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[Mercakete]

Hearing the shout behind him, Raemond leaned into the saddle more and Lantos increased his speed. (In hindsight, announcing my presence was likely a poor decision. This is not my mission and I hold no hope of defeating them all. The best I can do is gain a bit more ground and possibly-- Wait.)

Attempting to take up his tome while riding was not an easy task. (I hope I don't drop it. How does Raechel do this? It doesn't have to be very strong, at least...) turning in the saddle and holding his palm towards his persuer, Raemond let loose a weak flash of light in the hopes of spooking the cavelier's horse. However, Lantos took that as a sign to slow slightly. "Keep running, Lantos! What are you doing?!" Raemond accidentally asked alloud.

[Balcerzak]

As the templar leader topped from her steed, the momentum of her fall, and the fact that Tessa's sword was still lodged in her chest drug the young girl off-balance, causing her to topple and lose her grip. Smiling... with such a grave wound. How did she manage? the troubadour found herself wondering. Althea's final words left an important impact as well. 'Please...save this world.' Had the woman changed her mind at last, would she relent the dogged attempt to kill everyone? Kamilla knew, trusted, and believed in her, and she was also clearly a servant of The Lady...

Pulling herself to her feet, shaking with the exertion and the tension of the combat just finished, when she saw the extent of the wound she'd caused the lady apprehension as well added itself to her tremors. That was horrible looking. At the very least, the wyrmslayer hadn't been dragged clear from the wound, and was still partly staunching the flow of blood, but red liquid was rapidly pooling itself on the ground regardless. Staff! Staff. Where'd I put it? a panicked thought raced across her consciousness.

Frantically scanning the battleground nearby, she barely registered Charlotte approaching. Where? There! Spotting it laying haphazardly on the ground, where she had carelessly tossed it, she dashed for it, grabbing it by the shod end, and not even taking the time to handle it properly before spinning back. The result was that the sudden motion caused it to slip from her grasp, but a least it flew in the right direction, landing nearby the fallen foe. Stumbling back to the scene she dropped to her knees and healed the woman.

Or rather, attempted to. As she tried to push the familiar healing energy out of the staff, it hit the bulb and stayed there, at least, that's what it felt like. Closing her eyes, she refocused, and began again, straining harder, beads of sweat popping up on her forehead. Again, a failure.

"Bugger all! Why isn't this working?" crying out in frustration, Tessa dropped the staff, and moved straight to the wound, if magic was failing her, she at least had some actual training to fall back on, right? Pressing both hands directly, one on each side of the blade, they were quickly covered with blood. She can't be, she can't be... Still warm...

Her thoughts were filled with feeble arguement. She knew full well that a body stayed warm for quite some time after death. Only in the tales would corpses be cold immediately upon expiration. Tessa knew what had happened here, and when she felt the pulse of blood from the wound slow almost to a stop, it was the final nail in the coffin. Sinking back into a crouch, leaning over her knees, she buried her face in her bloody hands and choked out a bitter sob.

This was nothing like what I'd intended. Nothing. I had to stop her to save Arrin, to save Sis, to save everyone, but... too far! Lady, what have I done. Was I even in time to save anyone today?

Voices in the distance yelled out, and she vaguely recognized her name. There was nothing further to be done here, she acknowledged with a heavy heart, yet elsewhere it seemed troubles continued. Grabbing her staff once again, she heaved several deep breaths, trying to clear her mind, ignoring the coppery tang when some of Althea's blood dripped into her mouth. The usual routine didn't work, though, and her pulse was still pounding, the blood roaring in her ears, limbs still trembling from excitement and shock.

Can't wait any longer, have to go like I am. I'm needed. Woodenly making her way in the direction of the shouts, she arrived as Esphyr and Irina crowing around Aiya, the wyvern rider having been felled spectacularly by blasts of light magic from the valkryie's sword. Yes... this sort of thing they wouldn't be able to manage, would they?

Dropping awkwardly to her knees, she placed one hand on the woman's armor, steading herself a little, while appraising the situation. Esphyr was filling her in on details as well, but Tessa was having trouble keeping everything straight in her head. Hot! Suddenly the pain registered. It had been slow but sure, and her bare skin against the heated armor was finally sending its complaints. "She must be roasting alive in there..." she murmured softly to herself, and anyone else who was nearby. "Irina, Esphyr, get that off of her. The heavily armored always seem to take the worst from magic, due to retaining the heat of the spells. I'll... I'll..." Words failed the healer, and she gave up speaking, and just mechanically switched over to actions. She'd healed countless times over the past weeks. It was a routine. She could probably do it in her sleep. And indeed, it was already as if she were practically asleep, certain trains of thought having entirely shut down.

The familiar glow of the staff, the flowing sensation―successfully released this time, and Aiya's body began the work of mending itself. The imminent heart failure was averted, Tessa having moved her hand to the carotid could feel the woman's pulse strengthen. She was continuing the healing process when something unexpected happened though. A sharp noise that only she could hear, a sudden pain in her right ear, and a bout of unexplained dizzyness. Hissing under her breath she raised her hand and cupped her ear. Was this the limit of her strength, already? It didn't feel like it...

[Phoenix]

Viveka

Viveka soon found herself in a slightly familiar position. Both men had offered to carry her, and she would have gladly accepted, but which one should really be doing it given the situation? Tristan quickly brought up Derek's condition which made Viveka grimace a bit. Looking up at Susann's saddlebags, she spoke.

Viveka: I have a couple of vulneraries left in the packs. Derek, can you take one? I don't really care who helps me up, but don't neglect your own injuries too. You're not hurt too, are you, Tristan?

Levski

Lev had to carefully maneuver around with both the eggs and the hatchling in his care. Once Morgan went down, he put Niket right with the eggs and hopped down from Krinkov. A bit dismayed he picked up Morgan and carried her over to Krinkov placing her sideways into the saddle and slightly leaning against the small mountain of supplies on the wyvern's back. From there he could only wait for the battle to conclude and keep an eye on Niket, making sure the little one didn't climb onto the new passenger.

Seeing Althea fall by Tessa's hand, he gawked a bit. She was certainly capable, but Althea had already taken down a lot of people and he couldn't help but be impressed.

Irina

Irina: Esphyr, you're not a healer, I've got Aiya now you go get a healer or quit crowding. Her organ's aren't liquified or she wouldn't even have a pulse.

After venting a bit, Irina looked around wondering if Tas had found a healer yet. Fortunately Tessa soon arrived and she breathed a deep sigh of relief carefully laying Aiya out and sitting back some so Tessa could work. She kept mostly quiet waiting to see the results. She did flinch though as Tessa cupped her ear. Was something wrong?

Kiev wasn't sure what to do with Isotov. He was useless and ragdoll like when he was defeated. Unbeknownst to him though Iso was giving off a slight bit of energy from his wounds. Iso himself being only half conscious didn't notice either.

[Script]

Luc Altair

The fleeing monk attempted some sort of spell against Luc but it didn't even come close to hitting the pursuing cavalier. Obviously the monk wasn't skilled at casting and riding at the same time, as Luc noticed the pursued horse slow slightly. Though, perhaps the monk hadn't been trying to hit him? Perhaps he was trying to scare Thunder but, Thunder was a warhorse. He was trained to deal with such things. "Hold!" Luc shouted again. But even as he shouted he kicked Thunder to run faster and decreased the distance between the two. If the man attacked again this was certainly within range for Luc to be hit.

The Fargo

"Oh man..." Fargo stood not-wordlessly on te carriage as he looked at all the good people killed. Man, weren't they fighting to prevent all this?


A Paul

Paul was peaking out of his home ever-so-slightly as he enjoyed the carnage spreading around. Weren't nothing like an old-fashioned religious nut fight to get his blood flowing again.

[Ether]

As the healing light coursed through Aiya's frame, combating and undoing the damage caused by Althea's magic, the woman's faint heartbeat began to return to normal.

For a mere several seconds, the organ had stopped it's work completely, the sudden healing burst restarting the pumping blood before the brain had been given a chance to begin to die.

The radiating glow of the light assault had faded, leaving the grim scene set onto the dim background of the cold ground, however the heat had not yet begun to fade, and Tessa's assessment was not entirely inaccurate. Magnified by the steel breastplate, the heat was sweltering, smoke still wafting from the burns adorning Aiya's frame, now aggravated by the heat.

Her eyes appeared to contain more life than before however, yet they still did not show signs of consciousness.

[Balcerzak]

Not cool at all... Helios had thought when the woman had cut him down. Despite my posturing. Promising to protect her... saying 'this won't take long, I'll be back soon'. In spite of everything... ahhh.

Falling from his horse, he'd landed uncomfortably, tried unsuccessfully to summon Hellsety, to at least strike a single blow. If he couldn't be a hero for her, he could at least do something, right? But it failed to come, and he had closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, it was to see Dani/Elle hovering over him, swabbing his wounds, and tending him. Reaching out, he lightly touched her forearm. "You're...?" he started to question, but changed his mind. Pushing himself a little, raising his back, he looked out, trying to figure what had happened. Everything seemed to be in chaos still. "The battle...?"

[Mercakete]

The one who seemed to be the youngest healer had been no help at all and Tas hadn't found anyone over there. Unsure of where else to look, he noticed Tristan, a man he didn't recognize and Viveka talking. Taking a glance back over to Irina, he noticed that someone else was over there. (Looks like she found a healer herself.) Cauciously landing near the small group consisting of two pegasus knights and the man he didn't know, Tas asked, "Hello. Is there any way I can help?" (That pegasus doesn't look like it's doing so well...)

Namid couldn't explain it, but the blood in this section smelled good...enticing, even. Was it the winged horses? They smelled to be the source. They smelled delicious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Humans weren't food and Niket wasn't particularly hungry. ...But wait. Could humans be food? Curious, he nipped at some of the shamaness' injurries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I can only ride from here, it seems... I daren't stop to fight with him charging like that... Maybe I could... Oh, it's too tricky for me. I'm not the horseman she is. Yes, only able to ride for now...) Raemond didn't even look back, but instead silently urged Lantos to run more quicly and praying that he could escape.

Edited by Mercakete, 06 December 2010 - 05:03 AM.

[Script]

Luc Altair

"I've ordered you hold twice and this makes thrice!" Luc yelled after the monk. "So I ask of thee hold or I shall take it upon myself to drag you from that saddle!" There had been enough violence in this avoidable fight. Luc didn't wish to add to it by hurting someone who was fleeing.

[Mercakete]

"Return to your savage band! I have a different charge from the Grand Cleric other than disposing of you!" Raemond called back to Luc, the fresh anger and sorrow distracting him from the state of his confused horse until he realized that Lantos was slowing again. (If this continues he'll catch up! Lantos, keep running!)

Edited by Mercakete, 06 December 2010 - 05:05 AM.

[-Cynthia-]

"Oh right, Susann's looking pretty bad. Uh...this should help." Tristan said, taking a vulnerary out of his pack and trying to feed it to Susann, who turned her nose up at it. "Well that's odd, Bellerophon never minds taking his vulneraries. She could really use one. Tas, do you know anything about giving animals medicine? I mean, I know this isn't a wyvern, but..." Bellerophon snorted a little. The humans were taking an awfully long time to restore the relevant female.

Morgan woke up in a haze. Is something...trying to devour my supposed corpse? Things must have gone quite poorly after I went down... She grabbed the thing feasting on her wounds and tossed it somewhere in the distance, not seeing where it was or what it was, and frankly not really caring.

[Script]

Luc Altair

"What?" Luc voiced as he continued. What could that charge be? Though it explained why he didn't come until it was nearly too late. But, it didn't matter now. "I have asked and you have refused. What happens now is by your own choices." Luc kicked Thunder into his maximum speed and overtook the monk in short time. Luc reached out, grabbed the collar of the monk's clothes, and dragged him off his horse. The material would rip, and the monk would likely be injured from the fall, but not enough to kill him.

[Balcerzak]

Why hadn't they taken her armor off yet? Tessa vaguely registered, as the dizziness cleared for a moment, and the picture had once again spun into view. Bringing her hand back down from her ear, now covered in enough of Althea's blood that it would be impossible for anyone to notice her own fresh blood trickling down from it, she set about removing Aiya's breastplate. The recent practice this morning on Conrad's similar armor was still in her muscle memory, and it only took a very short frame of time before she had loosed it and discarded it to the side.

It was apparent that the wyvern rider was badly burned from the heat, so more healing was required. Leaning forward again, she mechanically performed the steps, her prayer hollow and impersonal. Would the goddess even hear it and grant it? Apparently so, as Aiya's condition improved, but another piercing pain assaulted Tessa's ear, and reaching again for it she noticed Irina reacting as well.

Irina. She suddenly remembered. Kamilla's body tossed like a ragdoll from her lance.

Reaching for her sword―her fingers passed through air. Wait it isn't here? Did I lose it? Sis will be furious... Changing to the only weapons she had left, her fists, Tessa let out a scream and jumped at the other woman. "IRINA! WHAT DID KAMILLA EVER DO TO DESERVE THAT!"

[Mercakete]

Suddenly, the material around Raemond's neck tightened and he was on the ground instead of in Lantos' saddle. (Not good!) Quickly standing, Raemond whistled for his horse's return before readying his shine tome, facing the cavelier. (I don't have much of a choice at this point... At least we're far enough away that this is one-on-one...)

Stats: HP: 3, Str: 1, Mag: 3, Skl: 4, Spd: 3, Luck: 3, Def: 1, Res: 5

Simplified stats: HP 9, Mt 3, Hit 4, Evd 4, Def/Res 1/6

Skills: Overcast

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tas grimaced. "I wish I could help, but I only know some basics of treating wyverns. We could carry it over to...wherever there are healers, though," he replied, mentally kicking himself for being so inarticulate. (That hardly instilled confidance, I'm sure...)

Edited by Mercakete, 06 December 2010 - 02:04 AM.

[Script]

Luc Altair

"I beseech you to stand down, I'll not kill you either way but I'd rather not make a more difficult job for our own healers. Your own faction could still have some survivors," Luc told the monk.

Stats: HP: 5 STR: 5 MAG: 0 SKL: 5 SPD: 5 Luck: 0 Def: 4 Res: 4

Simplified stats: HP: 15 STR: 5 Hit: 5 Evade: 5 DEF/RES: 5/5

Skills: Adept, Resolve, Stat Shift

(I'll let Luc start at 9 HP to be slightly fair.)

Edited by Script, 06 December 2010 - 02:09 AM.

[Phoenix]

Irina

Irina continued to watch not sure exactly how well Tessa was doing in her healing. Aiya was still motionless. She tightly closed her eyes for a moment hoping that by the time she opened them again Aiya would at least be moving ... and that lifeless stare, it had quickly burned itself into Irina's mind. She couldn't stand such a sight.

Suddenly Tessa violently lashed out at her causing the wyvern rider to fall back a little!

Irina: WHOA!!! Relax! Don't you know that she's the one that brought the enemies here?! We nearly lost our lives because she wouldn't stop threatening us. The fact that she got away only makes it worse. I wasn't trying to kill her ...

Irina looked down at the ground a bit, both sad and a bit angry at the whole situation.

Irina: There's just no dealing with people sometimes. (I guess Morgan's right about that at least. Not that I really want to kill her though. But now she'll just bring a bigger force next time.)

Viveka

Viveka: Right, Sunny doesn't like vulneraries so I mix grapes into them. (I have no idea why she likes grapes, she was allergic to them but kept eating them until she built up an immunity. Crazy pegasus.) There should be a couple of them left in the packs, and Derek you take one too. Please.

Levski

Lev flinched when he saw Niket nipping at Morgan, but the shamaness was faster than him quickly chucking the infant wyvern right over his head!

Lev: FUUUUUUUCK!!!

He called out diving for the young wyvern and barely managing to catch him before landing flat on the ground.

[kdanger]

"Nnn..." A while after Charlotte had moved away, Kelas slowly, painfully regained consciousness. She took stock of her injuries: bad slashes to the shoulder, now healed, and a stab in the chest, also healed. It occurred to her, in the sort of wounded logic that had no reasonable sense of priorities, that she really needed more tunics, she kept getting holes in them.

Satisfied that she wasn't bleeding and didn't have any broken bones or lingering internal injuries, she pushed herself painfully into a sitting position and looked around. Arrin was down-- she was on her feet immediately, then kneeling next to him, checking for injuries. He'd already been healed, it appeared, and his pulse and breathing were steady. She collected him into a hug for a moment, mentally kicking herself for failing yet again, then backed off to let him rest. In a little bit, she'd be able to pick him up and move him to the carriage, she hoped.

Her next target was Amari; she found the mare standing right next to her, looking to be in a high temper. Kelas sighed and gave the mare a pat on the neck; the attempt to be careful had not gone so well. With a start she noticed that Francis had appeared beside Amari, riderless. "What-- dammit, where did he--" she muttered, and looked around. Eventually she spotted Isotov slumped against Kiev, obviously injured. Slowly she made her way over, plunking herself down next to him. "You idiot," she began quietly, realizing quickly that she didn't have quite enough energy for a proper rant. "Why'd you come back and get yourself hurt? We had it sorted," she lied. "And... yer glowin' again. What the hell."

[-Cynthia-]

"Oh, that's...unusual. Probably some interesting stories, but we have more pressing matters to attend to right now, I think." Tristan said, rooting around in Viveka's pack for vulneraries and handing one to Derek. He then fed Susann, who eagerly gobbled it up, the sword wounds being visibly restored.

"Perhaps I should have chased them down." Tristan sighed. "I just...couldn't bring myself to do it, she looked so helpless, limping away. But you're probably right, they're going to bring more after us again."

Morgan felt a swooping motion beneath her, followed by a sudden jarring stop Well, someone lifted me off the ground at least. She opened her eyes and saw Lev flat on his stomach in front of her, holding a baby wyvern. "Status report." she said to Lev, her tone somewhere in between a demand and a request.

Edited by -Cynthia-, 06 December 2010 - 02:25 AM.

[Balcerzak]

"You weren't trying to kill her, huh? Just impale her mercilessly. At least Tas was lucky you hit him with a training lancehead. And Kamilla brought them? Maybe so, or maybe they brought her. We're dead in the middle of Septimus, reform heartland and are never exactly subtle. Did you see how she was acting, hear her uncertainty? She didn't want any of this either. Neither did that... commander. Not really. You know what? She smiled at me. She wished us well. She told me to save the world. What does that sound like to you? What have we done? What have I done!?"

The whole time, Tessa was yelling at Irina, not bothering to control the volume of her voice, and pounding her fists against the other woman, harmlessly bouncing them off the rider's tough armor, but never stopping.

OOC: I'd have typed the rant in all caps, but that gets hard to read fast, and I'm lazy.

[Mercakete]

Niket was at first startled but then overjoyed: He was flying! He was finally flying! Oh how good the air felt! ...Until the large human unterrupted his flight. Sputtering in fury at the large human, using his small legs, Niket hopped up to Lev's face and crunched his jaws onto the bridge of Lev's nose, attempting to tear off the flesh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't think I would have, either," Tas encouraged the prince, "I hadn't seen it, but if someone was limping away, I don't think I could kill them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"As could yours," Raemond replied, "And I'll not have you waylaying me, though I will likewise not kill you."

That said, Raemond unleashed his attack, having been calculating where his weakest point would be to the burst of magic. (I wonder id he's ever fought a monk before?)

Overcast not active
(4+4)-5 = 3 = hit! (3+6)-4 = 5 Critical! = 10 damage

Luc 0/9
Raemond 9/9

The attack hit its mark: between the cavelier's shoulderblades. Riding would be painful but the blow was not lethal. That was when Lantos slowed to a stop beside his rider. Mounding up, Raemond spoke to the cavelier, "Now return to your allies and trouble me no longer. I have a demon to rid the land of."

With a command from his rider, Lantos was galloping away towards Altenau and was thankful that Raemond was not asking such high speeds from him as he had only recently done.

Edited by Mercakete, 06 December 2010 - 02:58 AM.

[Script]

Luc Altair

Luc let out a gasp of pain as the attack hit him. Dammit he had underestimated the monk. If he didn't get this treated... He kicked Thunder around and the two charged back to the others. The monk wouldn't be able to catch him, Luc knew that for sure, and the wound wasn't immediately fatal.