clients will have their contracts serviced without having had to sign it or pay an advance. I swear, it brings me no end of sorrow, and I shall extract every last disappointment in your quivering entrails."

Kestrel lifted a leg as Scott tossed a potion at her. She caught it deftly between her flexible, clawed foot digits without even glancing at the alchemist, before flicking it expertly to her left hand. While the previous battles had seen Kestrel cheerily humming or singing and cracking small jokes in combat, this time her countenance had turned to steel and well-controlled fury. The wind picked up.

"Ok, look, cut the stupid dialogue and we'll get down to the frankness: you want me dead because you'll get paid for it - as well as fame - and I want revenge and blah blah blah. Let's just get on with it so we don't bore everybody else with useless-" here, Kestrel loosed two lightning bolts that were fired consequetively so fast it looked like they were fired at the same time, incinerating two Niflos Lusts that lurked around behind her - "- speeches. I will, however, let you make the first move, out of courtesy."

[Malkadocian]

It had been an extremely long journey from where they had started, to now where they were. First the battle in the port harbor... dinner... airship travel... and now Evernight Forest. He had kept to himself the entire time, pondering the meaning of what they were doing. Rescuing the child was well enough, he couldn't argue that. Stopping the flood of unnatural demons from overtaking the land is nothing but good for the wild. It was something else that dug in his psyche about all of this... this was almost too streamlined... too much was known right off the bat. If Taharial was a suspicious man, he would have thought this entire scheme was just a way to lure the heroes to this castle for some purpose, using the Lillies as living breadcrumbs to keep them coming. Why would that even happen? Who was to know?... It still felt wrong, however.

Taharial's wraps had grown more and more ragged, the deeper they pushed into the woods. His fellows knew about him already, somehow, and kept their distance. Even a brush against his skin... he didn't think about it, didn't want to. He kept his mind occupied with the forest itself. He had heard about it from his druidic mentors, but they only spoke of it in hushed tones, of a place to never go. The land was tainted, they said... that it twisted nature into mocking forms of itself. When he had asked about a possible source of it... they shook their heads, and claimed not to know. And now he was deep in the midst of this cursed forest.

Along the way through the woods, before they came upon the assassin ambush, he had tried out his powers upon nature that did exist around him. He had hoped to be able to at least control the land as he normally could... and he could. Grass blades moved and branches of massive trees twisted out of his way... but it took considerable concentration on Taharial's part. It was as if something sentient was resisting his control, something was fighting back. It was going to make battle-use of his abilities difficult, if not outright impossible to use...

~~~

Upon the end of the speech by the Lillies, and the opening gambits made by his companions, he watched the three various ladies only briefly before falling low into a crouching stance. He grabbed the shoulder wraps of the opposite arm and tore both off in a single fluid yank, revealing his near wooden arms underneath, now sprouting tiny thorns up and down the entire length, each one barbed and coated with gallic acid much like those found in phragmites. The marsh grass, phragmites, exudes this gallic acid (also used in tanning leather) to literally disintergrate the root systems of neighboring plants, killing them off, and allowing itself to spread. Even contact with human skin would elicit a burning sensation and incredible pain. With that in mind... he turned towards Chlorona and forced his palm thorns out of his hands, those too, now coated and filled with the gallic acid so harmful to plantlife.

"I'll tie her up for as long as I can. You all deal with the others, then come back for this one." His dry, crackling leaves voice did little to command the others, but it at least informed them of his intention. To neutralize the threat posed by Chlorona by using himself as a buffer. Allowing them to outman the other two and deal with them quicker. He knew his poisons would do nothing against the undead vampire... and while his plant-like body might give him resistance towards the mind-reading of the psion... that's about it. He doubted he ever would have gotten in close to begin with. And so he launched himself at Chlorona viciously, hoping his idea would work.

[Steel Shadow]

"Same mistake as the last one," Soan muttered quietly, stepping back into the tree line. His steel sword glinted in the moonlight as he did so, swinging around to point down at an angle in his relaxed grip.

"Um, I guess I should leave the big ones to you guys, huh? 'Specially since I dunno what any of them do... Anyways, leave the critters in the trees to me, I'll stick outta your way!" And then he was moving, weaving through the trees faster than most eyes could track, as if the darkness didn't hinder him at all.

The first Lust he caught up with didn't have time to notice him before it was falling to the ground in two large pieces. The second dodged his first blow, but was unprepared for the followup that took off it's head. The third met a similar fate.

Throughout it all, Soan kept his eyes on the center clearing, circling it on his path. This was fortunate, as he had to dodge a fair few of the flasks Scott was throwing.

"Hey! Careful!" He whined.

[rapter200]

After dinner Sylen kept quiet, he didn’t have much to say. He just followed the group as it moved, trying to think up of new chemical combinations and the such for more explosive results. On the way toward to and through Evernight forest when the group encountered all those Random Battles Sylen stood back away from the fights, he didn’t feel the need to waist anyone of his explosives. Though he had a hoard of them he never like using them on weak opponents, it would be a disgrace to his art.

Damn, ambushed. Just like we expected. I bet they feel all good about themselves. “Ok you guys, I don’t feel you guys would be very safe if I were to face off with the assassins, what with all of you so close in their proximity. Though I can use small explosives to help you as you fight. I can use my bigger explosives to protect our back." Sylen grabbed a few small impact explosive, and flung them past the assassins into the trees in the background and beyond. The explosions rocked the trees, take huge chunks out of the trees and flinging large wooden splinters hard through the air hopefully hitting the enemies in the way. He then grabbed some more impact grenades, waiting for another moment to fling them with great effect.

[Arcanum]

Alex glared at Yukiko and he could feel his blood beginning to boil. It was time for revenge and he was already warmed up from slaughtering countless monsters whose names he didn't even remember because they had been so easy to kill. Scott tossed Alex a potion and it disappeared as he caught it. He was planning on using it but there was no point in using it right off the bat, where one of Yuhiko's floating katanas could swipe it out of the air.

"Honor me by dying like a warrior, Vorenthall-san."

"Oh I've been waiting too long for this rematch darling," Alex said, his own katana's appearing in his hands. "I'll slice you to pieces, limb by sexy limb."

Yukiko laughed a very girlish laugh that seemed terribly out of place in such a scenario. "Oh Vorenthall-san you are too funny. Unfortunately I still need to repay you for the bullet you put in my arm. I was terribly careless that night but I won't be repeating my mistakes."

"We'll see about that."

Without another word Alex ran straight at Yukiko at breakneck speed. Yukiko's katanas sprang to life and dove towards Alex. The gap between Alex and the swords was closed in a single second, and once the floating blades were within striking range they began to hack and slash away. Alex slowed his charge and dove under the first swing, parried two others, and dodged a fourth. He got another couple of feet closer to Yukiko before her four swords surrounded Alex, each one unrelenting in their assault.

A deadly dance began as Alex dodged and parried blow after blow. He could feel the magic on his back pulsing in rythm with the battle. As each sword strike drew closer the magic pulsed and time seemed to slow a fraction of a second, and Alex moved a fraction faster than usual and parry the blow. Then as the sword moved away the magic subsided slightly, before rushing back just in time for him to dodge the next attack.

To everyone else Alex was moving at lightning speeds, swords flashing left and right, his body bending to the limits of his flexibility. His thoughts were as much of a blur as his actions as every new strike was met with a curse in his mind. Unfortunately for Alex, Yukiko was practically unphased. While she was concentrating more than normal to keep up with Alex's speed, she still had a considerable advantage with her four swords to Alex's two, and the fact that she wasn't near his blades. All she had to do was keep pressuring him until he made a mistake and then it would be over in a single strike.

Alex knew that he was fighting a losing battle if it continued like this, which is why he had to even the odds. The only problem was how? All he could do right now was defend himself, he couldn't even get closer to Yukiko. Everytime he tried to step closer to her, a sword intercepted him and she took a step back. If only her damn swords would just go away, he thought. Then the realization hit him, and he was an idiot for not thinking it sooner.

Alex parried another strike with his left sword, then his sword disappeared back into it's pocket dimension. He dodged the next attack, parried another, and finally one of her swords tried to take advantage of Alex's open left side. The katana lunged forward and Alex flung out his left hand, a black vortex swirling into existence between his hand and the sword. The blade was swallowed whole and the vortex winked out of existence.

If Yukiko was shocked she didn't show it because the assault continued without hesitation. Alex dodged another strike, grabbed the hilt of the sword, and forced it into a vortex that appeared at its tip. Once the second sword vanished, another vortex flashed open and spat out Alex's katana. He grabbed it, knocked aside the two remaining katana's with two simultaneous swings, then charged towards Yukiko to take advantage of the opening he had created.