Voyage Through the Multiverse (Ended) [IC]

[Skylus]

Again, Mixed PoVs
TGWR
Glenmalure Castle, Ireland; October 28th, 2019, 9:25 am

The two wolves eventually ran into Miria. Ammy ran up to the short woman and Issun started talking to her as the other wolf stood guard.
"It's good to see you. listen, things are really bad, that mercenary group, AEGIS, showed up and are trying to arrest all of us. Madi's not going to be able to help us, and we've got to be the ones to save her this time. We're looking for Polly but you can tag along if you want."

Hoping that Miria would follow them, Ammy and Link sought out the next person: Polly.

---

"...You're seeing this too, right?" The current scene in front of them was mostly indescribable. There was something standing in front of the two wolves, before Polly. Ammy crouched down and then roared at the demon, then leapt into the air and used Fireburst, summoning a fireball and tried to set the thing on fire.

"Get Polly to safety! We'll deal with whatever this is!"

Ammy twisted her head around and calmly gazed at Link.

"Do as Issun says. I know how frightened you are, but we will prevail. The room where Madison is, take Miria and Polly there."

"I thought no one would understand...Thank you. Yes, I'll get them to safety, you fight...Whatever that thing is." Link nodded, ran over to Polly, and attempted to get the woman to follow him.

[Rostavykhan]

The Great Wizarding Rebellion
Glenmalure Castle

"Wait, what do you mean arrest us?", Asked Miria, grimacing. "What the hell is happening? What did she do?"

But, before she could get an answer, they were off. Typical. Miria was waved along, her anxiety building and her anger boiling over. It was just one thing after another for her, and she couldn't even get five minutes to herself to try and make sense of any of it! Miria was audibly growling the entire way, strongly debating whether or not she'd even try and help anyone, but - no, Madi was her best lead for her own mission, unfortunately. Madi was apparently captured, though? That was just great, and Polly?

Miria bit her tongue and followed along. She didn't want to deal with any of this world's conflicts again, but she owed Polly whatever help she could give her. It was her fault that Polly didn't know what was happening anyways, and if there were any mistakes that she needed to own up to, it was that one. Miria followed Ammy, Issun, and the stranger, clambering down the hallways in her daze without smacking into something, somehow. A few corridors down, and everyone seemed to turn into another opening, which Miria stumbled through, just in time to see...whatever the thing fighting Polly was.

Miria stopped cold, almost tripping, and falling to her knees. What the hell was that? The skin, and the bones, and...oh, stars, the face. That thing - black smoke, and torn limbs, and that ghastly, unnatural body. It reminded Miria of Czernobog, but this was worse. What had happened there? There was blood everyone. Miria felt her nerves getting to her, and she doubled over. They were in danger, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything. That monster sickened her. Everything that she'd seen all day sickened her. She felt like she was about to puke, and her head was swimming, and it took everything she had just to breath right and bury her head into her knees. She felt hot, like she was running a fever.

While Ammy and the others charged ahead, Miria hung back, slowly dragging herself back towards the door, or the wall by it. Her surroundings were falling away from her, the sites fading, and the noises muting. This was all too sudden for her. That distorted monster was too much. They'd only been on the road for an hour or two, and they had already ended up in another killing frenzy. Miria was just being overwhelmed by it all.

[Menschenfleisch]

The Great Wizard Rebellion | Polly, Kiara and Skye

AEGIS was no longer raiding the castle, they were fighting a full on battle on its grounds. As men and women ran for cover, setting up weapons behind vehicles and sheer stone walls; as the smoking cadaver twitched and chittered, flipping between overwhelming rage and consternation; as Polly buried her head in the dirt with her hands over her head; as people, cars and objects were picked up by invisible magnetic ropes and flung in random directions; and while the clap of gunfire competed with the constant booms of electric blasts, Polly came to make her decision. She could kill everyone here in a heartbeat. The strain would break her - shatter her ribs, pierce her heart - but it would rid Miria, Madi and the others of AEGIS. Or, she could let herself be taken in, and run through a battery of tests. Vivisections, lobotomies, interviews, therapies, surgeries, the possibilities were endless. She knew that AEGIS would know of a million ways to hurt her. The doctors at the hospital, they'd been so succinct in telling her that her father was dead. That her sister would never walk again. That her mother and brother would be left with half a family: a hand with no index finger or thumb. She made a promise, one that she'd heard recited in those audio logs again, and again, and again. She would protect, and give endlessly so that others could live carefree lives. She would bear all the burdens she could find. She hadn't deserved to survive that crash. It should have been her, it should have been her. People were dying all over the world: starving, bleeding, crying with no hope in sight. They should be her. Now, her mind was resolute. She had a plan, a goal, something to fight for. And therefore, everything calmed. She took in one breath, and that stinging sensation that everyone felt disappeared. Soldiers' bodies stopped being twisted, knives stopped bending, cars stopped bursting. Now, she remembered her purpose.

Polly reached out with one hand, seizing every last soldier, god and fugitive in her grip. A car went flying across the battlefield, intercepting Amaterasu's blast. The vehicle was totalled by the impact: thousands of shards of broken glass scattered themselves in the grass and the melting, warped wreck that came out on the other end fell to the ground, steaming. She could feel them: every last person on the field struggling against her grip. They were so strong... she could hardly control some of them. Ammy, especially, was like a semitrailer; she was unstoppable, unflinching. .1 seconds had passed. There was a great pressure behind her eyes, like a vice was squeezing her skull. She could practically feel the bones creaking, and her heart palpitating. Her eardrums burst like overripe blisters as warm, transparent effluent leaked from the sides of her head. She couldn't see: her eyes flickered inside their sockets, bloodshot. Pink stains began to emerge all over her sclera. Blood dribbled from her nose as she struggled to maintain control. Everyone was still trying to kill one another. Why, why!? What possible purpose could this battle serve? Did Ammy and Madi think they could achieve anything by doing this?! They were proving the muggles right! If the wizards were being persecuted because the muggles thought that they were violent, dangerous sociopaths, then why was Madi trying to reinforce that belief!? Stupid little whelps, couldn't they think?! She was so overwhelmed by anger, and pain. Fury coarsed through her veins, burning her from the inside out. Bruises appeared all over her body: her fingers blackened as if suffering from frostbite. Blood thickened inside her capillaries and they, unable to withstand such pressures, burst like overblown balloons. She knocked down all the soldiers, forcing them onto their knees. She threw their firearms to one side and shoved Amaterasu away from the demon. .2 seconds had passed. She needed to get them all to safety. Madi, Link, Miria, everyone. She just had to... had to... move them, move them! Slowly, those who'd been arrested rose into the air. She needed only move them a few hundred metres: stow them away somewhere safe. But she was blind. She couldn't hear, or see, or feel. The world was cut off from her, leaving her with no senses whatsoever. And her brain, it was burbling. Why? She fell down. .3 seconds had passed. She passed out. .4 seconds had passed, and everyone went free.

Skye braced herself against the ground with her forearms. What the hell had that been? The soldiers were still stunned, and they were deprived of their weapons. Already, they were reaching for their discarded firearms. She understood that there was no way of avoiding it. Seven billion souls were counting on her, and she would not let these fucking goons spell their end. She drew her axe, quick as a flash, and spun it in her hand, taking the feet of the person closest to her. He fell forward, meaning that as she stood up, she could catch his chin with the back of her axe and swing him around by his impaled head, throwing him into his friends while simultaneously tearing his lower jaw off. She caught the bone in her other hand quite deftly, and threw it across the room like a boomerang, whereupon it decapitated one of the soldiers who'd previously been pinning her down. .5 seconds had passed. She drew the knives from the belts of the corpses closest to her - who had only just begun to fall down - and flung them like kunai. One of them caved in the face of a man who'd been reaching for his rifle, while another travelled up the length of a woman who'd had her arm outstretched, splitting her hand down the middle and piercing her shoulder joint, ripping her heart open. .6 seconds. She ran across the room and jumped into the air, delivering a flying roundhouse to a man's torso. There was a visceral crunch as her foot passed through his chest, ripping him in two. This was a deliberate move on her part: the spray of viscera and blood blinded those who'd been standing next to him, giving her time to draw her sword. She was like a weaver: the tip of her weapon was the needle's point, and each of her targets' bodies were places which needed to be sewn together. She spun in a circle, creating a maelstrom of sharps. The soldiers' deaths were painless and instantaneous, but by no means clean. One woman had managed to crawl over to and get her hands on a pistol: she fired a bullet at Skye which the Kalmite easily avoided. She strode up to her would-be attacker and slammed the heel of her shoe into the back of the shooter's head. She kneaded the woman's face into the ground, staring dispassionately as the soldier's cranium ruptured and her brain turned to soup, spraying pieces of hair-covered skin across the floor. Humans' heads burst like ripe melons, she thought, as she reached down and picked up a weathered brick. She tossed it like one would throw a frisbee - casually and without a care in the world - and yet it packed enough of a punch to reduce a man to giblets from forty feet away, sundering him 'til he was red mist. .8. At this point, most of the remaining soldiers had managed to get their hands on their weapons. Even now, they were raising them to fire.

There were too many for Skye to handle all at once, at least not when she was this weak. She rushed a man trying to pull the pin out of a flashbang grenade and reached into his mouth - shattering all his teeth whilst breaking his jaw - in order to rip his brainstem out the front of his head. While she was distracted, however, someone took a shot. She turned around just in time to receive a fifty caliber slug in the eye. It passed cleanly through her head and rebounded after hitting the back of her skull, bouncing around against the sides of her head.. She felt it sinking into her flesh, severing nerve bundles and tearing up her musculature. A deafening squelch emanated from within her skull as she raised a hand to cover the eye socket. Hundreds of little eyes, glistening like marbles, tumbled out of her face and landed on the floor, rolling around like spilled skittles. She couldn't have yelled if she wanted to: her face was utterly paralyzed. She could only blink and form garbled words, though her spinal column had protected her brain. She reached into her own head, forcing her hand through the empty socket until her entire first was inside her skull, digging around for that bullet: her temples bulged as she sought it out, and eventually she pulled it out, extracting the little copper shell which had come so close to ending her life. She let out a wet, enraged burble and threw it back at its original owner, a captain with a revolver in his hand. His chest opened up like a blooming flower and, before everyone's eyes, he began to melt into a slurry. His screams were drowned out by the hissing and popping of dissolving meat. But, the damage was done. Skye was incapacitated, and prone on the floor. The soldiers were quick to take advantage of the fact: they pelted her legs and back with all that they had, shattering her bones and flaying her alive. Finally, the bodies she'd made hit the ground. A dozen men were dead, killed in the blink of an eye. .9.

In her mind, however, Skye was not yet done. She reached to her belt and drew her axe again and - even as she wallowed in her own vile fluids - she slammed it into the ground, dragging herself along toward the next batch of soldiers: one half of her face was grimacing and baring its teeth like a rabid dog, every muscle pulled taut; the other was expressionless, relaxed and calm. Most terrifyingly, nobody knew which side of her face had been paralyzed.

[Naval Monte]

Secrets of the Raven
Branhwrn- Wales, United Kingdom
Ashwood Manor

Elizabeth looked at the red head leaning against the wall. While she looked calm external inside she was panicking. "Shit I forgot that she can hear me. I thought this room would keep her out due to how distorted time and space is." the witch filled away this information for later, that is if she has a chance to use that information for later.

"I didn't mean it like that babe, you know I was projecting my feelings towards the so called gods of my world. Your one of the few almost mythical good ones." The witch assured, her nervousness slightly leaking out from her voice.

When Dawn changed the topic to her playing god the witch chuckled. "What are mages but mortals who found the way to play god? I was born with these powers, you of all people should know that. It's in my nature to mess with the laws of nature and reason just like it's your nature to be both a part and separate from time itself. You can't change what you are any similar than me changing who I am." 

Elizabeth took a few steps until she walked by Dawn, stopping until she had her back facing her. "The only time I almost turn my back from magic was one when I was in extreme emotional distress but even that wasn't enough to make me abandon my birthright. Whether I like it or not magic is a part of my being." She left her right hand up, her gazing falling upon the open palm as she saw the aura surrounding the limb changing its shape and color to resemble azure flames.

"I was born a mage and most likely will die as one, can't really do much to change that. So why not make the most of it? Why not enjoy life to its fullest and see how far I can go before the final curtains are drawn?" She tilted her head just to give her a glance from behind, giving the redhead a mischievous glint in her eyes and smirk. "Besides, don't act you don't find my antics aren't amusing. I'm sure you will find it boring if I decide to have a quiet and simple life." 

The witch laugh as she turns away from Dawn. While she was acting causal now in truth she was still terrified of the idea that Dawn will try to do something to her or worse sent her sister after the witch. Her bravado is just an act she is performing to not only hide her fear from Dawn but also to try to reassure herself that she still has some measure of control in the situation, that she can still escape this with her life with maybe minor consequences.

She held up both her hands to her sides. "Well I better get going. I don't need my mom to think I got lost in here somehow. Maybe you can chat with Jackie for a while? Just don't drink anything she offers you." She slid her hands into her pockets and was ready to walk away from Dawn.

back with Alex she was standing in front of a large, rounded, vase like object attached to mechanical arms with a fire pit below it. The vase was the size of a semi truck, green fluid fill it close to the brim. The casket was now open to reveal the vague humanoid shape within it. There were many jagged points on the body and there were a reflective quality to the body, the body looking almost like a mirror and feeling as such when touched yet still appearing as though it was made of hardened stone and clay. 

The black hair on its head seem more like obsidian strands growing from the body and poorly mimicking hair, the nails look more like diamond shards embedded to the statue and any signs of skin being present were absent. Infact it wasn't even anywhere close to Elizabeth's body shape nor the shape of a woman's body, its form being too androgynous to be seen as a true simulacra of a human being.

To the initiative this was still a good sign that they were following the proper steps. Once they are done with the final step of giving it a soul and submerging it in liquified elan vital the simulacra will achieve its final metamorphosis.

Yet instead of going through the final process Alex was taping her right foot as she had her hands on her hips, losing her patients on waiting for Elizabeth. "Where are you Ellie? You know this part is time sensitive. If you don't arrive than I'm gonna have to do it without you." Alex muttered as she decided to give her daughter some few more minutes before going on without her. Right now they need to get it in the artificial womb 

---

The Great Wizarding Rebellion
Glenmalure Castle

The spectre screamed in response to the light as it was sent away, the man also screamed as he seemed to have felt what the demon felt, or perhaps he screamed in agony due to the thunderous noise that nearly made him deaf. The man's sight was now fully resorted and he saw the melted earth that surrounded Polly. 

As electricity arc from her body more of the black smoke plume out from his body. Where Polly flailed about trying to regain control over powers she has little control over the man was still in posture, in full control over his dark power. As dirt began to fall on them like black rain 

The man put a hand behind his neck and began to move it, cracking noise coming out as he popped things into place. "Jeez woman. How can you have such incredible powers but have little control?" He said as he began to move his shoulders. "Let me guess, those powers weren't originally yours right? I can relate to that." 

As she began to throw up the man facepalm, groaning. "Christ. I wanted some psy back for throwing a freakin car at me but now I feel bad for you. You act like a scared kid. I can't fight someone like that. I may be a dick but I'm not my brother." 

When the demon was picked up by the magnetic field the man uttered "what the hell?", only to see iron spikes impale it. Chunks of the smoke expelling out of it, the man throwing up blood as holes erupt throughout his body in similar spots to the spectre. The more damage Polly inflected on the creature the more it transferred into the China man, his form becoming a twisted and gory mess in front of Polly. As the body fell the monster began to seep out from it's prison.

As it began to reform the man's body was also slowly regenerating. As the white wolf went to the demon it would swipe on the air, unleashing a crescent wave of smoke at the wolf. When it looked at Polly it would sent out fleshy bandages that act like tendirls to restrain her.

The others ran away while Polly was losing control. "Shit is there anyway to stop her?" One soldier asked. "We either wait for the boss to arrive or pray our immortal can pull himself together to take her out." The other soldier replied. One soldier threw a flashbang at Polly. They hoped that doing so will cause her to be distracted for a few soldiers to rush and knock her out with drugs to end this nightmare.

Back in the castle the commander heard what Kiara said but his attention went more to the doors blowing open, a strange odor entering the room as it spread throughout the foyer and into the connected rooms. A blinding light far more intense than the flashbangs used earlier was also seen. 

Needless to say the whole operation which was supposed to be a quick bag and tag mission spiraled into a clusterfuck that will see plenty of demotions from those who organized it, perhaps a few promotions for the poor sods who participated might be the silver lining for it?

Unfortunately during the confusion the two girls decided to strike, killing many brave men and women in grotesque and cruel manners. While the main figher was still moving the soldiers all aim their guns to shot at Skye. Elsewhere in the castle a few soldiers heard Miria calling out. A few looked at each other and nodded as they followed the direction of the voice. They would see Miria close to the door. They began to quietly stalk up to her in order to grab her and drug her so they can easily take her away.

Yet they stopped as they saw the carnage inside. They saw the many twisted remains of their comrades on the floor and the mutilated girl who was responsible for their death, crawling her way to her next victims. One soldier dropped to his knees at the sight, fear overcoming him. Another lunge at Miria and grabbed her, the rest aim at Skye and were pressing down on their trigger to open fire. The soldier who grabbed Miria would take out his gun and press it against her head. "If you struggle I'm going to spray your midget blood all over the god damn floor!" He threaten as he pulled at the lever. "Now you are going to help us get out of here alive got it." While he sounded furious if Miria was perceptive she can hear desperation in his voice.

The soldier looked to Skye. "If you kill my buddies than this bitch's death will be on your hands!" The soldier yelled as he squeezed the barrel of the pistol on to Miria's skull. "If you have any shred of humanity than stand down!"

[Skylus]

Mixed PoVs
TGWR
Glenmalure Castle, Ireland; October 28th, 2019, 9:30 am

Midna gritted her fangs, then used her hair to act as a claw, which snaked down the hallway until it found, then scooped up the wolf nearest Polly. It then returned to the main room and was about to pick up Miria, but then Ammy appeared, used some power to slow down time, then ran over to the man holding Miria hostage, then used some power to cut the man's hand off, thus dropping the strange metallic weapon and freeing Miria.

The claw then teleported Link and Miria away from the battle, after a second, Midna then grabbed Skye and Kiria and also teleported them away from the current situation.

The act of teleporting would knock everyone who had been teleported unconscious.

Ammy darted over to Midna as time resumed, then started snarling at the men and women while the imp locked gazes with who she presumed to be the leader. "Do your worst."

As AEGIS surrounded the group, the cursed princess locked eyes with Dragmire as he walked up to her and gave him a small smile. "He'll be okay. I know he will."

Bilbo, meanwhile, had used the One Ring and was currently standing in the doorway that led outside. "I'm afraid I've gotten myself into something I won't survive."

---

???

"Hey! Blue eyes! Yeah, I know you've slept for a while but you need to get up!"

The wolf let out a low growl as he moved his head and Issun stopped bouncing up and down for once. As the wolf slowly got up and shook himself, the Poncle nearly fell off but kept his balance. Then the two gazed at each other, the wolf's eyes filled with confusion. "Yeah, I bet you don't remember much, do you? Well, we were ambushed by powerful soldiers, they knocked you out, your friend had you turn Wolf and teleported us here...Wherever here is. It's peaceful enough."

All Link could do was nod. He sensed the Curse Stone had been teleported with him and he silently thanked Midna for helping him get away. He wondered if now would be a good time to turn back or if he should wait, then a spirit appeared before him. "Greetings. I sense that you are a long way from home, young one. Fear not, as long as you and your allies remain here on these grounds, you shall be safe from harm. This beast that stands before me, this is not your true form, correct? Turn then, for I must speak with you."

Issun decided to bounce off of the wolf's head onto the gravel floor and then the wolf was no longer there.

The spirit somehow turned into a real person and gave a warm smile towards the shapeshifter, who was currently looking around him at his surroundings. "Magnificent, isn't it? To think that people built this."

Link turned around and gazed at the man before he nodded. "Yes. Where am I?"

"You, my friend, are standing on the grounds of the Rock of Cashel, an ancient place of worship, now in ruins. What I said before still stands. You and your allies are safe here, hidden from those that now hunt all of you. The caretakers of here will aid you. I am afraid I cannot stay and speak with you, but remember that my presence will never fade, for I was the first to walk these grounds."

The man became ethereal once more, then the spirit faded away and Link was left standing before the steps, looking up at the sky through the broken barred windows. Hopefully everyone else would awaken soon.

[Demincia]

Secrets of the Raven
Ashwood Manor
Dawn Elissa

Whatever hints at levity and amusement that might have been on Dawn's face quickly faded. "Omniscience aside, I get lied to every day by people that are a lot better at it than you are. I'm a bit insulted that you thought that would be enough to get by me. And then you try to hurry me. Either something recently has truly shaken you to your core, or you're choosing to forget that I am bound by no limits."

She took one step closer. "With a single thought," she started, gesturing towards her head, "You arrive in that room before your mother does. No waiting. No rush. She doesn't even know you stopped anywhere."

She turned and took a few steps away, arms behind her back. "But so be it. When you get there, you'll be exactly one second behind her. And when you're done, well, I think you already know this conversation is continuing." she said without turning back. After a moment she glanced over her shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Go."

[Rostavykhan]

The Great Wizarding Rebellion

In front of her, the world warped and faded. Miria blinked hard, but it was no use. It was like she'd lost her glasses, but she could still feel them on her head, dangling just off of her nose as she lay on the floor. All of her senses were dulled. Her head felt heavy, and she felt dizzy. She didn't feel like moving either. That was why, when she did begin to move, she felt not just an urge to vomit, but an overwhelming sense of confusion and panic sweep over her. What was happening? Was she falling? Falling away from the ground?

The sensation of an arm around her and a gun pressed to her head snapped her back into consciousness. The click of a hammer being cocked sounded like canon fire to Miria, who suddenly found that swirling, fuzzy world coming back into view. Her glasses sat slanted on her face, one lens drooped slightly. Miria was somehow even paler than usual. Thankfully, the bile catching at the back of her thrown made it impossible for her to scream, as much as she wanted to. From Miria's perspective, this was the second time since she'd woken up that she'd had a stranger threaten to kill her like that. Her chest was throbbing, and her already weak legs were shaking like jelly. Miria didn't know if the man was truly serious, or whether he was bluffing, but she didn't exactly feel like finding out. Miria began to move her lips, intent on telling everyone to go along with it and back down; she didn't care if they would be mad, she just didn't want to die. To her horror, however, Ammy had seemed to lunge into action before she could even get the first word out. Miria choked and stared on, eye wide and mouth agape, and prayed that if she wasn't rescued that her death would be painless.

Then, before she could register what had happened, the world warped again, and her senses were assaulted, until Miria blacked out.

The second that Miria regained consciousness, she thrust herself forward, flopping onto her hands and knees, and heaving. She was going to puke, she knew it. The small woman choked and heaved, and desperately began to crawl away, in whatever direction that she could. Her entire body felt heavy, and her sense of direction was gone. All she knew what that she needed to move fast, and she needed to get away as fast as she could. Her pitiful crawling turned into Miria trying to clamber to her feet, moving away from Link and the rest of the group.

[Naval Monte]

---

If Elizabeth wasn't shaken by her core then she was now. When Dawn allowed her to leave she almost bolt away from her as she left in a hurry. Just as the redhead said she would reach her mother quickly.

"What was the hold up?" Alex asked, giving her a disapproving gaze for taking so long. " I had to use the bathroom. Sorry about that." She lied as she walk up to the golem. "So that is my clone. Jeez is that how I look when I'm asleep? I'm glad I sleep alone." She let out a forced chuckle. Her effort to try to reassure herself was an utter failure, so much so that it made her mother worry.

"What actually happened Ellie." The witch took a deep breath and exhaled out. "I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get this thing finish." Elizabeth went over to the paint a d began to draw symbols on the golem.

While not convinced to just let ot go Alex focus on assembling the soul fragments together while using a ritual to bond the new soul with a piece if Elizabeth's somit can resonate with her entire soul. Once the symbols were done Alex would gently hold the new soul and push it carefully into the chest of the golem.

Alex would lift the golem into the air with her powers and carefully submerge it in the artifical womb as the firepit burn below it, warming the fluids at a decent temperature. Elizabeth began to walk away. "I need to get something I'll be back soon." She told her mother.

Alex looked at the retreating form of her daughter and at the clone. Once Elizabeth was away Alex would begin to follow her, using her powers to ve inividbke and to phase through solid matter to catch up with her.

The lich would see Elizabeth keep walking forward until she stop by a shelf and lean against. "I know your still here. So come out." Alex was petrified, she was sure she was being careful not to ge sensed by Elizabeth?

[Demincia]

Secrets of the Raven
Ashwood Manor
Celeste Elissa

Celeste was waiting for Elizabeth in the hallway. "Your friend the mayor needed some pressure applied to her. Now she knows that she's not as invisible as she thinks he is. Things she thought were secrets are apparently not so hidden. That should give her extra incentive to be more forthcoming and direct with you in the future."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "But you've got quite a mouth on you too. And an interesting way of showing gratitude for help." She glanced past Elizabeth, eyeing her backup but not saying anything about it. "Your brave face needs work. A lot of it."

[Naval Monte]

---

Elizabeth was hoping to meet Dawn but looks like today wasn't her luck, she hot the one sister she insulted. "Fuck my life" the witch grin at her. "Like I told your sister it was a slight fluke on my end because I'm use to gods being apathetic assholes or sadistic assholes, I don't might de ent ones all that often. I didn't mean to lump you two together with them."

When Celeste brought up the mayor the witch sighed. "It won't be that easy. She's attached to a secret society and they are not the type to be all that forthcoming with information unless they can benefit from something in doing so. We need to be careful on extracting information from her."

When Celeste looked at the backup the witch would ask. "You think I shouldn't meddle with this as well right? Already heard it from your sister."

[Demincia]

Secrets of the Raven
Ashwood Manor
Celeste Elissa

Celeste took a few steps forward. "Yea, and what about what you told your friend back there? That you wanted her to pass along." She stepped closer. "Well, here I am. You can say it to my face. Don't hide behind other people, have the guts to do it yourself. Is that why you're suddenly so afraid?" She looked straight down at the shorter woman. "Or were you hoping that Jackie would ignore it and that the walls didn't have ears?"

She turned and walked away a few steps. "And secret societies are just that. Secret. Once they realize they aren't as unknown as they thought, they get scared. And when they get scared, they start digging, and digging leaves a trail. All you have to do is follow the dirt they disturb. Right about now she's wondering what else I could possibly know about her, and it's going to tear her up inside."

[Skylus]

TGWR

Link merely watched the small woman as she appeared to be overcome by the effects of Twilight magic. He found that he wanted to help, but yet she didn't appear to be in a right state of mind, either.
'Is she going to be ill? Although, I suppose being ill won't matter, given the state of this place...'

Numerous Ravens flew overhead, dotting the blue clouded skies with their black bodies and the ruins resounded with their squawks and caws.
'I do wonder why there's so many of them. Maybe something calls them here?'

The Hylian lowered his gaze from the sky overhead and he found himself gazing at a stone vaulted roof.
Remarkable. Excellent, I suppose we could make camp under the roofed section if needed. And we appear to be sheltered from wind. let's see, there appears to be several entrances, but I do wonder what lays beyond these ruins.'

Link noticed movement - Miria had gotten up and was seemingly trying to run somewhere, another side effect of being teleported, it seemed.
Nay it, her mind is gone. I simply hope she doesn't attack me when I approach.


He walked down the three steps before him and crossed the gravel floor, then stopped dead in his tracks.
'Graves. There are graves here. Although I sense I have nothing to fear from them. They seem to be...monks? Were these ruins a place of worship? ...I can dwell on this later, I need to help Miria and the others once they awaken. And I know just the thing to aid them.'


Miria seemed to have stopped running, which was good. Link slowly approached her, reached into his side satchel, and eventually took out a glass jar filled with some sort of dark blue liquid. The swordsman then held out the bottle towards Miria. "Drink this. It will cause the effects of being teleported by Twilight magic to lessen." He hoped he didn't seem threatening, then again, who knew what the woman was thinking then.

Miria responded with a hiss, hopping back. "No! No elixirs! No rest! I'm done!"

She swung her arms wide. "I don't care about your magic! I don't I'm sick of the violence! The blood! I'm sick of the bodies!", She cried, shaking her limbs up and down. "How many people do I have to see you all destroy today? Always fighting, always killing! You Humans and your propensity for violence! All I wanted was peace and quiet, not to be a hostage!"

She slipped and fell back, feeling her back hit the brick floor. Her head lilted to one side. "And now I feel sick.", She whined, trying to turn over to run again. She began to get up, but slumped back down. "My stars...I'm going to puke..."

Link froze as the woman hissed at him, then started to rant about various things. He merely watched her warily, realizing that Miria had most likely lost it. And if Syke and Kiria were to act the same way...
'By the Gods, what am I going to do? I have enough of my own problems, let alone dealing with all of this. I suppose there's nothing to be done if they don't want my help...'

When the woman stopped speaking, Link merely motioned for her to follow him and he led her over to a arched doorway that led outside. There were countless graves visible through the doorway scattered among the overgrown grasses and flowers, yet there were spirits walking around.
Somehow I sense that only I can see them. Or perhaps the others will see them as well, perhaps not.'
"You may rest here, if you like. I suppose I shall walk the grounds and see if I can determine where we are...Unless you'd like to walk with me?"

[Naval Monte]

---

"Yeah about that." Elizabeth tried to think of a good excuse out of this mess, anything that can make her avoid telling the full truth. "Well if you want me to tell it in your face than fine. You are way too abrasive and while that can be useful you take it too far." A white lie was better than nothing, especially if it has pieces of the truth sprinkle within.

"You think I didn't know the mayor wasn't hiding secrets from me? Everyone in this bloody world is hiding secrets. My mom most likeky has many she is hiding from me just like I have secrets I never want her or anyone to know. But unless it was vital I won't pry into them." She brush a few locks of her hair from her face.

"More importantly groups like them will keep on digging themselves in, and they might decide to dig the graves of the people who had spooked them and if failing to get them than people who they care for. You and your sister are safe from their retaliation but I have a few people who I know that are staying in the town that aren't as fortunate. I can't piss those guys off for sake." She would glare at her. "If you mention that I sacrificed people I know before than don't. You know damn well that I was forced to pick between the lesser of two evils in those moments."

[Demincia]

Secrets of the Raven
Ashwood Manor
Celeste Elissa

"I never doubted that you did know there was something. Nor do I doubt that either you or your mother are capable of secrets. After all, she kept herself a secret for a long time I'm told." She glanced again up behind Elizabeth. "Personally I've never placed any value in secrets. I have no need for them, and it'd be impossible to keep them even if I did. Mortal curiosities, I suppose."

She turned away again. "And I wasn't planning on mentioning personal sacrifices, you brought that up all on your own, I don't really care to be honest. Dawn's more of the one who deals in therapy. Or you could talk to your spiritual friend. If it bothers you that much talk to them. Keep your glares, I'm not intimidated."

[Naval Monte]

---

"With my life I learn to expect anything, even if it's outlandish. With this town having so many witch cults, powerful cabals, and secret societies one controlling the town isn't entirely farfetched. The only question is why AEGIS and the Celestial Order puts up with them?" The witch said with a shrug as she took out another cigarette.

As she gets to smoke she kept glaring at her. "Well that is always what happens in here. But my stance still the same. I'm not going to make an enemy of the group because right now we have a mutual enemy in the Crimsonites and I rather not have to deal with a two front battle while we are so close to destroying the Crimsonites."

The witch became silent afterwards as she simply enjoy her cigarette. After a few minutes she spoke. "You know I am wondering what she's doing now. I've been too busy to do anything that doesn't involve going onna large goose chase after an elusive cult."

[Demincia]

Secrets of the Raven
Ashwood Manor
Celeste Elissa

"If you're so curious, you can go find her. Though it hasn't been that long since you talked with her, has it? Unless Dawn has done something to the timestream, she was at breakfast this morning before you went to city hall. She might still be asleep." Celeste wondered for a moment what Dawn had actually planned by having her meet Elizabeth here. Nothing really changed, but surely it had to be significant enough for her to do it? Always machinations with her.

"I assume you know where to find her?" Celeste asked. "Provided she hasn't wandered off on her own. She's very adamant about her condition not being a problem for anyone else, even at her own expense."

[Menschenfleisch]

The Great Wizarding Rebellion | KPS

Polly was unconscious. There wasn't much else to say. The skies were clear and a deathly silence pervaded the castle grounds. Though much blood had been shed, very little suffering had occurred. Skye had been moments from surrendering, having realised that she'd been caught up in the moment, and that if she decided to pursue any combative actions, she'd be executed and The Spark would die with her. Kiara had hidden behind a pillar all the while with her hands clasped over her mouth. Her entire body had been stiff and taut, like a spring stretched to its breaking point: unable to move from her spot, either to help her friend or to escape. She didn't want anyone to get hurt - least of all herself - not because she worried that she might die but because she worried that her blood would be spilled, and she would scar everyone else - whether friend or foe - forevermore. She had seen the way that her mother had suffered after her birth. She had read the coroner's reports, sifted through the documents, looked at the photos. An entire hospital ward driven to insanity, all because they'd looked into a newborn's baby blues. At the age of six she'd tripped over in the school playground and grazed her knee. Twenty five injuries, seventeen hospitalisations, two deaths: both were self inflicted. When she was eight, she'd lost a tooth while in the supermarket. She'd spent two months at her uncle's house, locked in the guest room; her father had spent that time strapped to a gurney, raving. At eleven, she began wearing long sleeves, scarves, thick socks and trousers in the summer. At thirteen, a classmate grazed her elbow with a pair of scissors. Five deaths, fourteen permanent commitments to top security mental institutions and five hundred people who would fear her forever. Those that she traumatised never hurt her. The ones she drove made would kill themselves, injure others, tear their families apart - but they'd never, ever touch her. She had always been a mere observer to the carnage around her: an invisible god watching her worshippers savaging one another in a brutal, senseless melee. She didn't want to hurt anybody. She had left her home behind and went with Skye because she thought that she'd be isolated from the people she wanted to protect but... here she was, caught up in a war. What the hell was she going to do? What was she even doing here? She saw the face of her father looming over her, and a metallic glint above her chest. Papa... what are you doing?

Kiara awoke with a start, screaming. Her cries were deafening and so high pitched that they were totally inaudible. She leapt to her feet, piping down and coming to her senses. They were in a new location: but where was everybody else? She vaguely recalled the aftermath of the battle. Skye, laying on the ground, bleeding. Oh, there she was, laying on the ground next to her. The Sparkbearer was in poor condition. She was noticeably shorter than before: almost the same height as Kiara, whereas before she'd been a head taller than even the most robust of AEGIS' agents. Her dermis had healed, but it was far thinner than it should've been. Skye's skin was noticeably darker than when she'd first arrived, as the pigment of her blood was more visible through her thin skin. Her eye socket was empty, but she was breathing. Kiara felt sick and anxious but she didn't let it show. She had to remain neutral and clinical: if she got sloppy, she might injure herself, and then... "Skye. Skye, Wake up!" Her friend slowly came to, peeling open her eyelids and groaning, putting a hand to her face. "I'm up." Skye sat cross legged on the ground, checking each of her bones and organs either by probing them with her finger or trying to move them. "Aw, shit. My legs are cooked. I don't think I can run." "I'm not bridal-carrying your fat ass wherever we need to go." "Hey, I can still walk, even though it'll hurt like hell." She glanced at Miria, who seemed to be having a rough time. Poor girl, she must've been quite distressed by the battle. "Uh, technically, me and Kiara are Kalmites." "Kiara and I, dear." "Piss off, mom." Skye had absolutely no problems with blood but Kiara was baffled by the very idea of violence. She was more than capable of killing - she was probably even better at it than Skye - but she simply lacked the resolve or the morals to follow through. She fixed her companion with a heated, beleaguered glare. "Why'd you have to do that?" "It's what we came here to do. The Spark needs lives." "But AEGIS? I thought we discussed this. They're good people." "But a bad organisation." "Look... next time, at least try to negotiate. You tried kicking them while they were down, and they did the same right back to you. Now, we're enemies. See where you've gotten us?" "Shit. I'm sorry; I got carried away." The two were in the sort of relationship where both could act as voices of reason and sources of stupidity at the same time. Most of what they'd just said really went without saying, but Kiara felt like she had to elaborate, or Skye might not have taken her advice seriously. Kiara stood to her full height, leaving Skye to lie against a wall. "Look, we're in dire straits right now. I take it that the others were left behind. I can't help but feel responsible for getting them captured, since I was one of the people who escalated the situation, but we need a more solid plan than just 'pushing onward'. Look, my friend is injured. We need to recuperate, and we need to find food. A lot of it, too. Do any of you know precisely where we are, besides 'a graveyard in ireland'?"

[Rostavykhan]

Miria scoffed and swung back around, to storm off on her own. Into the weird abandoned fort she went - into the graveyard. Miria was angry, but...it probably wasn't a good idea to throw a tantrum on the graves of others. Miria bit her lip and stomped alone, reaching the edge of the grounds, at the far wall from where she had entered.

"Idiots.", She mumbled to herself. "Idiots. Idiots!", the word repeated under her breath. She couldn't even have the time of day to yell at them! It made her just want to yell even more. Maybe if she screamed loud enough everyone would wake up. She'd have to make her way back to them, though. She felt too dizzy to really navigate the little abbey backwards.

When she was about halfway through the small graveyard, she felt something new. She felt a vibration in her pocket. Something about it made that sickening sensation in her stomach even worse. Miria's legs buckled; she stopped and looked down, realizing that it was from one of the pouches on her belt - the pocket where she kept her crystal. She gulped, and carefully opened that pocket, pulling back the flap to see what was making that vibration. She didn't think that stones like that would behave in such a way under normal circumstances, but then again, the past few weeks had been anything but normal, and now that it was tainted...

The same black, swirling corrupted writhed within the stone. Its core was shining brighter now, however. That sickly green shone brilliantly, causing Miria to wince for a moment, before it died down once more, stifled by the darkness within. Had it reacted to the teleport again? Or what it something else? The spirits around them? Miria's anger? Something about it compelled Miria to reach for it, to give it a closer look, but when she grabbed the crystal, she immediately dropped it again. No sooner had Miria touched that stone did it singe her fingers, making her jump back. The crystal clacked against the stone floor, and Miria clutched her hand, looking to see if her finger were burned badly - nothing. It had burned, but Miria didn't notice any blisters or scarring. In fact, she was fine so far as burns went. What was alarming was the stain; her fingers were stained black from where she'd touched the stone. Whatever it was, it rubbed off without much effort, but still, her fingers shouldn't have been stained at all. The stone shouldn't have burned. What the hell was up with it?

Miria got down onto her knees and reached out to probe her crystal again. One finger gently tapped it, then three. It didn't burn this time. No staining either. That was...odd, to say the least. Well, it was more than odd, it was outright bizarre. Old Lunar soul tech like that was used to accepting souls, but Lunars only ever used certain kinds of souls. That guy who's soul Miria and Wex had stuff into it was warped, dark. The crystal likely wasn't intended for dark souls like that. It was reacting poorly to it, wasn't it? Or, was it truly corrupted? Miria felt something else coming from that stone, other than raw energy struggling against its crystalline confines. She felt...something, but she wasn't sure what. Suddenly, her crystal died down once again, and whatever it was vanished with it. Miria was left alone once more, her anger replaced with bewilderment and confusion. Whatever had happened, it had been short, and Miria was still nowhere near understanding what it meant.

The girl sighed. Whatever, she thought. It would probably happen again, but when? And where? Miria would have to keep some notes on it. Maybe that would help - marking it down in her tablet. She would keep track of when it happened, and try to see if she could find a pattern or a meaning.

But first...she would leave it be. She wouldn't forget it anyway, but first she just needed to clear her mind, and get the rest in that she was attempting before AEGIS had showed up. Miria gathered her crystal, and sat it and her rucksack down against the far wall of the room, sitting down next to them and closing her eyes. She grabbed her prayer beads again, and tried to relax while she had the time. Everyone was still waking up and coming to, and getting back into th swing of things. Miria was sick, as far as she could tell, but maybe that was why she needed to rest for a bit. Maybe she would feel better after a little while to herself.

[Naval Monte]

Secrets of the Raven
Branhwrn- Wales, United Kingdom
Ashwood Manor

"Thanks but later, preferably when I don't have something important to do like wanting for my clone's "birth". Which is coming pretty soon about now." Elizabeth said as she tried to find any clock in the room only to find none in her current location in the room.

"Yeah I think I have some good ideas where she will be. I doubt she will join us in the fight and I think you and your sister won't care much to join in mortal affairs. Now I got a few more minutes to spare before I go off so if you have anything else to talk about say it now or forever hold your peace."

Back with Alex she was watching as the fluids in the womb was bubbling at the surface, steam rising. From the clay body she can see cracks forming. "I hope Ellie can come back before the shell breaks entirely." She said, feeling anticipation on the results of their hard work.

[Naval Monte]

The Great Wizarding Rebellion
Rock of Cashel

As the group were getting up they would not pay mind to the crows that were now flying around them. The seers found them first of course as it took the crows time to reach. The computer specialists saw the ancient castle that was near the group, the ancient fortification displaying a sense of majestic beauty even in its ruinous state.

Some of the crows would land down close to the group and begin to search for food, yet they all kept their eyes on the group. AEGIS used the data from the crows and the internet to figure out where they are and even the nearest settlement they can go too. From the secret facility cars and trucks were sent out to reach the location the group was now at.

Back with Polly the demon was now floating behind the nearly fully regenerated immortal. "I freakin hate reality benders. You types always go overboard with every temper tantrum you throw." He took out a pistol. "Well at least I can end this nightmare for you for a while." The man pulled the trigger and the gun fired a dart laced with a cocktail that would both paralyze and knock out Polly.

"One down, who knows how many targets to go." The man sighed. "Oi if anyone else is still alive try restraining her while I search for any stragglers." The man yelled out as he began to go Into the castle with a few soldiers to search for anyone still left inside.

In the castle Bilbo would see more of the soldiers entering the building to look around as more people were being dragged out of the castle. From a distance a convoy of cars can be seen approaching the castle.

[Skylus]

TGWR
Rock of Cashel

"As to where we currently are, a spirit appeared before me and said that these ruins were named the Rock of Cashel." Link said "Rock of Cashel" rather slowly, as if he didn't believe that was the real name of the ruins. "I thought I saw another building nearby, perhaps there are other people here who can help us. I'll be back eventually, if not I suppose whoever I meet will speak with you." Link left the ruins and walked up to the building he had seen. It appeared to be a smaller place of worship, but he wasn't certain. Someone was already waiting for him, an old man, and as Link approached, the man nodded and said "Hello."

---

Several Minutes Later

"So, all of you were rifted from your home worlds and brought to Ireland. Clarice and I were also brought here, to this exact location, and we've been caretakers ever since. You have nothing to fear from the spirits that roam these grounds, for they think themselves protectors of all who enter here. Now then." Mason turned to Link, who was currently hovering in the open doorway. "You may sit down, if you like."

After hesitating, Link walked over to a wooden chair and sat down on it. Mason did the same; a wooden table between the two of them, and they started talking.

Clarice and Mason had been rifted to this location when they were much younger, in their twenties, and they were in their eighties now. Link was shocked to find they the two of them were Hylians, and Mason thankfully understood his current predicament.

"I assure you, Link, I believe you will adapt fine to being two hundred and sixty three years in the future. Not to say that things haven't changed, mind you, but the entire town of Cashel is under wards. You see, my wife and I may be Hylians like you, but we are also magic folk. Magic runs in our blood, you know this very well, I'm certain, however, over the years, Clarice and I have noticed that our magic has been made manifest."

Mason held out a hand hand snapped his fingers, the action resulting in a small red flame appearing in the air. "Mind you, our magic isn't as powerful as it once was due to us becoming old," the man raised his gaze from his hand to Link. "I believe you can also perform real magic. Go ahead, try it."

Link hesitated, then performed the same motion Mason had done and a golden flame appeared with a roar. Mason grinned. "Yes! Yes, that's it, well done! You can feel the very essence of magic in the air, can't you? This is why magical folk settled here, for the very air itself is rife with waylines."

The two Hylians started to compare their home lives and Link learned that everything seemed to be more or less the same as it was back home. Eventually, the talk turned to what had happened before Link had walked up to the Hall.

"You said someone appeared before you. Could you describe them for me?"

"He was wearing royal clothing, and he said that he was the first to walk these grounds."

"Ah, yes, that would be Aengus. He was the third king of Cashel and he was crowned in four hundred and fifty. One thousand, five hundred and sixty nine years later, he's still here, watching over Cashel and these grounds. His watch also extends to Hoare's Abbey - that's h o a r e, not the other spelling. The ruins are visible to the south of us. Legend has it that a great warrior was buried there, and he too, walks his resting place."

Mason was about to say more then found himself focusing on Link's left hand. "I thought as much. With the name and clothes you wear now...to imagine one like you would show up on my doorstep." The elderly man shook his head and smiled. "I too, was raised on the legends and myths, but to meet one as yourself in person..."

"Mason?" An old woman was standing in the entranceway to another room, holding a plate of what appeared to be various types of meats and cheeses. "I heard we have visitors."

"Yes. " Mason paused. "You say there are others with you?"

"Yes, they're up at the ruins."

"Good, I'll go fetch them and bring them here." Mason got up from his chair and left the Hall of the Vicars Choral and walked up to the ruins themselves, where he found the others. "Greetings. I am Mason Clardaire. My wife and I are caretakers here. Link has already made himself at home in the other building, just a few feet from here. Follow me, Clarice and I will answer any questions that you might have." With that, Mason turned arund and walked out of the ruins, intending to head back to the Hall.

[Menschenfleisch]

The Great Wizarding Rebellion

There's a hole in the back of her head. Sometimes it itches, and when she scratches it, things come falling out. Dreams, delusions, scars, shards of personality. Her veins flow with dreams and her skin is woven from picturesque tapestries, each a story or facet in itself. She is a patchwork of genius and neurosis, equal parts light and dark. It hurts, awfully, to be immersed in her. Her blood carries her mind, and minds are nothing but tenacious. They will fight, kill, even breed and sacrifice in order to perpetuate themselves. Her skin does not protect her, it protects the rest of the world. Her mind, if laid bare and raw, would subsume everything it encountered. Her consciousness, so indomitable and wilful, would burn itself like a brand into reality, and from there, expand indefinitely. Her curiosity, that force that drives and perpetuates her; and her guilt, that repressive weight that clings to her heart; they define her, keeping the boundaries of her silhouette both stable and in balance. But when that barrier is perforated, she lashes out. She feels an overwhelming surge of loathing and intrigue, and in that moment, she loses herself and engulfs the person that made that hole. An attacker need not be near their victim to be sprayed with the bleeding blame. She wonders what unstable hell those she consumes must feel in their last moments, but she fails to see what she truly is. She is fervour and fire, a dream so terrible and inspiring that it cannot be contained or relegated to one's list of unachievable hopes and fantasies like any other unrealistic desire. Those who share that dream, who are alighted by her spark, are driven to act upon that desire. It hurts, unbelievably so, but so does all yearning, envy and striving. Absolute and nonsensical. Those were always the last thoughts of the men, women and children that her psyche glanced, and the first thoughts of what came after them. Solid, unencumbered dreams. Ideas.

An old tree, whose roots and branches were gnarled and taut, like varicose veins stretched over the wrinkled palms of some ancient geriatric, blossomed. Its bare and dead limbs opened up, bearing fruit filled to bursting with life and honeydew. Its leaves were vibrant and massive, like golden ribbons flowing in the wind. Kiara took her hand off its trunk, smiling as memories of happier times bled from the hole in her head. Now, those joyous images lived on within the tree. She had stolen a seed from Eden and put it inside her head, only to plant it here. Skye stepped up behind her, eyes sparkling with an overwhelmed wonder. Her wounds still gaped, but her flesh had all but mended itself. Dead, moist dirt surrounded her, covered in a transparent film of nutrients and decaying grass. As she bled, she obliterated all life that surrounded her. Her blood, infused with the most malignant and malicious immune cells on the planet, annihilated all competition. The two girls were hazards, and the only people in the world who could stand being next to one another. Kiara picked a fruit from the tree's high branches and handed one to Skye, who took the peachlike bulb in her hands and took a single, extensive bite. "You sure you're okay?" She looked at her friend, who she knew to have lost some good memories. She still remembered that fragment of her past - she never lost the raw information contained within the memory that she'd given up - but all the emotion she'd associated with it had bled away. "Your recovery is more important. You can't survive on nothing but grass, can you?" Kiara had bled upon the tree, having sliced open her finger and bled on its roots. That was how she had made the tree mutate. While people who she attacked and people who attacked her underwent horrific realignments, that was because such actions had been made with malicious intent. What she'd done here had been borne out of kindness and caring. "Thirteen is still less than seven billion." "I know." But she didn't particularly care. She didn't know whether she had done this to punish herself for having hurt those people, or if she was doing this to commemorate them. In fact, she didn't even know if she felt guilty about their deaths. All she understood was that seeing those men die, watching their last moments go by - something that their own comrades hadn't been witness to, since they'd been too slow to react - had disgusted her to her core. She couldn't bring herself to blame Skye, since it was true that The Spark required sacrifices, but she still couldn't help but feel responsible somehow, as if she'd been complicit, or an accomplice in their killings.

Kiara wouldn't eat the fruit. It would be redundant: the nutrients and happiness within were her own, and she'd willingly given them up. Though the tranquilizer had long since worn off, she still felt utterly drained. Skye was already looking healthier, her bruises fading. She'd been very, very badly injured. She hadn't even covered her empty eye socket, since there was nothing that could've withstood the corrosive properties of her blood for any meaningful length of time. There were hundreds of white orbs lining the inside of the socket. They were tiny, almost the size of caviar, and had yet to develop irises or pupils. Once they did, however, her eye would regain full functionality. Kiara hadn't known what would happen when she bled over the tree. She could sometimes control the results of realignment events but most of the time, her emotions ran amok and unexpected changes occurred. 'Realignment event'. It was such a clinical and scientific term, one that she'd accidentally picked up from the lab assistants who'd studied her when she was young. Even the psychiatrists had begun talking about them using that terminology. She hated the word and all its implications, it was far too cold a phrase with which to describe the effects that she had on other people. It was a rather self-flagellating belief, but she thought that the term didn't blame her enough. She picked off the rest of the tree's fruit as well as a few leaves, possibly to use in some concoction later. "God, it used to be so simple, didn't it? Know your enemy, beat your enemy..." "But now we're the proactive ones. It's a bit difficult to feel like you're the one picking fights." "To be fair, those goons came in guns blazing. The onus to find common ground kinda falls on us, though, since they had a reason." "We've made them our enemies pretty much forever now. You sure you don't wanna ditch?" "Nah. These people need help, 'specially the ones that got capped."

Kiara and Skye met Link before Miria, taking note of the Hylians who he was speaking to. Whereas Kiara was preoccupied, attempting to identify the unique biological characteristics of Link's species, Skye took a moment to approach the boy. She sat down beside him, trying to gauge his mood. He didn't really have an expression, really. Truth be told, he didn't seem to express any emotions at all. "Helluva coincidence that those two came from the same universe as you. Same species and time period, too. Heh... they're your fans, even. I haven't gotten an opportunity to speak with you yet, so this is as good a time as any." She handed him one of Kiara's fruit, glistening as if glazed with fat and nectar. "Looks like you've been at this 'hero' thing for longer than me. I mean, that word is kind of conceited, but it's what we get called, so..." she slapped her hands on her knees. "Whaddya gonna do?" She cleared her throat, composing her words. She was able to speak at breakneck speed and she had done when she'd nearly burst Miria's eardrums, but she still hesitated in conversation, lacking the confidence to say what she wanted to say as quickly as she could've. "I don't want to kill people. I don't have family back home, but I know that Kiara does. How do you decide who gets to live and who has to die? How do you justify choosing yourself over the other guy over and over again?"

[Rostavykhan]

The Great Wizarding War
Rock of Cashel

At one-hundred repeats of the same mantra, Miria was feeling...better. She still felt sick, however. She would probably have that fever for a little bit, thanks to all of the stress. At least now, though, she didn't feel like she was about to snap under the pressure of it all. She'd had the time to catch her breath, to clear her mind, and to relax her muscles.

Now she was at one-hundred and one repetitions. Miria began to recite her prayer in her mind again, and pushed one more bead beneath her thumb. She was only a few beads away from the end. The sensation was therapeutic for her. She felt at ease now. She felt as though it were easier to concentrate. It had been...oh...how long since she'd last done this? Normally she attended Temple, but she hadn't had the chance to go to the local shrine in a bit, mainly because the local shrine was a few universes away. Now, even if it was just her, at least she could perform her meditation and take some time to herself.

One-hundred and two repetitions...if Miria hadn't been enthralled in her prayer, she would have been wondering if her gods could sense her in this world. What of Akta Daktri, the Night Mother? She was the patron of the Janavar race, whose own realm was their gateway into The Abyssal Plane. She was said to be able to traverse the gap between the Abyss and Realspace; could she sense Miria, alone in her new parallel universe? Miria hoped so; she dreamt of feeling Night Mother's twisted, cold hands, being pulled back home. Much to Miria's dismay, it hadn't happened yet. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Perhaps prayer wasn't enough in this case? It was a silly thought to Miria. Maybe that corrupted crystal would work in some way? Lunar magics drew on the light within souls, their links to The Warp and its deities, but Darkness was the element of the Abyss. Miria was no Warlock or Arcanist, or Thaumaturge, but maybe she didn't need to be. Maybe she could still use that crystal to get home, and she just needed to compensate for the corruption.

One-Hundred and three repetitions. Miria inhaled slowly, deeply, and then exhaled. The air left her body. What would happen when she left? She knew that she had to try making it back home, but what would happen without her around, with all of the people who she had met? Polly wasn't the same anymore, but she was still someone who Miria liked, and who she'd impacted. Would it be weird without her around? Kiara and Skye were strangers to her still, but they seemed fine. Link, and the strange newcomer who reminded her of him, and Ammy...how would they fare without her? Miria had helped them before, in London, but she didn't consider herself that important when compared to the likes of demigods and reality-benders. She was just an engineer...well, not even an engineer! She was just a tinker, and a maid, and a glorified bodyguard for some woman who was herself far more powerful than Miria. What did a scrawny kid like her have to offer, really? Still, Miria couldn't help but feel a little sad by the thought of leaving everyone hanging. She couldn't let it cloud her judgement and keep her from her goals, however.

One-Hundred and four. Until she returned home, she still needed to stick by everyone. She needed to do what she could. She'd cracked earlier, but she couln't help it. She would get through it, though. She promised herself that, so long as she kept her eyes up and worked hard, she would get through anything that she wound up getting into. She'd survived Czernobog, and she'd survived The Magnate. She'd helped whoever she could survive...she'd failed with Mnemosyne and Marcus, but she would learn from that. She wouldn't make that mistake again. As long as she kept learning and kept applying herself, everything would work out, and she would continue to look out for her friends so long as she was still there to do so. Madi and the others were captured now - she would save them, and she would protect the others who were with her to ensure that they didn't get captured.

One-hundred and five...one-hundred and six...one-hundred and seven....aaaand...one-hundred and eight.

Miria released a long sigh, and opened her eyes. Finally, she was done. Her vision was a little blurry, so she wiped her eyes until she could see again. She needed to return to everyone now that she was calmed down again. Clambering to her feet, Miria tried to shake off the wooziness in her head, and make her way back across the graveyard. Who all had made it out with her, again? She remembered Ammy, after she...well, cut off a man's hand. Lovely. Skye and Kiara were there, and Link, and Polly...wait, was Polly there? Miria thought about it. She felt sort of responsible for the woman now, after having gotten her mind-wiped. It made her feel guilty; she hated herself because of it. No matter, though, she thought. She would find Polly and apologize for running off like she did. Then, they could all regroup and talk over what to do.

Miria made her way through the old castle, peaking around. She walked by Skye and Kiara, a little paranoid to look right at them, but she did give a curt nod. She fumbled with her spectacles a bit, shy as she was, and continued walking along. "Miss Polly?", She called out, looking back and forth around the area. "Hello? Ma'am?"

[Menschenfleisch]

Shadows of the Empire | Tone

Honestly, did it surprise anybody that this had happened? Nine gins and a bottle of whiskey later, September was absolutely sozzled. Her cheeks her flushed, her fingers were numb and a warm sensation crept up from her stomach into her throat, like someone was gently breathing into her mouth. She fumbled with her latest order, a double-shot of tequila, and somehow brought it to her sticky, noxious lips. “Fucking AEGIS,” she slurred. “They told me that they were desensitising me to toxins, but... but I see through them.” She tipped her head, and her drink, back. She slammed it back onto the table with a loud whack. “They did it so I wouldn't be able to get waste-.... drunk..” She chortled under her breath. “Oh man, they fucked up. Colossally, so, in fact. Because now, I get to drink as much as I damn well please.” Valerian had abstained from drinking too much thus far, despite possessing a far superior resistance to toxins of all sorts. He took a glance at his apparent colleague, currently hunched over the counter. She hadn't vomited or blacked out yet, much to his relief, but her current behaviour wasn't exactly comforting to him. ”I never would've taken you for a party girl, Cait.” Her chortle turned to a laugh. A loud, uproarious, unnecessarily annoying laugh. “Party girl?! This tequila is kid shit.” She whirled around, locking eyes with him whilst wearing a smirk. “Man, I used to go to karaoke bars every day. Just about every nightclub in town had me on their VIP list. There was this one time I-, haha- there was this one time I went to this nightclub, right? And I knew that there was a guy there who worked every Sunday shift who had a huge crush on this friend I had and vice versa; but both of them were too chicken to ask the other one out. So I took her there, and as soon as we went in, those two just looked at each other and fucking... eheheh... recognised each other, right? So the guy just ducks, like I walked in with a gun or something, and my friend, she- she turned red as a beetroot and tried to run out of the club, so I grabbed her by the collar and pulled her to the counter. I sat her ass down, and the guy was the only bartender, right? So he had to serve her, and she just- as soon as she sits down, she just yelps 'date!', and she realised what she'd say right? So she just... haha, ahahahah!” She braced herself against the table with her hands, leaning into her laughter. Vale gave her some time to work it out of her system, sitting by her with a half-empty beer in his hand. “She quickly corrected herself to 'date juice'. But the bar didn't serve juice, so the guy, he handed her an empty glass, and then I just, I just... S-so, he... they... they started dating. In fact, they got married after my friend got out of college, which was five years after that. A-and...” She swallowed the rest of her drink. “Charlotte... I wonder what she's doing now.” Valerian didn't want to push, but... ”Who else was in your clique? Sounds like you were popular.” The bartender, having fallen into a rhythm at this point, slid her another drink. She'd stopped specifying her orders, and had started accepting anything that she was given. The bartender was worried for her health but she'd already made it very clear that if she didn't get what she wanted here, she'd find it elsewhere – potentially through illicit means. “Was, yeah. The others were... Penny, Jane and Laura. Penny was the youngest one out of us, and she was a bitch. Bossy, stingy and all-around strict.” ”So why did you keep her around?” “She was funny and the team mom. Plus, she was a damn good singer, and bloody responsible.” ”And where is she now?” “Oh, I dunno. Last I heard, she was doing the rounds as a pop idol. I've been meaning to buy a ticket to one of her concerts, actually, but I've never managed to pull together the time, and... it's weird, but I kind of worry that I'll see her and not recognise her, and then... I'll lose what memories of her I still have left.” The bar felt oppressively warm and humid. The clientele who'd been in the store when Valerian had walked in were all gone. New faces kept cropping up around them, replacing the ones who'd been there before and who'd finished their drinks. ”If it's any consolation, I'm sure they'd be happy to hear that you're doing so well. I wouldn't be surprised if they were-” “No. This isn't about that. I don't envy them for being happier than me, I fucking loathe myself for not being able to be like them.” The conversation ground to a halt. This was more serious than she'd let on, wasn't it? “Jane loved high octane stuff. She was an adrenaline junkie, and liked to get dangerous. She butted heads with Penny more times than I can count. Sometimes, we'd have to fetch her from the drunk tank at the police station. She always apologised to us for having to pick her up for some reason. It was strange; even though she was brash and hostile to the world at large, she was like a puppy while we were around. Reserved, passive, apologetic... I wish I had realised what was going on sooner.” She sighed, her head lilting half-limply. “Aren't you going to ask me where she is now?” ”I don't want to make you uncomfortable.” She looked back at her reflection in the tabletop. She reached behind her head and pulled out her hair, undoing the bun that she'd tied it in. Long black locks fell about her shoulders. It was longer than Valerian had expected, certainly lengthier than what would be accepted in the military. “She's dead. Got tear-gassed during a protest for infotroph rights. She had an allergic reaction that she didn't know about because her dad never took her to the doctor, so she ended up in a vegetative state.” She clenched her fist around her cup, not even bothering to drink from it. “That slick-moustached bastard. He killed her. Pulled the plug as soon as he could. I think he was waiting for it to happen. But at the very least, she went out fighting for something she believed in, which is more than I can say for myself.” She put a hand on her cheek, leaning her head on her elbow and her elbow on the counter. “At the time, I was in Syria, using the regional instability as a cover story so that I could burn reality-bender villages to the ground. I could've asked to be relieved of duty, I could've taken a break, I could've seen her. But by then, we hadn't talked to each other in two years. So I didn't. But, as I said back then, her and I – our friendship is history.” She took a deep breath. “Laura and I were inseparable. We fought to be in the same classes as each other, drank the same drinks and knew the same people. So, I don't understand how we ended up being so different. We both wanted to make the world a safer place but whereas I signed up to be a part of AEGIS, she decided to become a charity worker. I secretly laughed at her at the time for it. I thought: 'are you really that much of a coward? Why are you choosing to pursue such an inconsequential career when you're just as strong and as smart as I am?' I loathed her, thinking that she was being selfish. It wasn't until I started executing children and poisoning rivers that I realised why she'd made that decision.” ”Caitlin, you're almost-” “Lucid? Shit, you're right.” She got what she wanted: a bottle of red wine. “One of AEGIS' creeds is to protect the public, but sometimes I wonder who the 'public' really is, in the eyes of the overseers. Those bloody bureaucrats, they'll turn against the masses 'for their own good'.” She took a swig straight from the bottle, only to put it down a moment later in disappointment. ”Is there any way that I could cheer you up?” She pursed her lip, thinking. “... yeah, there is. I wanna know that there's someone out there who's just as fucked up as I am. What are your regrets?” He leaned back in his chair, wracking his brain for examples. He wasn't doing so for her sake, he was legitimately just curious. He had such a long memory, and such an expansive mind, that he could discover parts of himself that he'd never known to exist. ”I don't know, actually. Can't think of any off the top of my head.” There was a loud snap, and suddenly, the sound of tinkling glass. Shards of the cup, soiled with alcohol, dug into Caitlin's fingers, drawing long rivulets of blood. Valerian's expression remained unchanged. The bartender stood by, unsure of what to do. “Easy for you to say.” She gripped the largest shard of glass and pulled it out of her palm, leaving an open, gushing wound. She quietly wrapped the hem of her jacket around it, hardly even processing the pain. ”September-” “Shut up. Don't call me that.” She pulled out another shard, depositing it on the table. The bartender turned pale, and stepped away. Her expression soured and her brow creased, tightening into a knot. Valerian raised his hand to heal her, but she began speaking once more before he could do so. “I don't even know what I was expecting. Of course you wouldn't have any regrets. What don't you have?“ Valerian lowered his eyebrows just a smidge, pulling away his hand. ”What's gotten into you?” She laughed out loud, baring her teeth and closing her eyes as she was seized up by uncontrollable, body-wracking tremors. “Seriously? You think there's something wrong with me? You selfish bastard. You can start over whenever you want. You're immortal and unbound, freer than the wind.” Another shard, another drop of blood. “You act all high and mighty, like you're carrying some internalised trauma, when in reality you're living out a ten year old kid's fantasy.” Her voice lowered to a murmur; “You don't know how much people would sacrifice to be like you. You don't know how much I want that. To be able to just pack up and leave whenever I want, to start a new life.” She folded her arms up on the table, crumpling. She scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her arm furiously, and her sleeve came away damp. “Y-you, you don't suppose we could... run away?” She smiled, a thousand yard stare across her face. “You must've found someplace we could go. Or at least, someplace I could stay. I'm sure that somewhere out there, there's a utopia. Or, failing that, just... any place where I belong. A world that I was made for.” Her eyelids were drooping, her speech slowing down. “I could... pick petunias, go to karaoke bars, maybe even be a housewife and undo all the years I've spent with AEGIS.” She heaved, grasping her throat with her hand. “I can't take this any more... Valerian, take me as far from here as you can. Find me a home, I don't care where, as long as it's better than this!” She rested her forehead on the table, covering her face with her crossed arms. She voiced muffled sobs into her forearms, shaking gently. He laid a hand on her shoulder. ”You should stop, Caitlin.” A warm green light spread through her body, pooling within her hands and sinking to her fingertips, kneading her skin like clay until it was one contiguous whole once more. It reinvigorated her body, but not her spirit. She slowly raised her head, blinking twice and suddenly jolting upright. “Twenty years,” she whispered. She whipped her head around to face him. “Give me another twenty years. That sort of gift is like pocket change to you, right? Modern medicine can't even come close to doing that, but you could do it without even batting an eyelid. Please, give me another two decades. De-age me!” He leaned away from her, cringing. ”You're drunk. I can't-” She interrupted him with a sloppy punch. Her knuckles bounced off his cheek and though he wasn't hurt in the slightest, he still shut up. She pulled at his shirt, dragging him toward her. “Please... I'm begging you here, Valerian. I'd do anything. I'd defect from AEGIS, give up my fingers, whatever it would take! There are cults who sacrifice hundreds of victims, just hoping that their gods will bless them with extended lives and prosperity. But you? You're an opportunity. You're a god without worshippers, a god who I can talk to directly. You could fix everything that's wrong with me in a heartbeat, so why?! Why don't I deserve a better life? Is my eternal happiness not worth a second of your time? You could send me to Eden in a heartbeat, lift a finger and grant me everlasting health, so why don't you?” She began crying openly, drooping her head. “I just want them back... those years that my job stole from me. Those nights I should've spent in town with my friends, not blowing up mothers and their children...” She reached for his cheek and he shoved her away; ”You're embarrassing yourself. Lay off.” at which point she fell out of her seat, stumbling backward. She touched her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dammit, I'm..." She sighed and sat herself back down. "It would be so easy to just... steal an anomaly, learn a forbidden ritual, make a deal with a god, or something. How come nobody struggles not to do stuff like that? Are they really that afraid of AEGIS?" ... "Screw this. Let's call it a night."

[Naval Monte]

Secrets of the Raven
Lludw Cigfrain- Wales, United Kingdom
Ashwood Manor

With Celeste silent the witch took it as her que that this discussion was done. "Look if you can something for me before leaving. There is something in the reliquary that I need. It's a box with green side paint with I think are Japanese characters." Elizabeth shrugged. "Whatever. It has straps so you can carry it on your back. I need that box because it has pocket dimension big enough to stuff a body in it. Also there is a vinyl disc in there as well, several actually. Find one within a winter theme cover. Might as well have some music ready encase we win and want to celebrate." 

Elizabeth began to walk away the redhead space walker. She had her hands in her pocket as she walks through the shelves and benches, the sound of fire crackling from burners, the bubbling of chemicals within decanters and the smell of the elixirs lingering in the air. She saw the fluids glowing a variety, the same with the runes and sigils in the room made to protect it from any negative influences. Elizabeth looked up to see the dancing and twisting current of vital and anima energy known as Azoth, the very source behind the rooms existence and all the wonders within.

She saw streams of bright orange sparks coming from the flames, vacuous stream of blue steam rising up from the decanters. But most simply changed into a wide and wild arrange of colors, some being colors she can't describe in words as they went to ranges that are impossible for most humans to perceive. "I wonder if artist would be jealous if they knew I have Mantis Shrimp sight?" Elizabeth let a small smirk form on her lips as she walks through a thick cloud of Azoth.

When Elizabeth reached Alex she saw black hair dancing in the fluid, the scalp of the golem's shell having cracked open. Alex turn to face Elizabeth, her hands on her hips as she gave her a pouty looking face. "Finally! I was thinking you just left me here alone so you can smoke your death sticks." She chastised. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "If I did you would have smelled it. But now I needed to check someone on a book for something I'm making in private." She lied as she waved her hand.

Her eyes turn to the golem as more of its shell broke on the shoulders to reveal soft, toned, pale shoulders. The hands and feet were the next to have cracks and dome pieces floated up to the surface to reveal fingers, toes, and bits of the hand and feet. Elizabeth whistled at the results. "Thanks for helping me out mom. I don't think I would be able to make this one without your help." 

Alex had an arrogant smile on her face. "Well, your mother is amazing." She boasted while brushing a lock of her away. "But this one is only a success because your skills in golemancy isn't that bad either. I believe with more training you might be able to do this without needing any assistance." She commented.

Elizabeth let a small smile form, knowing that the compliment was also her telling the truth. "I got the feeling that some of our team members might object to what we have done." Elizabeth told her as the waist was now free from its clay prison. Alex shrugged. "Then we don't tell people that we made a clone. Simple as that. We hide the clone or your body while your soul is possessing it." Alex stated. 

The two would see the face being revealed with the chest and back being free a few seconds afterwards. It didn't take long for all of the pieces to come off the clone, the surface of the bath covered in the clay pieces. Alex flicked her wrist and the pieces flew off the "womb", clattering and shattering as they crash back on the ground. As the house began to clean up the mess Elizabeth began to walk around to examine the clone. I like the fact the clone is scar free as I don't want to answer uncomfortable questions but at the same time it's annoying my ward tattoos aren't on it. Looks like my work isn't done with this thing." Besides that one setback Elizabeth was satisfied with how well the cloning process turn out.

Alex was also looking at the crown and frown, making Elizabeth ask what was wrong when she was done examining the clone. "How can you be so gorgeous yet still be single?" Elizabeth blinked a few times after hearing that question. "I've been in a few relationships but none of them lasted." She answered back, not liking where this conversation was going.

"After we deal with this cult I'm gonna help you return back to the dating scene." She declared, only making Elizabeth more confused. "Thanks but I'm fine with being single. Besides, I'm going to be too busy dealing with a metric fuckton of cases Samhain will create." She said dismissively. Samhain and the rest of the weeks of November afterwards were her most busiest but they were also her most profitable. Alex shook her head.

"You already worked hard on this case. You should take a break once in a while, live a lot. Enjoy the fact that you are young and have all the energy to party and work whenever you want. Enjoy life now before you find yourself as an old lady." She tilted her head slightly to the side. "You might even find someone special again. One who might stay with you far longer." She assured her daughter.

Elizabeth let out a bitter sounding chuckle. "Right, like I will be that lucky." Alex would reply with. "Hey now don't give up now. You'll never know when your luck will change. Maybe your next one will be your most successful?" She said, trying to cheer Elizabeth up. Yet she still look somber. Elizabeth was reminded of another redhead she knew before meeting Dawn and Celeste, the one redhead who instead of making the witch weary makes her feel both a melancholic joy and agonizing sorrow. 

"I think I had that chance before but I screwed it up." She confessed in a low voice. Alex wanted to cringe on making Elizabeth be reminded of the one past relationship that cuts deep in her. She walked close to her and wrap her arms around her, apologizing for reopening old wounds. Elizabeth return the hug. "It's fine, I know you didn't mean to do that." She let go of her mom. " I'm gonna get the soul link elixir." She told her. "Also Celeste will be coming here soon to bring in something that might help with hiding either mines or the Clone's body. Yes she and Dawn now, both don't like hs playing god but they aren't gonna stop us." She told her before leaving her alone to find the elixir.

Now alone Alex looked at where she saw her daughter walked off before going to a shelf and punching it. "Good job Alex. You are most definently mother of the fucking year material." She shouted. "What the hell were you thinking? Of course relationships were a thorny issue for her. Why the hell would I think stepping into that minefield will be a food idea?" The lich can feel her shadow rousing from her slumber as she berated herself.

When she felt arms wrap around her from behind and another pressing itself against her back. She knew who it was, so much that hearing her voice whispering in her ears wasn't so surprising. "Because you feel sorry for the pitiful state we left her in." Her shadow whispered, it's voice smooth yet razor sharp with its accusation. "You feel that her terrible predicament with forming any meaningful relationships is all due to you making her a mage. Also you dying did a number on her frail psyche."

Alex wanted her shadow to shut up but of course the more she wants it to shut up the Kyle it feels like talking. "But of course the fact she has trouble like you with finding a long term stable relationship should feel you some joy, she truly is the apple of your eye." She can feel the shadow's body pressing itself closer to her as she leaned her lips closer to her ear. "With her beauty she would have more admirers than you ever had even in your prime, that is ignoring the obvious condition you are inflected with now. The fact she has a body that most women would kill to have, one you would kill many times over to have, yet still has trouble with men most put some ease on your ego. As well as the fact she prefers to munch on carpets as well as choking on…"

Alex would suddenly begin to squirm around and break free from her shadow's hold. The witch turned around to try and punch her dark doppelganger but  found her copy was now gone. "Come out you bloody coward!" She yelled out as she began to look for the shadow. "You don't you have the balls to insult me and my daughter to my face. What you said is bullshit and you know. I might be slightly envious sure, but I would never find satisfaction from my daughter's suffering. You are just twisting my feelings to make it so I can fall for your trap much easier. Well it isn't going to work!" She stomped her foot on the ground.

She heard her shadow's laughter echoing throughout the lab, or it sounds like it was echoing throughout the lab to her. She knew neither Elizabeth or Jackie would hear it, it's all in her head. "Yes, pout and shout like a spoiled child. You who was born with a silver spoon in your mouth and a wand of obsidian on your left hand hand and a wand of ivory on the other. You who found so much pride in your family name, history, and magic so much to smugly use to get whatever you want until you found it too much of a burden, to the point that you wish to take that birthright from your daughter and try to pretend to be something you and her can never be." The shadow's mocking voice can be heard everywhere.

"Now you want to lead another unfortunate soul down the same self destructive you put your daughter on. But seeing as this one is already broken I'm sure you can't break the same way as you did to Elizabeth." Those words struck a chord with Alex. The lich found herself losing control of powers as items in the room, books, tools, and even chairs began to fly off in a spiraling vortex and bookshelves and workbenches began to move and shake. The boiler bleach out more flames as well as the candles in the room while the temperature in the lab was getting colder, so cold that any liquids not being heated would slowly begin to freeze. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" She continued to shout as she fired off sparks of electricity at ever she saw her shadow appear, the apparition fading just before being struck.

Elizabeth had felt the sudden spike of energy just as she got the elixir. She began to run back to where her mother was. Bullocks! Why now did her shadow decided to act out now!?" the occultist thought as she ignored the blinding light created by the candles as their flames bellow out like rocket engines taking off and the bone chilling cold that was plaguing the room. She needed to find her mother and snap her out of whatever state she was in before she accidently destroyed the room and the golem or her and Jackie.

---

The Great Wizarding Rebellion

Back with the castle where Madi was left behind in she and the others were dragged out as cars arrive. From one of them the door open and stepping out was a man wearing mostly dark color uniforms, black mixed with gray. The man had the face of an angel, his golden hair and sapphire eyes only reinforce the angelic appearance. But behind his eyes was an unspeakable coldness, not the warmth one would expect from an angel, but to most who knew Johann that coldness was nothing new. The man's trench coat fluttered as the wind blew against it as he walked away from the car.

"These are the ones we were able to capture." He said to one of the soldiers. "Yes sir. We are still looking for anyone hiding in the castle." The general glared at the soldier. "Than you better tear this castle looking private. I don't want anymore surprises in this castle. If they resist arrest than you are ordered to kill. We will get valuable data from them regardless if they are alive or not." The soldiers ran back to the castle as Johann looked at the captives. 

"Throw them into the trucks. I will interrogate that one first." He pointed at Madi. "The rest of you will be detained. If you don't resist we will make your containment bearable, resist and we will make you regret that dearly." A group of soldiers wearing body armor with gas masks with glowing lens got from the trucks. "Separate the men, women, and children. We can't afford them to make any plans on escaping." As the masked soldiers began to roundup and break apart the wizards and witches Johann ignored the cries and pleads from people as families were being torn apart. Johann was looking at the immortal who bringing back the demon into his body.

"Agent Jin, how did you manage to capture that woman." A hint of surprise was in his voice. The immortal shrugged. "It's a long story sir. But I think I can share it if it means I can get away from paperwork." He told him.Johann ordered him to speak and so the immortal told him everything.

In Castel Rock while the group debated what to do the crows all began to caw in unionisen. The front door would on it's own, just blowing in as well as black feathers. Footsteps can be heard as a woman enter the castle. "What's with you people and castles? Do you really think hiding in such obvious place will somehow protect you?" The woman said.

The woman seem to be in her twenties or thirties. Her dark hair was long and loose, waves and curls that went about in a wild pattern. Her amber eyes looked at the group with boredom. Her body was covered by a long black coat. The coat seem to have armor attached to it or was made with armor fused to ut as well as purple runes on it, the collar had bundles of Crow or Raven feathers on it. The woman wore black gloves and boots as well as cargo pants if the same color followed by a purple shirt.

For most the coat would be the most eye catching part of the woman or her hollow eyes,  but for the wizards and witches it was her powerful and intense magical aura that would catch their attention. 

"Still this one feels oddly cozy. It would be a shame to see this place be torn up after my people arrive." Her eyes fell upon Miria. "What an adorable little feline humanoid. I'll make sure you are taken good care of after you are sent to your new home."

When her eyes went to look she gasped in surprise. "My my. It seems there is another incarnation of the elvan hero wondering around. A shame you aren't as cooperative as the other two. But it was that witch fault for poisoning you with her maniac ideals. I suppose we can rehabilitate you and make you see the errors of your way."

When the woman went to Skye her eyes seem to look at her with awestruck. "This power... I never felt anything like this before. Young lady you must tell me what sort of power do you possess?" The woman asked. The crows from outside began to fly into the castle due to the door being left open.