Beyond Light's Reach (IC Reboot)

[Zjaum]

Werakoya Eyeketrau

Werakoya was originally hired for the mission to find out weaknesses in defenses and traps. Apparently, though, her skills had been outsourced to another goliath. Still, she didn't quite enjoy sparring with a dozen foes who outranged and outgunned her, in combat or in argument. A small hole through the sewers was considerably easier to pick apart than the collective minds of a garrison of archers. Now, the only puzzle left for her to solve at this stage would be trying to leave the gate without conflict, without immediately arousing the suspicion of those she left.

She stood with the fish girl for a few minutes, staring at the unfazed defenders, thinking of a proper exit. "Fine, then!" she announced to the garrison. "If you heartless fiends don't value lives over the thin veneer of security, then I suppose I'll have to find another city who actually will take care of my friend! Perhaps your rivals might have a heart! If she dies along the way, may the guilt lay on your consciences until you die!"

She picked up the fish woman and promptly about-faced. "Don't worry; we're not friends. I just said that to pull at their heartstrings a little more. Let's go catch up to the rest of the team, eh?"

The goliath traveled far down the road, past the rest of her allies, until she was reasonably out of sight of the archers. She spoke partially to herself and partially to narrate her actions to her new ward. "I need to get them to believe that we've completely given up on the city. Don't worry; we'll reach the hooded guy soon enough- whoa!"

The clumsy giant had tripped over a rock that had been concealed by the her captive. She flung her arms out instinctively, tossing her cargo and undoubtedly making what was a negligible injury probably worse. Werakoya dropped her bitterness for a few brief moments as she cradled the girl. "Oh, blast! I'm so sorry; that should never have happened. Are you hurt at all?"

She carefully picked her captive up and brushed her off as best she could with what spare movement her arms and hands could afford. She moved much more slowly into the forests to rendezvous with her compatriots.

[Tomia]

Outside Gradel
Yasema nodded in response to Chryssa as she agreed to her plan of going to talk to the stranger beckoning them. She was pleased to hear that the knight had such faith in her.

"I appreciate the trust, Lady Knight. I believe it is not misplaced." With that the group made their way down the road as if they were leaving, but then turned into the forest towards the hooded figure. Dulen was ready with his crossbow just in case this turned out to be a trap. However once they approached, the figure removed their cloak and revealed the armor of a Knight of Shotarr. Before any of the Hammer members could draw their weapons, the knight raised her hands.

"Listen, I imagine you think I am an enemy but I can assure you I am not. I am Lieutenant Schnabel. I've served with your leader, many of us have. I don't know if you've heard, but Sir Raeden is imprisoned. I don't have much more information than that, but I want to help you and more importantly I believe there are many among the order who would stand with you. Our commanders... They aren't acting right. Something very wrong has happened. They've already imprisoned others alongside Quentin. I don't know if they are still alive... but we have to stop them regardless.. I've heard rumors about the High Superior. People are saying he isn't human anymore."

Inside Gradel
The knight was clearly terrified at the presence of the wolf like warrior who now had him pinned down with barred teeth showing.

"Pri-prisoners?" He stuttered, he was clearly a young man and his knighthood was likely brand new. "There's a dungeon beneath the palace! Please don't kill me..."

Brialya approached Neferis and placed her hand on the warrior's shoulder. "Neferis, we can use him. Trust me, infiltration is my specialty. We're not getting inside that palace without help, and this man is our way in." She then turned to Rudolph.

"Your bird, it's unique. Can we use it try to spy on the order's higher ups perhaps?"

She then turned to the soldier Neffy had captured. "I do not want to hurt you human, but my friend here" She gestured to menacing looking Neffy. "She doesn't like knights, especially Tashar knights. So if you don't prove yourself useful, I won't be able to protect you. Got it?" He nodded, trying his best to conceal his fear.

"Now, you're going to take us prisoner."

[Absolon-7]

---

---

Rudolph Thorbecke

---

Rudolph was surprised at Neferis' expediency into action after his crow returned to relay its eavesdropping but it was still impressive. He followed her along until she came upon a knight patrolling some lonesome part of the town wincing as he was slammed into the floor by the tall wolfwoman. Thankfully she didn't have to carry out her threats as they caved in immediately.

"Your bird, it's unique. Can we use it try to spy on the order's higher ups perhaps?"

"Oh certainly," confirmed Rudolph to Brialya, "Its basically an auditory scribe for those kinds of things. Doesn't look any different from normal crows so they won't suspect a thing if its perched on some window."

Brialya joined in on threatening the poor sod of a knight but her ultimate plan of taking them prisoner to get in was a bit out of the box. Although such a direct method was too risky for his tastes but with time being of the essence he didn't have the luxury of his more drawn out yet safer methods of sneaking in. An idea popped into his head of acting the 'good constable' to Bria and Neferis'.

"It's better for everyone if you just go along," said Rudolph to the knight, "The faster you do what my friend here says the faster you can get on with your life. How about it?"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood

---

Needless to say, the knight in black was more than a little suspicious when the hooded figure turned out to be another Knight of Shotarr, her hand going to the hilt of Achlys, though she did not draw the enchanted blade just yet, opting to wait to hear what the woman had to say. After all, not everyone in the Knights of Shotarr had to be an enemy - Quentin himself was one of them, and his men remained loyal to him. Who was to say some of the knights he had worked with in the past wouldn't be the same way?

Indeed, after the woman - Lieutenant Schabel she was called - introduced herself, she explained that she had served under Quentin in the past and that something was amiss with the leaders of the order. This shed some new light on the situation, but it also made their situation all the more urgent now that they knew that these erratic higher-ups had the Knight Commander in their custody.

"If what you say is true then we must get into the city immediately." The redhead spoke. "If you can rally whatever knights you think might pick our side instead of the High Superior's, that would be a huge help in this situation but whatever the odds, we must rescue Quentin and whatever other trustworthy officers are imprisoned." She stated before turning to Yasema. "You said there was a less guarded entrance, can you take us there?"

---

Neferis Lahari

---

---

The she-wolf's grip on her captive loosened up once he caved in, remarkably quickly at that, and she considered his words carefully. The palace was undoubtedly the most guarded place in all of Gradel, which meant that breaking into the dungeons by force would be a herculean ordeal, and even sneaking in would be a challenge, especially for someone such as her - she knew a thing or two about moving stealthily and not making noise, but there were only so many places she could hide while trying to sneak around.

Feeling an arm on her shoulder, Neferis turned her head to see Brialya standing behind her. She suggested that they could get inside the palace by using this man, and she nodded at her. As both she and Rudolph began playing up her dislike for knights and her hostility, the Shi'el decided to simply do her part and played along, grabbing the knight by the neck and hoisting him into the air, her teeth bared at him as she glared.

"You might be tempted to run or call for help while taking us to the palace, but remember this." She spoke, leaning in close and whispering into his ear. "I'm not strong enough to take on all of the Knights of Shotarr by myself, but I can promise you this: if you try any of that crap, I'll make sure to spill your guts all over the floor before I die." She told him before releasing him. Afterwards, she grabbed his sword from the floor and handed it back.

"Now get to it."

[Tomia]

Outisde Gradel
Yasema nodded at Chrysanthea when she asked about the alternative path inside the city. "I can, but I can't promise we'll be able to make it into the palace. It is likely to be swarmed with knights now."

"Leave that to me." Schnabel told the group. "Once you're inside, I'll make sure the guards are distracted and you can get to Quentin. Once he is free, you'll need to get out of the city as fast as you can, I can't be sure how long I'd be able to keep the guards away." With that she made her way back to the main gate to reenter the city. Yasema then led their group further through the forest and after traveling around a mile they came across an old weathered looking gate that appeared to lead into the city.

"They used to use this entrance to smuggle in supplies when under siege or threat of invasion. However, clearly that hasn't happened in a long time." The door was locked, but Yasema placed her hand on the metal lock and soon it melted in her grasp and broke off its chain.

"Come, we must enter in pairs or small groups otherwise it will be suspicious." Yasema said as she beckoned the red haired knight to enter the city with her. They came out into what seemed like a storage like area, but it largely empty. The palace could be seen above them on a nearby hill.

"It seems the knight came through for us." The mage whispered to her companion as they made their way towards the palace as stealthily as they could. They made good progress towards what seemed like a lower entrance to the palace that would likely lead near the dungeons.

However as they walked through these quite side streets suddenly two knights came into view, dragging what seemed like an injured young wan and throwing him against the wall.

"Trying to steal from us you little shit!" One of the soldiers said, savagely hitting the man with the hilt of his sword.

Yasema reached out and grabbed Chrysanthea's arm as they hid. "Do nothing knight, we must remember our mission here. We must keep moving."

Inside Gradel
Meanwhile the plan to infiltrate the castle was underway as the captured guard was leading Brialya, Rudolph and Neffy towards the main gates of the palace, hailing the guards on duty that he had captured these prisoners.

"Heh, you managed that Jimmy? What are they drunk? Surprised you didn't shit your pants looking at these types. Ah well good on you, head inside." Jimmy nodded, though if they were closer they would likely have seen that he was actually shaking as he walked them into the palace.

Brialya took in the sights as they entered. It looked as if the order was readying for war. About two dozen knights were scattered around the main hall, gathering and sorting arms and looking over maps and other documents. It was not an encouraging view. Still, they had no choice but to follow through as they were marched inside. Just as Jimmy was leading them towards the prison stairs however, they were stopped by a large and decorated knight who was clearly a commander. However as this man approached it became very clear that there was something deeply wrong with him.

The skin on his face was looking as if it was rooting black, and his eyes were a deep and hellish red. Jimmy was clearly even more terrified then before as he was barely able to even look this knight in the eyes.

"You're dismissed recruit, I will escort these three personally. He said in a gravely tone that made it clear there would be no argument. Jimmy nodded and scurried away as the new knight brought over a half dozen guards and ushered his prisoners down toward the prison cells.

"Don't worry... You won't be here long." He said in an eerie tone as they were shoved along into the poorly lit dungeon. They were lead into a cell and the door locked behind them, and before they could even get a sense of their surroundings a voice spoke out to them.

"Brialya? Neffy? Rudolph?" It was Quentin, now leaning against the bars of the cell. He looked a little worse for ware but not seriously harmed. "What happened to you? Where are the others?"

[Absolon-7]

---

Rudolph Thorbeck

---

The experience of being escorted to jail, despite being part of their plan, felt a lot more embarrassing then he'd hope but when they went through the main hall his embarrassment was replaced by intrigue. Their facade of a hostage Jimmy was relieved of duty by a very strange individual that clearly had some authority to use but the most troubling part was his appearance. It looked almost as if some black roots had embedded themselves in his face and the fiery red eyes didn't appear close enough to how infected ones would. That man led the trio into a dungeon cell with Rudolph not appreciating the rough shove into the claustrophobic room. However, a surprise came when a voice spoke out to them in a cell adjacent to theirs.

"Brialya? Neffy? Rudolph? What happened to you? Where are the others?"

"Quentin? They finally shacked you up here?" asked back Rudolph, "Don't worry we're here by choice and we got a plan. For the others uh...we're kind of scattered right now."

[Tomia]

Quentin
"Well I didn't expect my rescue to involve a jail cell chat." Quentin quipped backed to Rudolph through the bars. His expression then turned more grim. "You shouldn't have come. It's too risky. My brothers... The High Superior has betrayed us. I don't know what he is planning. But everyone is in grave danger."

"That is why we have to stop him." Brialya said, moving toward the bars between them. "First thing first, what do we need to do to get out of here? These cells are... strange. The doors just disappeared when the guard left."

"The cells are enchanted, you can only find the door in the presence of the key." One of the soldiers in Quentin's cell said.

Brialya's eyebrows furled as she thought of how to deal with this situation.

"Alright, if we can get the guard to approach, I can get us that key and get us out of here."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood

---

With the promise of a swift distraction once they began their infiltration, the members of the Hammer of Eboris on the outside of the fortress city of Gradel began making their way through the woods, far enough from the sight of the guards posted on the city's walls to avoid raising suspicion, yet not so far as to waste too much time when they had precious little to spare. About a mile in, they finally made their way to the city's side entrance, a smuggler's route that was easily uncovered as Yasema applied a little of her magic. The door opened, and Chrysanthea stepped forward in response to the Keeper's beckons. She had no reason to refuse, and she also had no time to argue. The sooner they made it to the palace dungeons, the better.

Just as Yasema pointed out, Lieutenant Schnabel had kept her word, and the sound of rioting could be heard in the streets as knights clashed against their brother, throwing the city, or at least a district thereof, into chaos. With the din of combat masking their footsteps and the shadows of the dark alleys keeping them hidden from prying eyes, the knight and the seer made their way across the city, heading towards the palace.

Suddenly, however, a loud noise alerted them to the presence of others nearby. Two Knights of Shotarr were punishing a young man for allegedly stealing from them, and the sight made the Repentant knight's blood boil at the injustice. Already she had taken a step forward, hand on Achlys' hilt, when her goliath ally placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to hold her back, speaking of their duty and asking her to stay out of it. At this, Chryssa turned to look at Yasema with a furious glare on her face. "I know my duties, Keeper. I made an oath, just like you did."

Yanking her arm free from the goliath's grip with some effort, the redhead analyzed the situation. It was true that jumping in to help the young man would draw attention to herself and make it harder to carry out her mission, but she could at least make it easier for him to escape. Drawing two of her knives, she threw them at the knights' feet with deadly aim, leaving them crippled and giving their victim a clear advantage.

"Let's go, quickly!" She told Yasema as she sprinted away to the next shadow before she could be spotted.

---

Neferis Lahari

---

---

---

Things went according to Brialya's plan, though whether that was a good or a bad thing for the warriors of the Hammer of Eboris was another matter entirely. After being escorted by the knight she had coerced - and afterwards by an officer with a decidedly unhealthy appearance - Neferis found herself in a cell within the dungeons underneath the palace, in the company of Rudolph, Krook and Brialya, as well as that of Quentin, who was soundly locked up in the cell across from hers. Clearly the trial didn't go well, but at least he hadn't been executed yet.

"Neffy? I do not remember giving you permission to call me that." The she-wolf spoke curtly, her arms crossed. After listening to Quentin's explanation of how the cells worked - a most curious magic she had never heard of before - and Brialya's plan to get the key to escape from there, the gears in her head started to turn and she looked at each of her cellmates, starting with the elf woman herself. She was fit and clearly knew her way around a battle, but even so she was fragile compared to the others, relying on her wits and agility instead. Krook was large and powerful, certainly able to take a beating in spite of his gentle demeanor, but his size and musculature made it difficult to believe that a smaller creature could subdue him, even if it was certainly possible. Rudolph, on the other hand, was strong and disciplined, but no larger or more fearsome than a human ought to be, which made him the perfect choice.

Moving to stand in front of him, she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I have an idea to attract the guard's attention, but you will not like it." She told him. Cracking a smile, she now cradled his face. "Don't worry, I will make it up to you later." She winked at him.

Then, without so much as a word of warning, she swiftly punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Next she straddled him and began pounding the wall next to the his head with her fists, making an awful noise every time. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! LOOK WHERE YOUR STUPID PLAN GOT US!" She screamed at him. Her fists ached and bled, but she ignored it, knowing that with all the racket, a guard was bound to approach.

[Absolon-7]

---

---

Rudolph Thorbeck

---

As expected Quentin didn't like them coming in directly to rescue him but it wasn't like he was in a position to free himself either. Briayla got a guard to interject about the nature of the door which seemed quite odd to him. So if we get the guards to leave then the doors would disappear if they don't hide the key somewhere in the room? Their administration must be really in tatters to really on such shoddy craftsmanship of an enchantment. He could perhaps get his crow to cause some sort of diversion but his planning was interrupted when Neferis placed a hand on his shoulder and he already knew he wasn't going to like what she had planned from what she said.

"So what do you h-" said Rudolph quickly before a firm fist crashed into his face and onto the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain on his nose flared up again and again but they where startled open when he heard fists pounding the space next to his head. Realizing her plan his face lit up in acknowledgement. Oh!

"Guards help!" he shouted in an attempt at a fearful voice.

[Tomia]

In the Prison
The guard who was previously standing by the door to the prison walked over as he saw the fighting going on in the cell. He chuckled as he stood outside the gates and watched. "Heh, what do I care if you fools kill each other?" He said with a chuckle. Brialya was eyeing him while trying not to make it too obvious. He wasn't close enough to the bars yet, just a few steps closer and she'd have him. And so she stepped towards him and spat in his direction. The smile on the guard's face immideatly disappeared and was replaced with clear rage as he stepped towards the bars.

"You knife eared bitch I'll kill you..." He wasn't able to finish his threat as Brialya's nimble fist slammed into his stomach. The guard gasped and shouted out as the elf gripped at his armor and slammed him against the bars. Suddenly the door appeared and she knew this was her chance. She reached for the key that was at his waste and snatched it from him. She then moved to the door that was now present and opened it. The guard lunged his sword at her but she gracefully slide underneath it and gripped his hand by the wrist, twisting it and forcing the blade to clang onto the ground.

Before he could retaliate Brialya stared into his eyes and he seemed to freeze mid motion as he stared back at her.

"Where... who..." He seemed perplexed but Brialya didn't give him time to figure things out. She slammed his head hard against the bars and the man crumpled to floor. Brialya took a few heavy breaths before turning to Quentin's cell and unlocking him and the other other knights.

"Well, what do we do now Quentin?"

The knight looked pensive for a moment before turning to the soldiers behind him. "Gather all the other knights you can. It's time I spoke to those who haven't completely lost their mind. We're going to take the order back from this insanity, but first we need to figure out what's going on."

Outside
Yasema watched as Chrysanthea ignored her and slyly and skillfully attacked the knights from the shadows. Both knights cried out in pain as they searched for their attacker, giving the civilian a chance to run into a nearby alleyway. She then followed up behind her ally, silent for a moment before speaking softly. "You must learn that cannot protect everyone my lady. You succeeded today, but this war will not be won without sacrifice." Just as she finished speaking however a sharp pain struck her head. The images of a door she had never seen before filled her mind.

"There... to the left... there's a back door to the dungeon. That's where we need to go." Yasema told her, having dropped to a knee from the pain. Her god had shown her something and she would not fail him. The two made their way to the door and just as they arrived the door opened revealing Quentin and the others.

"Yasema, Chryssa, I'm glad you're alright." Quentin said upon seeing them. "It's time to end this. My fellow soldiers who were imprisoned are going to gather those who don't follow the High Superior's madness. Then we fight our way to him and figure out what the hell is going on."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood, Neferis Lahari & Saelaam Alvari

---

As the guard approached, Neferis stopped hitting the wall and instead shook her hands while breathing heavily, as if she had just finished pounding Rudolph with her fists and needed a break - otherwise the guard would've immediately noticed that it was a montage. Luckily, Brialya swiftly took over from there, taunting the guard and then swiftly taking care of him before taking the key and opening up both their cell and Quentin's. With their job done, the she-wolf stood up and offered one of her bloodied hands to Rudolph in order to help him get up.

"I'd apologize for hitting you, but it had to look real. I'm sure a strong man like you didn't feel a thing, though." She said before following the others.

Meanwhile, Chrysanthea glared daggers at Yasema underneath her helmet as the goliath woman stated that she couldn't save everyone. Of course she knew that, she had suffered plenty of loss throughout her life and during her time with the Repentant she had learned that often one's best efforts weren't enough to save every man, woman and child that needed it. But that didn't mean that she should neglect to do her duties or refuse to help when it was within her power to do so. Rather than lash out at her ally, however, she kept her silence and continued on. Soon the seer had a vision from Sualdir and spotted the door that led to the dungeons, and the two made their way over.

Before they could open the door, however, it opened from the inside. Immediately, the redhead drew her sword, expecting resistance, but instead, she found Quentin, Brialya, Neferis and Rudolph, accompanied by various knights that were previously imprisoned. Surprised, she dallied a moment in sheathing her blade and looked at her comrades' faces, lingering on Quentin's for several moment. The load on her shoulders seemed to lighten up ever so slightly, and her heart was at ease now that she had found him safe and sound, but she knew that their problems were far from over.

"How did you escape?" The redhead inquired.

"We faked our own capture and then used a little acting to get a hold of the key. The rest was simple." Neferis explained with a shrug before looking up. She had noticed a shadow appearing over them and drawing ever closer, and now she realized that it belonged to none other than the Paragon of Trelia, falling from the skies and fast approaching a rough landing. "Hang on!" The she-wolf spoke as she rushed to catch him.

"Ugh..." The young Chosen mumbled. He looked worse for wear, with several scrapes around his body and wings. After a moment he managed to stand on his own. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's not the first time men from Tashar have tried to kill me." He joked before looking around. Spotting Quentin, he immediately walked over. "Sir Quentin! Sir Oscar and his knights are battling their way to the palace alongside one Lieutenant Schnabel. He asked me to find the remaining members of the Hammer, but I didn't expect to find you out here." He explained. "We should return to them."

[The Republic of Atria]

Gradel, earlier that day

Pete was having a nice day, begging for coin and doing silly little dances for anyone who'd toss him a coin. Which today, was not going very well. Most everyone either ignored him or if they did give him a coin, it was a very low value piece. Maybe enough for a few pieces of burnt stale bread. So, instead, he came up a plan. There was a bakery stall selling some bread. All he had to do was wait for the guy running it to get distracted, lift a loaf and disappear into the crowd with enough food for a few days. Worst case scenario, he got seen and was chased out of town. Or maybe thrown in prison for a few days, where he'd at least get some basic food, water, and a place to sleep. He came out getting what he wanted regardless of how it turned out.

He walked over to the bread stand, seeing a handful of people all browsing and looking for what they wanted. Pete managed to squeeze in for look at well, spotting a piece of freshly cooked bread, he stepped to the side and snatched the piece, bolting a good ten steps before running into a rather annoyed looking guard who witnessed everything. "Uh... Heh heh... Well. No point in tryin' to get outta this. I got caught red handed." He said, sounding more defeated than he actually was.

The guard's face softened once he realized that he was dealing with a broken beggar with no food. Though he was obligated to return the stolen property, he did figure that at least throwing the guy in the dungeon for a few days would keep him out of trouble for about that long. And get him some food as well as a place to sleep that wasn't in the middle of an alleyway. "Alright, you're coming with me." He said, grabbing Pete's arm expecting resistance, but was surprised to see that he wasn't resisting at all. The guard's eyes narrowed, having figured out that getting caught was probably at least a fallback plan. At least he didn't hurt anyone.

A few hours later, The Prison

"Alright ya bum. In you go." He said, pushing Peter into a cell. "Good on ya for not makin' a fuss. Got some real whiners in here."

"What can I say? I'm a good sport. Don't worry about me, I'll be on me best behavior!" He said, sitting down the the cloth that was to be his bed. At least it was somewhat warmer in the cell than it was outside. It was starting to get late, so he figured that going to sleep would be the best thing to do for now. He wasn't sure how long he was asleep, but he heard a lot of commotion coming from the outside that snapped him awake. He climbed to his feet, headed over to the door and started shouting. "Oi, what's all that racket? Some'a us are tryin' to get some sleep!"

[Absolon-7]

---

---

---

Rudolph Thorbeck

---

The plan worked perfectly as their quite incompetent jailor fell for Bria's ploy and soon enough everyone was free and to free the rest of the knights in the dungeon. With his nose still stinging he looked up to see Neferis offering him a hand up and he noticed that her knuckles where a bit bloodied up from striking the stone next to his face. While it was a superficial comfort that he wasn't alone in being hurt he did slightly feel bad about it.

"Yeah I've been hit worse so don't worry about it. As these scars on my face can tell," half groaned and half laughed Rudolph taking her hand to get to his feet.

Their small group soon received reinforcements in the sudden appearances of Chrysanthea, Yasema, and Sael with news that there was a fight going on. They would definitely need some more bodies to make this pincer movement work so Rudolph got to work freeing the other knights as Quentin ordered and he was surprised to hear someone yelling at them angrily as Rudolph stepped in front of the bars.

"And some of us are trying to prevent a coup by staging a counter coup," quipped Rudolph as he motioned for the ragged prisoner to get back as he opened the door to the cell. Two knights that had been sharing the room with the ragged man soon got to their feet and walked out in elatation.

"Thank the Pantheon!" one of them said as they walked over to the rest gathering near Quentin.

Rudolph looked over at the ragged man in the cell and pointed at him, "I'm feeling a bit charitable so why don't you get out of here too? If what I'm thinking is true then it won't be pretty soonish."

[The Republic of Atria]

Rudolph

Peter's jest was met by what looked like a Crypt Slayer or whatever they were called coming to his "rescue." Seemed like it was a prison break. He hesitated at first, wondering if it would be smarter to leave and follow the weird people breaking into a prison or just sit there and enjoy a night indoors. But then he simply shrugged, noticing it could be a fun call to adventure. He'd likely have to skip town after this anyways. Though the slayer mentioned something about a coup. "A coup to prevent a coup. Weird way to phrase it, but it had to be more fun than sitting in a prison cell shitting in a bucket.

"Ya know, I dunno what that all entails, but if yer lookin' for a bit of help. I think I can give you a lil'bit of assistance with that. But uh, ya gotta promise you're not gonna try to stab me right after I show ya."

[Tomia]

Gradel
Brialya looked concerned as Sael approached and nearly fell out of the sky before Neffy caught him. She gave Neffy a grateful look as she approached the injured healer. "Sael, you should find somewhere to rest. You're already hurt and..." She paused for a moment realizing panic was starting to raise in her voice and they were in a more public setting than that felt appropriate for. "We need you to stay safe. This battle is going to have casualties, we can't let you be one of them."

Meanwhile Quentin turned to hear some downtrodden man say he would come with them. Normally he wouldn't trust strangers but if he was volunteering they couldn't just turn him away given the dire circumstances. "If you're willing to fight you can join us. Just beware, this will be dangerous and we can't guarantee your safety."

With that settled they regrouped with the other members of the order who were still outside the gates and then rushed towards the main entrance of the castle, meeting up with Sir Oscar and his soldiers along the way. Together they fought their way through the entrance, Quentin could see Dulen's bombs exploding and Yasema's fire blazing as they marked. He hated the idea of killing his brothers but more and more the ones who fought them looked more like demons and less like men. Soon they made it outside the Assembly chamber where his fellow Knight Commanders would be assembled and the pair of guards initially held up their weapons but backed down when they saw they were outmatched. And so Quentin and the Hammer marched into the center of the assembly where the eyes of dozens of knight commanders were upon them.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The High Superior shouted but Quentin ignored him and instead looked up at the crowd of people he had once considered peers.

"Brothers, Sisters, look around you. Look at what we've become, what he" Quentin raised a finger and pointed it at the High Superior, "has reduced us to. We are champions of the people! Not common thieves or petty warlords! I have devoted my life to this order and its principles. I have fought alongside you, and sacrificed more than any man should because I believe in that ideal. The high superior has been corrupted, demons now threaten our very existence in this world and now you are faced with a choice. Succumb to the chaos and the corruption or join us and be a true force for good!"

At this moment Lieutenant Schnabel appeared with soldiers at her back. "We stand with Quentin, we stand with the Hammer!"

Quentin turned back to face his fellow commanders who all seemed to be contemplating their next move. "Well what say you?!" He demanded and soon a number of them starting rising in a cascading wave and drawing their swords. For a moment he feared they were doomed until a great cry filled the chamber.

"For the Hammer! For Eboris!"

"Kill them all!" The High Superior shouted in a shrill and demonic voice as his corrupted followers drew their blades and charged the others. More soldiers poured into the assembly as fighting broke out into absolute chaos.

'Follow me!" Quentin shouted as he saw the High Superior running to escape. The group then chased him down a hallway that led to the High Superiors personal chambers, a dead end.

"It's over, lay down your weapons and surrender." Quentin demanded firmly. The High Superior simply offered an evil grin as black wisps emanated from his body.

"There is no surrender." He said in otherwordly demonic voice that sent chills down Quentin's spine. "Only death, yours that is."

With that the seemingly old human man began to transform into a massive 20 foot tall beast as the roof around him began to collapse and give way to the massive monster that suddenly appeared. With a howl that sent a fire ball hurling towards Quentin the demon shouted,

"DIE!!!!!"

[The Republic of Atria]

The knight that the group was bent on rescuing overheard his conversation with the Slayer, being strangely welcoming to his offer to join, but making it clear that he could not promise his safety. "Oh ho. Ye don't need to worry about me. I've been taking care of meself for a long time. Speaking of which, mister Slayer man, ye mind if I borrow a knife? I promise, it's just for a second." He said, and the Slayer obliged, giving him a small dagger to protect himself. though he didn't get a chance to use it since the group hurried off to the palace. Which he barely managed to keep up with, until they stopped, with the lead knight man, Quentin, if he overheard correctly, started yelling at the head of the Shotarr about something Pete didn't quite understand.

It looked like he wasn't even going to have to do his thing after all. The head Superior knight was outnumbered, looked to be equally outgunned, and backed against a corner. "Mate, I don't mean to pry, but yer lookin' a bit crazier than I'd expect and-" He heard the sudden voice change, and erupted into a massive demonic beast. "Ooooooh boy. Yeah. That's a dilly of a pickle right there. That's a fuckin' demon?!" He said readying the dagger.

"But you ain't the only suvabitch who can do that!" He said, bring the knife to his palm and cutting into it. He winced, dropping the bloody blade as his body swelled and grew larger and larger until he was a good ten feet in height, and his voice also becoming highly distorted. "Anyone got'a plan or are we just hittin' the bastard?"

[Absolon-7]

---

---

---

Rudolph Thorbecke

---

"Well, I guess we can come to an arrangement on that," said Rudolph awkwardly to the ragged stranger as he stepped aside to let him out.

Rudolph would not have time to ponder what the stranger could possibly mean with his condition as Quentin soon had the whole group go outside to meet up with their outside forces at the entrance before fighting their way to the castle's Assembly Chamber. However, Rudolph noticed that the knight they fought looked very much off and inhuman almost like that one guard back at the dungeon. When the group finally arrived to confront the Knight Commanders and the High Superior a chaotic clash ensued as Quentin managed to rally back several of the High Superiors subordinate's which left them to fight the remaining corrupted knights following the High Superior at least until he fled down a hallway.

"The bastard's retreating? Guess those types are always all talk," muttered Rudolph as he dodged several clashes between the corrupted and the knights.

He went to follow Quentin but a corrupted knight abruptly got into his way by tackling him to the floor. Rudolph rolled most of the impact away before he flipped onto his feet in a squat. The knight lunged at him but Rudolph deflected the attack with the side of his sword as he spun around and stabbed the gap in the neck armor with his opposing hand holding his dagger. He tugged the knife back out as the foe fell to his knees dead. At this time a slight rumble shook the building as he rushed back into the hallway to see tow enormous creatures facing off one another although the one by Quentin and the other was only half the size of the fire swathed one. And once it spoke it was obvious who it was.

"Well if we had more soldier with us I'd suggest turning him into a pin cushion with halberdiers," said Rudolph leaping right next to Peter, "But since that's not happening we got to go for his weakpoints! So I'll distract him and you go for its legs!"

Rudolph rushed at the giant demon and slashed at its ankles right before it sent its colossal arm barreling down towards him. The runes on his armor began glowing as he suddenly jerked himself away from the attack as the giant fist sunk into the ground sending a hail of debris around it.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood, Neferis Lahari, Sir Oscar & Saelaam Alvari

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---

---

Saelaam smiled as he saw Brialya approach, but that smile quickly faded as he listened to her words. While a part of him was pleased to see that she worried about him, he knew that he had to do whatever he could to help the Hammer in a time of need such as this, even if it was to his own detriment. There were other Chosen who could tend to the wounded after the battle, but there were other ways he could help.

"Don't worry about me. My magic can keep me safe from the demons. I'm..." He trailed off for a moment, smiling briefly. "I'm more worried about you, but I'm no one to tell a warrior that she can't head to the frontlines, am I?" He told her.

With that conversation over, he followed Quentin alongside Neferis, Chrysanthea and the others, keeping his distance from the enemy forces as the group fought its way across the city, being joined by other members of the Hammer as well as a group of rebel Knights of Shotarr. After that, they headed down to the town square, where Sir Oscar and his knights from the Order of Evrouin had entrenched themselves, fighting off the corrupted knights that had been sent to hold them off. The Marshal was on his horse as always, shouting orders at his men.

"Sir Oscar!" The winged Chosen called out to him, and the man smiled as he saw Sir Quentin and his entourage approaching. "We need to get to the palace, Sir Quentin has business to attend there." He said, and hastily explained the Knight Commander's plan to the Marshal.

"Say no more, young man. We'll push through their lines and hold them at the palace gates for you." He spoke confidently, before turning back to the enemy. He breathed deeply and focused, the air around his sword growing heavier. Suddenly, he pointed it forward and a massive lightning strike surged forth, clearing the way forward. "Men! With me!" He shouted as he galloped towards the gates of the palace, smashing through what little remained of the enemy lines as they struggled to regroup. His swiftly followed suit, forming a wall of shields on either side to allow the rest of the members of the Hammer of Eboris to slip in through the center of the corridor and enter the palace grounds.

The heroes of the Hammer and the rebels of the Knights of Shotarr stormed into the assembly and Quentin spoke up, decrying the corruption of the High Superior. His speech seemed to rouse his comrades into action, but the High Superior responded by sending a group of corrupted knights to fight them. Lieutenant Schnabel and the others vowed to hold them back while Quentin decided to lead the others after the fleeing Superior. Chrysanthea prepared to follow suit, glancing at Neferis, who seemed to be hanging back.

"Not coming?" The redhead asked her comrade.

"These knights are going to need some help. You go on ahead, I'll stay here." The she-wolf replied, before transforming into her imposing wolf form, letting out a piercing howl. As Chrysanthea nodded at her and pursued Quentin, she saw Neferis pounce on one of the corrupted knights. His scream echoed in her ears as she caught up with the Knight Commander while he followed the High Superior through the hallways of the palace.

Finally, it seemed they had him cornered, but before they could apprehend him, his form distorted and he suddenly transformed into a massive demon, twenty feet tall. With a howl, he sent a fireball straight at Quentin, and the Black Butterfly froze. If she harnessed the strength of the magicite within her, then perhaps she would be able to get him out of the way, but then, she'd be unable to contribute for the rest of the fight.

As it turned out, she didn't need to decide.

"Ergis!" Saelaam's voice echoed in the collapsing room, and a bright white barrier formed in front of Quentin just as the fireball would have struck him, absorbing the full might of the explosion before fizzling out. A battle with something like this was no place for a healer, but the Chosen had already proven his worth in the midst of a fight before, and at that moment, she was glad he had come along.

"Quentin!" She called out to him. "I think I might be able to kill this thing, but only if I get a clear shot at its head!" She explained, glancing at the demon. For now, it was distracted by Rudolph and the beggar he had picked up, who transformed into some sort of creature, albeit smaller. He wasn't exactly pinned down, however, and Chryssa didn't want to risk blowing all of her strength on a failed attack.

[Tomia]

Battle of Gradel
"I'm going with you Wolfy." Dulen said to Neffy as she headed out into the hall to help keep the corrupted knights at bay. His crossbow like contraption fired a green potion that exploded into a haze of fume that knocked three knights out for the count. "We'll keep these wanna be demons at bay no problem!"

Meanwhile Quentin was nearly killed by the fireball before Sael managed to jump in front of it with his shield. The knight took a sigh of relief as the fire faded. "You've saved my life again my winged friend." He said before hearing Chrysanthea suggest a plan of her going after the beast's head. "Alright, then the rest of us, we need to focus on pinning this beast. Like Rudolph said, target the limbs!" Then he saw the vagabond they picked up transformed into a massive beast, making Quentin question who exactly they had brought along.

Brialya fired off an arrow that shined blue and slammed into the monster's left leg freezing it in place. However the ice was already starting to crack as the monster roared at the large beast in front of him. He stabbed forward at Peter with his trident. Meanwhile, Yasema focused on the monster's other leg, but her fire was doing little against this massive demon. "Quentin, we need another plan!" She shouted which forced the knight to think before an idea finally came to him.

He ran out of the room for a moment, gathering the lieutenant and a few of her soldiers before sending them off to dungeons for something. They returned with a number of heavy chains and brought them back with Quentin to the High Superior's office.

"Here! We can use these!" Quentin shouted out to the others, as he attached the top of a chain to his sword and launched the sword over the beast's shoulder. It planted in to the ground and Quentin then pulled on the chain and forced its left arm down as far as he could.

"Help me!" He shouted as he struggled to hold onto the chain.

[Absolon-7]

---

Rudolph Thorbeck

---

Thankfully it seemed like people were catching on to his idea of targeting the limbs. Could never go wrong with that classic for these big monsters. Unless of course they just shrugged it off like this giant one was currently doing. Freezing one of the legs by Brialya was a nice touch but after Yasema's ineffective fireball some other plan would need to be invented. As the beast raised its arm embedded on the ground where Rudolph used to be he hopped forward and slashed at the knuckles opening a long wound but the incoming rush of air from its tail notified him to roll away as it moved on to stab at Peter with its trident. As it fought with the others he slashed at its legs before darting away in time to avoid kicks and stomps but a new opportunity would come when Quentin and others started throwing chains over the demon to pin it down.

"Don't forget this thing can still move!," shouted Rudolph as he saw the demon reach for the chain over its shoulder with its other arm. To distract it he charged forward and stabbed his sword through its ankles nearly to its guard which elicited a roar from the beast as it kicked forward to get him away. This however meant Rudolph was taken along for the ride while he held onto his sword as one swing of its legs flung him away land on his back in a pained grunt.

[The Republic of Atria]

---

Rudolph Thorbeck

---

The fight started and things went crazy almost immediately. Someone shot an arrow and froze one of the big demon's legs. Someone else shot a fireball at it, but it had little, if any effect on it. Peter initially stayed back, letting everyone with the ability to strike from range give it their go before he got involved so he didn't wind up with an arrow in his ass. A plan seemed to involve chaining the monster down seemed to pop up, but he didn't get it. Instead, he decided to go for the head. Bolting across the room on all fours as the giant demon staggered from Rudolph stabbing it in the other leg, though Rudolph also wound up getting punted across the room, it bought Peter enough time to strike.

He jumped as the demon recovered from hitting Rudolph, his claws hooked into the demon and Peter threw himself onto the demon's head, sinking one of his claws into the demon's eyes just as it grabbed him. It let out a ear piercing yell as it wrapped it's hands around Peter and tore him off his face, with Peter tearing a chunk out of the demon's eye, if the glowing blood was any indication. He felt the demon's grip around him tighten, as it tried to crush the life out of him. "If ya wanna kill me, you're gonna have to squeeze harder than that mate!" He shouted through strained breath, sinking his claws into the demon's hands, letting more of the glowing bloody out until the demon decided to throw him aside.

He crashed into the wall next to Rudolph and let out a half grunt, half chuckle. "Wooo, that's one pissy lad right there. Big bastard. Think I got one'a his eyes. You doin' alright there mate? Not too many guys get kicked like that and don't die."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood & Saelaam Alvari

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Chryssa stayed back as she watched her allies face off against the titanic demon one by one, trying to pin it down in order to give her the opening she needed to bring it down. Brialya's enchanted arrow, though clearly only a temporary solution, seemed to disable its left leg just fine, but Yasema was less successful in pinning down the other one. Thinking quickly, the Knight Commander left the room for a moment, no doubt to request the aid of his fellow knights, and returned with a set of chains from the dungeons which he attempted to put to use by immobilizing the High Superior's arm. He seemed to succeed, in a sense, but he was clearly struggling to hold the chain by himself. Worse yet, the demon took notice and began moving to sweep him away.

The redhead was about to shout at someone to help him, but fortunately, it seemed she wouldn't have to. Rudolph took notice of the situation and attacked his other leg. The demon stopped trying to shake off Quentin and instead punted the Slayer of the Crypt away. Another ally, the man who had turned into a beast, took advantage of the High Superior's distraction and leaped towards his face, gouging out an eye before being tossed away.

With an arm and a leg out of the picture and its vision impaired, it might have seemed like an ideal moment to strike, but a problem quickly became apparent. The demon was clutching its head in agony, suffering from the pain of having an eye plucked out of its socket. With it in the way, she didn't have a clear shot at its head, which meant pouring her all into a single attack just wasn't an option. "I can't strike with his hand there!"

"I'll help with that." Saelaam spoke. He too had stayed back after shielding Quentin from the fireball - even though he wished to help he knew he had no business directly engaging a creature so powerful - but now he summoned all of his courage and walked forward, holding up one hand towards the demon and reciting a prayer of protection. His hand began to glow with the bright white light of Oadot, and the demon took notice, growling at the Chosen. Though the prayer was not nearly as effective against it as it was against lesser creatures, Saelaam nonetheless caused the High Superior pain and discomfort, and thus it reacted by rearing back its free hand and then attempting to smash him into a bloody puddle. At the last possible moment, the young man ceased his prayers and instead uttered a word of power to call forth a white shield, sparing himself from a grisly fate.

The distraction had worked, and with no time to lose, Chrysanthea prepared to attack. The accursed metal shards embedded in her chest and the rest of her torso had caused her no short amount of pain and trouble throughout her life, but when required, they also gave her an immense strength, and now she harnessed their power in one desperate first and final strike. She leaped forth, flying across the air like a bolt, the action accompanied by a sickening crack that, in the moment, might not have sounded too dissimilar from thunder itself. Grimacing, the redhead nonetheless held Achlys firm, the blade catching fire thanks to one of the enchanted rubies set into its hilt. The demon saw her too late to do anything but watch as she approached.

Then, in a single moment, it was done. The enchanted blade cut through the demon's neck, not severing it completely but cutting through its spine like a hot knife through butter, slashing and cauterizing its blood vessels so that none of its foul orange blood could seep out. The life faded from the High Superior as he stopped struggling, and eventually its body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. Working together, the Hammer of Eboris prevailed.

With a cry of pain, Chryssa landed outside of the enclosure. Unable to stay on her feet, she hit the ground instantly, her sword clattering as it fell.

[Tomia]

Gradel
It was over. The monster that was once the leader of the Knights of Shotarr fell lifelessly to the ground, but for the moment that was not what not Quentin's focus.

"Chryssa!" He shouted as he ran over her, not arriving in time before she could hit the ground. Her attack had clearly taken a lot out of her and he was greatly concerned for her safety. "Sael, come here!" He called out to the medic before he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. It was Yasema. She gestured to the hallway where knights were still fighting each other. "She will be fine Quentin, you must go to them now. They need you more than anyone." As much as Quentin hated the thought of leaving Chryssa's side, he knew the Goliath was right. This would be the moment that would decide if the Knights of Shotarr crumbled or if they rose to the occasion and transcended into something far greater. "I'll be right back." Quentin promised to his fellow knight before heading out into the hallway.

Meanwhile Dulen approached Chyrssa, "You'll be alright kid, hell of a shot that was. Maybe next time we should find one that's a little less self sacrificey eh? Hero work is bad for your health." He said jokingly, characteristically trying to distract and lighten the mood. Meanwhile Brialya approached Rudolph and Peter. "Are the two of you alright? I was impressed with how you took this beast head on. Not my own style, but impressive none the less."

Finally Quentin reached the hall and saw that while the demons and the corrupted had been killed or fled, human knights were still attacking each other and spilling the blood of their brothers. The thought filled Quentin's mind with rage.

"Enough!" He shouted in a powerful roar that brought the fighting to a close as the knights all turned to him. "Is this what we have become? This order that I love? Are we that willing to kill each other all while being manipulated by abominations? No more, we either begin to live up to our principles or we drop our swords. So I ask you now brothers, stop killing each other and instead join with the Hammer and put an end to this madness." He paused before raising his sword and reciting the Knight's famous moto. "Through service strength, through strength honor!"

In response there was a massive shout in reply, "Through service strength, through strength honor!"

In unison the call, the remaining knights fell to a knee all facing towards Quentin. The remaining members of the high council stood before him and Lady Abigail spoke among them.

"Quentin, on behalf of the Knights of Shotarr, I pledge loyalty to the Hammer of Eboris. We will help you rid this world of demons, as Shotarr commands."

Quentin found himself smiling for the first time in a number of days. "Thank you Abigail, and all of you. There's no group I'd rather fight alongside." The knights let out a cheer as Quentin moved back into the office were the members of the hammer were still gathered. "We'll stay here in the city for at least the night, or until everyone is in condition to travel. Shotarr know we could all use the rest."

[The Republic of Atria]

--

Not a few seconds after Peter found himself against the wall, was the beast finally slain. He staggered to get to his feet and shook off most of the soreness in his back. It'd heal. It always did. Though he did stay back to guard the injured Slayer knight while the demon beast well felled for good. He and Rudolph were approached by an Elf who gave them a psuedo backhanded compliment about their fighting styles when it came to the demon beast. "Yes, well." Peter started. "Not all of us got fancy dainty Elf feet 'n magic weapons." Peter teased a bit also trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Some'a us just become some big monsters. We all gotta do what we can with what we've got. Oh, and I think he might need a lil' bit a medicine. Don't worry 'bout me none. Been through worse than a lil' bruise. Though if ya don't mind, I've got'a few questions for ya." He said bringing his head down so it was closer to eye level with the Elf woman.

"First of all. I've heard o' the Hammer of Eboris. Wasn't sure if it was anymore'n rumor. Looks like the rumor was true and then some. So, I wouldn't mind someone tellin' me the full story. Roundabout way o' me askin' you tell tell me what's all happenin'. Like more things about the demons and whatnot."

"Second. If'n what's all said is true. You lot look like you could use an extra pair 'o helpin' hands. You wouldn't have to worry at all about lil' old me. I've been takin' care of meself for years! Ain't died yet. Slayer Knight said that'd I'm welcome. Does that invitation still hold or was it just a spur o' the moment thing?"

"Lastly." He said holding up the eye of the demon he ripped out. "You wouldn't happen to know if'n demon meat is edible? I mean, everything is edible if you're brave enough, but I'd rather not end up with me throat cut spoutin' off nonsense about power and demons and whatever."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Chrysanthea Blackwood & Saelaam Alvari

After her feat, the Black Butterfly felt drained of all strength, a common side effect of harnessing the power of the magicite inside of her. On top of that, there was a sharp, persistent pain in her legs, the sure sign that something in there was broken - another common result when she used it recklessly or in desperation, as she had done just now. Gritting her teeth to endure the pain, she made an effort to push herself off the ground enough to roll onto her back, though she couldn't muster the strength necessary and instead simply wound up tiring herself further.

She could hear Quentin approaching her with alarm in his voice, calling the winged Chosen to help and trying to reassure her, but she couldn't turn around to look at him, and soon enough Yasema arrived to remind him of the battle going on in the palace. Chryssa resented the goliath for sending him way, but she said nothing. She knew that he needed to be elsewhere now, that it was vital to their mission... but it still upset her somewhat.

Shortly after Quentin left, Saelaam arrived at the redhead's side and carefully rolled her onto her back. A cursory glance didn't immediately reveal what was wrong with her, though he had his suspicions about the issue even before he voiced the question that was on his mind. "Where does it hurt?"

"My... my legs." Chryssa replied through gritted teeth. Hearing Dulen's remarks, she would've chuckled if not for the pain. "Someone had to do it..."

Saelaam frowned as he heard the knight's reply and quickly started working on removing her greaves and other pieces of armor covering her legs so that he could get a better look before beginning to heal her injuries with Oadot's blessing. Trying to ignore her groans of pain as he did so, he glanced at the dwarf nearby. "If you've got something to drink, it might help her with the pain. The stronger the better." He said.

---

Neferis Lahari & Sir Oscar

The battle against the corrupted, demonic knights did not last long, with most devotees of Shotarr recognizing them as the enemy in spite of everything, and that made Neferis' job of mauling and mangling them to her heart's content a lot simpler. However, even after they were taken care of, the Knights of Shotarr seemed to be divided in their loyalties and promptly continued fighting and even killing each other. That was an issue, and with little means of telling apart those who were loyal to Quentin from those who were loyal to the High Superior, the Wandering Wolf decided to simply stand by the door as its guardian, taking care of anyone who wished to go through and pursue her comrades or try to aid the High Superior. It was a simple enough job, considering how eager the humans were to kill each other over their disputed leadership.

Fortunately - for them, anyway - soon enough Quentin returned from his pursuit, looking worse for wear, but victorious nonetheless. With a brief but rousing speech and the recitation of some sort of motto it seemed he was able to pacify the warring Knights of Shotarr. Neferis was pleased about the positive outcome, but uninterested in the politics of the order, and so, she simply wandered off on her own, heading towards the gates of the palace to leave the palace grounds. She was certain that if she was needed for anything else, someone would find her.

At the gates, she was met with yet another scene of bloodshed, this time between the knights of the Order of Evrouin and the Knights of Shotarr, with the former forming a wall around the gates of the palace to prevent the latter from reinforcing their comrades inside. At the front was Sir Oscar, still mounted on his horse and brandishing lightning to hold his foes at bay. It was more than obvious that the Knights of Shotarr out here hadn't yet heard about the demise of their corrupted High Superior and the new loyalties the remaining leaders of the order had pledged. Someone had to fix that.

Striding forward to stand in front of Oscar and the rest of the knights of Zoros, she spoke with a booming voice. "The High Superior is dead!" She proclaimed. The fighting immediately died down as heads turned to look at the she-wolf, her words leaving many stunned. "The High Council stands with the Hammer of Eboris now." She continued, her voice much quieter now, the contrast chilling many a man as she slowly scanned the battlefield, looking each and every knight in the eye. "Lay down your weapons. You have nothing left to fight for." She finished.

All of the remaining knights trying to break through into the palace laid down their swords and surrendered after that, giving the Dragon Killers a respite.

"I don't particularly enjoy murdering my fellow men, so I must thank you milady. Your arrival could not have come at a better time. I would bow, but my back isn't what it used to be." Oscar said with a chuckle, taking everything in stride as the lightning around him died down.

"You prefer murdering beasts, don't you?" The she-wolf shot back bitterly as she began walking away.

"Not when they're beautiful." The Dragon Killer replied without missing a beat, a relaxed smile on his face. "Unless they threaten innocent settlements. I am bound by my duties after all." He added afterwards, before gesturing for a nearby knight to approach. The young man complied and assisted him in dismounting, and the Marshal of the Order of Evrouin gestured towards the Knights of Shotarr. "Men, escort them inside. They will face justice as decreed by their own order, be it mercy or punishment." He spoke, and his men quickly got to work.