Private Tales For Reasons Wretched and Divine

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria liked to think that when a mission was assigned to her, there had been a lot of thought and determination that went into it. Careful consideration when it came to utilising her strongsuits. She had proven to be effective in extracting information, and an excelled in tracking and evading. Proficient in leading a small team, and formidable with weaponry should she choose to fall to it than her natural born gifts. Molded to be one of the best Initiates of her class, Vittoria seemed to be in another league that begged her to be seen a graduate sooner than later.

And yet, the Academy did always seem to throw curious obstacles her way.

The small company of Initiates, herself, Yuric a little ways ahead and to her left, Daniella Von Fleet taking the lead beside a Dreadlord they all had seen multiple times now that he was tasked in leading some of their missions with those in her class. Ophir was sure to keep clear of Vittoria lest she spoke another underhanded comment his way.

Some Anirian Guards rode on ahead of them, carrying the goods needed to replenish one of their camps. There had been talks about rogues on these roads, or even just meddlesome fools. There was no need to dispatch active Dreadlords for the simple escort mission, but a perfect opportunity for Initiates to be exposed to all manners of tasks left to the Dreadlords.

Vittoria just was not sure as to why they thought to give her this mission when she was better suited to more dangerous waters.

"Can we not tell them to get a move on before the sun sets?" She called out, watching with a wicked smile as Ophir stiffened at the disturbance to the silence that settled in their group.

 

[Yuric]

"Do not be so hasty, Vittoria." Yuric spoke with a small smile back to his fellow Initiate, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes shut even as he moved forward. "The sunset looks incredible on this stretch of road. Before it became one of the more dangerous routes, it was a popular path with lovers."

The dark-skinned boy turned his head back towards Larrainth, his eyes opening slightly to allow a strange blue dust to fall down his cheeks and tumble to his feet before evaporating. "With your might to defend yourself with, perhaps it is a viable destination for you and D'Amour?"

Of course, Yuric had never traveled this path. He'd not seen the sunset, and he'd known no lovers to walk this road before. It was the voices that surrounded him that spoke of these things, ghosts that linger on, tethered to a spirit world that mirrors reality, repeating their tales for any who could hear.

Only Yuric could hear.

Still, to tease Vittoria would have been against the counsel of any spirit. The girl was not known to shy away from confrontation, and her confidence was as wide as the road they now walked was long. Yet, Yuric did not sense evil within her. The boy who had grown up surrounded by death and shadows did not taste that darkness around Larrainth.

It was why he'd opted to walk nearer to her as opposed to Daniella Von Fleet...

"Besides..." Yuric faced forward again, the blue of his eyes fading back to an ordinary shade. "The longer we walk this road, the more likely we are to be waylaid. A chance at combat is appealing, no?"

Vittoria Larrainth Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella was humming softly to herself, wrapping her curls around her fingers as they walked. She largely ignored her fellow initiates, it wasn't like they were offering scintillating conversation anyways. She typically enjoyed missions, getting the chance to practice with her abilities against real opponents. It was unusual though, the pairing that had been selected.

Typically King and Vittoria reigned supreme, cream of the crop blah blah blah. Dani didn't care, she had her own agenda she was after. She tilted her head towards Vittoria as she broke the silence, shattering it with the blade of her tongue. Before she could speak, the seeming words of wisdom that spewed from the mouth of Yuric stopped her.

She flexed her long pale fingers, studying her nails as she waited for him to finish. Her soft lilting voice joined the conversation, eyes flicking to the pair for a moment. "Sunsets are romantic, but I don't think Vittoria really cares." She continued to look forward innocently, slender fingers twisting her curls once more. "You don't seem like the fighting type Yuric, is it just that you're insulting her by trying to pacify her?" Her lips quirked up at the corners, would he let it go, or would he challenge her. Vittoria would certainly speak her mind. All Dani had to do was wait.

Yuric Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

"Too right you are, Daniella." But her ocean gaze pierced into Yuric. He was not the first, nor would be last, to make such comment about her and her close friendship with King. Such affections were unnecessary amongst her career as an Initiate, and even less once she graduates and works her way to Archon status. "Sunsets are fleeting. So are that of the rising sun. Trivial things that do not matter." And yet she could not think of something else that would be better suited to something romantic. With her determination to be a well prepared weapon, it left her inexperienced in the aspects of love.

Not that she minded.

"Although if we were about to be attacked, surely Dreadlord Ophir could make sense of such an attempt with his earthly magic, no?" She called out so that he may hear.

"Why don't you three pick up your pace?" He did not need to turn fully to see just how spread out the Initiates were.

Good, his magic proved he deserves his rank... Vittoria snorted, but did make her steps longer to close the distance a little better.

"I am happy that my cuffs are off on this mission." Although she never smiled with the usual warmth a regular person would use, there was an odd and haunting expression on her facade. "I do enjoy exercising a little decimation." Her wrists were free of the nullifying magic fixed to two cuffs she often wore during lessons, but Ophir had requested she be without limit on this outing. "I will be displeased if we do not come under attack." She added softly, so that only her classmates could hear.

But Larrainth was known for making her own fun. It was an itch she needed scratched, using her ability where she could but nothing felt more satisfying than feeling a complex system come undone.

 

[Yuric]

Yuric had known himself to be poking the proverbial bear with his words, so he had expected a barbed reaction from Vittoria. It was Dani, though, who piped up instead. The calm smile on Yuric's face faltered for a second as he looked over at Von Fleet. "I am perfectly capable of holding my own in a fight, Daniella. Just because I am not oft to seek out violence does not mean I lack proficiency in it."

Yuric's comment, whether they believed it or not, was good-intentioned. Vittoria enjoyed fighting, and he merely thought offering a silver lining to this otherwise unremarkable mission was a kindness. Contrarywise, Daniella's seeming defense of Vittoria reeked of a thinly veiled attempt to stir up the tension between them.

It was for this reason he preferred Larrainth over Von Fleet-- The latter wore a mask of warmth, while her true desires drove her actions when she thought nobody was looking. Vittoria was egotistical, confrontational, and violent, but she did not pretend otherwise.

"In fact, I daresay I'd welcome a bit of commotion myself. While I don't wish to endanger the mission, I admit it's been rather pedestrian. Given the presence of Sir Ophir, you'd expect more of an active threat." Every minute he idly walked along at this leisurely pace, the other Initiates were training, or on far more challenging tasks. Yuric could practically feel the gap widening.

At Ophir's command, he quickened his step a bit, closing some of the distance with his peers.

"While we're bored out of our minds, humor me for a moment." He asked of the ladies. "Do the two of you believe in ghosts?"

Vittoria Larrainth Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella enjoyed Vittoria; she enjoyed watching her make everyone else's lives miserable. She had a respect for her ability to be direct. That wasn't how Dani operated, but she could certainly appreciate it. It tickled her that Vittoria needled Ophir, though he seemed immune by the barbs launched at his back. His comments directed to the initiates was also not lost on Daniella, and she too moved in closer.

She quirked an eyebrow at Yuric, her lips twisting into a sweet smile. "I never said you weren't proficient, just that I didn't think it was something you enjoyed." The tilted her head in the direction of Vittoria her large doe eyes studying the blunt and hardened girl.

"I know Vittoria loves bringing others to their knees. It's very fascinating to watch." She would like to see Vittoria really let loose, and she was hoping that this mission gave her the opportunity to gauge just how much power her classmates had. She didn't recall ever seeing Yuric fight with his magic, he was an enigma to her.

Daniella gave no indication of her will or want to fight, they would see themselves if the opportunity arose. It wasn't something she advertised, preferring to keep her abilities to herself. It would be much harder to control people if they knew her tricks.

Yuric's question made her step falter in the surprise of it. What an odd question. Dani thought for a moment before responding, blue eyes narrowing slightly. "What's dead is dead. There's no coming back." She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice. She clasped her hands together, digging her nails into the soft flesh of her palm while she collected herself.

Yuric Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

"I know Vittoria loves bringing others to their knees. It's very fascinating to watch."

Her usually expressionless face broke out into something of pride, even as she heard Ophir snort a laugh, Vittoria wondered if her father would have laughed that his daughter held such high praise amongst her classmates.

It appeared that Ophir could sense where her thoughts had lead to.

"It's in the nature of the Larrainths to bring someone to their knees. Witnessed many times Tamhas bringing down a great number all at once."

She smiled, a small, but true, smile quirking at her lips. Was this invitation to stick a barb in him again, like she had done in the first training session with him. Instead, she flashed a smug look to both Daniella and Yuric.

"I would like to think there is something that persists here in this plane with us. A presence, but not constant. A memory. Reminder." Cold against her neck was a golden chain, and medallion hanging from it, given to her when she was to leave for the Academy. A promise given to her by her father, and one she would carry out still despite him passing a year prior. "Echoes of someone."

"Humour me this, Yuric," Vittoria turned her head to watch him, "are the dead happy for us that we now live in this better world of Vel Anir?"

Yuric Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Yuric]

Yuric scrunched his nose slightly at Vittoria's pride. There was nothing wrong with being proud of one's prowess, but the young man couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she was drawing confidence from the wrong part of battle.

"I understand being prideful of victory, of triumph." Yuric mused aloud to his classmates, his hand toying with the hilt of the dagger on his belt. "But I don't see much point in being proud in the suffering of another person, in watching them submit. Sooner or later, we all end up on our knees, and eventually in the ground beneath." Likely his words would fall on deaf ears. Vittoria was unyielding in her beliefs, and Daniella... she kept her true feelings so close to his chest that he'd not know even if he did reach her.

Still, his question seemed to have touched a nerve with the sickly-sweet Initiate, so perhaps she did have her buttons to be pressed. Far be it from him to seek them out. Commune with the dead so he could, he held no desire to be one of them.

"People who still live cannot agree over the state of Anir, Vittoria..." Yuric looked to his shoulder, a glimmer over his eyes once more as he watched the small apparition of a woman sleeping on his shoulder. "The same goes for the dead. Some believe we have bettered the world with our efforts, while some would have us return to the blood-soaked ways of the past. If the spirits could war, I believe my trips beyond the veil would not be nearly so pleasant."

Daniella Von Fleet
Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella knew it was more beneficial to feed into Vittoria and her ego, pretty girl that thinks she can do no wrong, will one day be the pretty girl reaping what she sowed. Another thing that did not matter to Daniella, she was unconcerned with her classmates, and really didn't care what happened to any of them. They were all a means to an end.

Yuric again poured forth his fountain of wisdom and Daniella repressed the urge to roll her eyes. "The only thing that will bring me to my knees would be the icy fingers of death itself." She turned her baby blues to Yuric and smiled sweetly, she could tell he really did not enjoy her presence and it was a very powerful feeling, to know she disturbed him so.

"It doesn't matter what they think of Vel Anir, they are dead and have no say. It's a moot point really."

Vittoria Larrainth Yuric

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

"Some of us born and moulded in such a time have built quite the appetite for bloo---"

"Movement!" Ophir hissed, hold up a fist to signal the Initiates to stop. The procession right ahead of them slowed, but the accompanying Dreadlords and Guardsmen that walked among the others that helped transportslowly got into their defensive positions. This was a normal routine for them, one drilled into the company the Initiates were called in for a mission. Ophir had chosen these three for their magic primarily, but also needing to see how they could operate together.

And how they operated to a superior's command.

"Larrainth, take the rear. You two, to the left flank." Ophir indicated each position to them before quietly rushing himself to take the right flank, where it seemed they would get the first taste of action. The procession came to a crawling stop, and Ophir could quietly relay any movement he felt.

Vittoria felt her magic itch to be put to work, but reaching out to any entities or objects to her right, in the general direction they were all trained on, she knew it would alert anything alive that their presence was known. Her eyes flickered to the group before her, her position in the rear of the procession calculated by Ophir. It allowed her to be a last defense, but gave her opportunity to watch everything unveil. Whatever may come may not even reach her with the other Dreadlords present.

But she would obey orders. What use was it to be powerful, but uncontrolled by order? One day, she would command respect she was giving others.

Branches snapped and the boundary line to the Falwood seemed to echo in deafening silence as they all collectively waited. Defense was priority, to protect their goods, but also determine just what it was they were about to deal with.

And then the first wagon erupted into flames. Panic ensued, but soon came to order as a Dreadlord used his air manipulation magic to choke the fire to nothing. Marks. Vittoria recognised him even from this distance. A second wagon erupted, and it soon became clear that whatever was attacking could do so without being seen.

They were hiding within the trees.

Yuric Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Yuric]

Yuric's face twisted at Daniella's interjection, even though he most definitely hadn't been talking to her in the first place. "Vittoria asked a question Dani. I was merely providing her with an answer." He retorted, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at Von Fleet's apparent brown-nosing. For somebody who so seemingly prided the fact she marched to her own beat, she seemed eager to kiss up. "Honestly, would it kill either of you to be the slightest bit civi--"

Ophir called out the command to halt, and Yuric planted his feet firmly. Movement. They wouldn't be stopping for just any movement. This close to the Falwood, there was always something skittering about the road. No, he'd seen something he didn't like. Yuric quickly looked to Daniella and gestured towards the left flank with his head.

As the pair of them hurried into position, Yuric peered beyond the curtain once more, into the realm of spirits. It looked nearly identical to the road ahead of them in the living world, absent of the wagons and Dreadlords walking the path. White blips floated about in the air like balloons, little nameless and faceless spirits looming overhead like vultures over a corpse.

The sight made his stomach sink, he knew what these young, featureless orbs meant all too well.

"People are about to die." He whispered to Daniella. No sooner had the warning left his lips than the first wagon had erupted into flames in a violent explosion. Yuric shielded his eyes, wincing at the blast of heat across his face. Just as soon as that fire was extinguished, another ignited. They were being attacked by an unseen foe, either through invisibility, or excellent positioning in the trees.

"Stay back, Daniella!" He called, reaching through the veil and calling out in a silent plea for aid from those spirits he'd befriended. A great warrior of old, Trattia the Tortoise, as he was known in life, had met Yuric in an ancient battlefield along the Spine when he still traveled with his mother. The stout and round fellow was not known for his strength, but his endurance; with armor neigh impenetrable and a massive shield fashioned from the shell of a thousand-year-old tortoise, few could lay a mark upon him.

It was this shield that now appeared in Yruic's hands with a blue flash of light, wide enough to shield both he and Von Fleet. Planting the shield in the ground in front of them, Yuric drew the bow from his back and nocked an arrow. scanning the treeline for their foes as he peered over their protection.

"I can't see them! We need a way to draw them out!"

Vittoria Larrainth
Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

So worldly Yuric did have a little bite to him, that was good to know. Vittoria was easy, she ruled in power and ego. Something Daniella knew how to play with. Yuric was quite different, and she'd have to figure out just the right touch to get to him. Preening didn't seem to be something he was into. She kept silent at his return, merely smiling to herself at the stricken nerve.

Before the conversation had gotten further, the Dreadlord Ophir had expressed movement ahead. Perhaps after they saw what she was capable of, her two new friends would take her a bit more seriously. Poor Vittoria, left to sit in the back, she must be annoyed. perhaps if she hadn't needled Ophir she'd be able to play with the rest of them.

She followed Yuric to their position, though at a notably slower pace. She felt no real rush to defend against something they hadn't even seen yet. His whispered warning brought a smile to her painted ruby lips. "People will die, but it won't be us." At her response, a wagon exploded into flame, tousling her silver hair, and warming her cheek with its fine. She stood unruffled, as soon it was snuffed out. This happened once more, but in that amount of time, Yuric had proved for them a shield of sorts. It appeared as a tortoise shell, and she found herself mildly intrigued.

As Yuric passionately expressed the need to pull the enemy from hiding, Daniella had finally decided to participate. She raised her voice, the hair on her arms standing on end as she spoke aloud and with intent. There was magic behind her words, and it was rare that beast nor man could avoid the pull of them. "Come out of hiding." It was a command that few would be able to resist, and it unnaturally echoed around them, seeking to be heard by those she willed it at.

Yuric Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

From her stance at the rear of the company, it gave Vittoria the perfect view of the next courses of action.

A figure came to view, unmasked in his ability to conceal. He had a look on confusion upon his face, and once he figured out he made a mistake, he launched another fire ball towards the defending Dreadlords and guards, but another figure came out closer towards their procession line. She watched as they dealt damage to their supplies, even taking down a number of Dreadlords with their next attacks.

"They are mimics!" She called out. Concealment was something she could do, but to hold her own disappearance costed her mentally. A headache would ensue, and she no doubt knew their attackers, now revealing themselves from within the trees, were suffering the same plight as her. It was not often heard that Dreadlords with one ability would band together, and so Vittoria could afford to think as she watched, not engaging as Ophir ordered her.

She stood by even as a fire ball came flying towards the carts and wagons nearby the Initiates in the rear, but all she could do was to dive out of the blast zone.

 

[Yuric]

When Dani had so effortlessly lured the initial attacker out of hiding with the power of her voice, Yuric had been gullible enough to hope they'd exposed their singular enemy. Yet even after that foe had retaliated, more fire came from elsewhere. So, an entire group of these magic-copying fiends... Trattia's shield would protect he and Dani, but their priority was not mere survival.

To lose all of the wagons would mean a failure of his mission, and he intended not to have that upon his record. Still, with such an overwhelming offensive and already heavy losses, what could they do but defend? Even Vittoria seemed reluctant to retaliate, narrowly dodging a firey grave herself.

"Mimics..." He whispered to himself. They could copy the abilities of anybody they chose? A shudder ran down his spine as the thought of an entire cabal of Vittoria's presented itself. Daniellas would be no meager foes either, with voices so powerful and persuasive...

Daniella!

"Dani, I have a plan." Yuric quickly turned to Von Fleet, biting his lip. "It's a bit out there, but with your help, I think it will work." By 'a bit out there', Yuric of course meant it would either work, or end in him becoming a charred piece of meat. There wasn't much in between. "Do you think you can order them to mimic me specifically when I give a signal?"

Vittoria's destructive might was easy enough to wield, and Daniella's manipulation was an unmatched tool when used properly.

Yuric's talents were far more complicated and obtuse. Without knowledge of how to use them correctly, it was startlingly easy to accidentally send oneself into the land of the dead.

Time to see if these bastards can find their way out of an alternate dimension.


Vittoria Larrainth Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella was quite pleased with the results of her ability; some could resist it but typically was easier when you actually knew what Dani could do with her power. The attacker she had called to stepped with confusion from his place of hiding, and she thought this an easy end. As more fire launched at the wagons, she narrowed her eyes as her brain began to decipher what it was they were dealing with. She figured it out just as Vittoria shouted it from the rear. How inconveniently obnoxious.


Yuric turned to her then, and her blue eyes met his with disdain and yet, a bit of curiosity. She listened, her arms folded, and her pouty lips drawn tight. "I should be able to manage what you're asking." She sighed and nodded. "Alright, we can try your way. Just let me know when." Vittoria was staying out of it for now, but if they needed backup, she was sure the Queen of Destruction would off with their enemies' heads.

Vittoria Larrainth Yuric

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

It was difficult for her to remain on the sidelines.

Ophir knew what he was doing by keeping her at bay. She was their last card to play, and showing your cards early was never a good plan. What if there were more hidden in the trees and beyond?

Two Dreadlords were down, consumed by fiery volleys meant for the first wagon.

From where she stood, mere feet from Ophir, she could count eight rogues countering their procession.

Her eyes then moved to the allies, taking in the damage. Yuric and Daniella were communicating, working together, and for her to be left out of the talks sent a flame of spite within her. As if sensing this, Ophir turned on her, cementing her feet where they stood.

"Soon." He promised.

She needed to hold him to that.

Yuric Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Yuric]

Yuric nodded to Daniella, the misty blue fog returning to his eyes as faint markings slowly pulsed to life across his forehead. He would only have one chance to pull this off, else he'd be the next victim of incineration at the mercy of that hellfire that ravaged their convoy. "I'm counting on you, Dani." And he trusted her, to do as she said she would. For despite his misgivings about her character, she was still his comrade.

Gripping the top of the shield they hid behind, Yuric launched himself over it and sprinted back towards the path, now littered with smoldering debris and a few unfortunate remains of those who'd fallen victim to the mimic's surprise attack.

Front and center, where his presence would be undeniable. That was where the would-be Luana skidded to a halt, in the middle of a circle of embers and carnage, the epicenter of chaos. Planting his feet, he looked dead ahead of him to those foul beings who'd besieged them, and an almost eager smirk crossed his lips as he spread his arms wide, allowing his spirit to fall back into the ocean of the after, submerging his conscious in that which followed life.

The air around him began to take on a warped, hazy, almost distorted reality. Yuric himself would begin to appear almost transparent.

With his power, he shook the veil, stretched the curtain, and thinned the barrier between life and death, made the passage almost a tangible thing, to where he could reach out and touch the dead with still living hands. Were he to push himself any further, his entire person would vanish into the ether. Of course, Yuric knew when to stop.

These mimics did not.

"Now, Daniella!" Though his body was in front of her, it sounded as though Yuric called to her from some distant cliff.

Vittoria Larrainth Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella did not trust Yuric farther than she could throw him, nor did she think he was the most intelligent person she'd ever met, but this plan of his seemed a little to desperate. She hadn't even broken a sweat yet and he wanted to make big plays. Well, if he failed and turned into a burnt marshmallow, that was his own fault. She wouldn't betray him, no she needed to keep up appearances to get close to the two she really wanted to destroy.

The smell of charred wood and burnt flesh did little to phase her, her face had fallen into a bored expression as she watched Yuric vault over the shield and into the center of chaos. Blue eyes peered at him through her long lashes as he shimmered and changed before them. Well, maybe he did have some power to him. He wasn't totally irrelevant then.

Her eyes drifted from him for a moment, settling on their pitbull in the rear. No doubt she was itching to join Dani and Yuric in the fight. A sly smile slid across ruby lips at the thought of Vittoria being well and truly muzzled. Poor thing. The distant muffling of a close body drew her back to Yuric as he called out to her. The urge to let him suffer at the hands of the enemy lasted only a second, appearances and all, and she let her power swell in her throat. As her lips parted, a command to copy Yuric would be directed to the mimics. Her phrasing louder and more complicated than previous, not wanting to compel anyone that wasn't supposed to be. Her power could be felt in the air as it commanded with no option to avoid. If their mental fortitude was strong enough, they would be able to resist, though she was confident they could not.

Yuric Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

There was strangeness in the air.

Vittoria held her breath, stiffened her body and watched as her classmates worked together. It was working, and the fact she had been left in the sidelines made her jaw twitch.

But one, one rogue began to fight the weaving of spell that moved her colleagues, had grasped two knives from her belt and poised them for each Yuric and Daniella. It was not until the blades were in the air, sailing towards the Initiates that Vittoria caught Ophir turning towards her in her peripherals. She did not need to turn to him to see he now called upon her.

And the first thing she did was watched the knives break apart, losing their shape and expanding in the air before falling short of their target. In pieces, torn apart by her magic, the mimic turned to Vittoria who now advanced slowly. She looked too casual, too happy to finally show her cards.

"We need one alive, Larrainth!" Ophir's voice was heard, but Vittoria paid him no indication of acknowledging him. She stalked forward, staring down the woman.

"You ready to kill, classmates?" She asked so smoothly, it sounded almost like a purr, but her eyes never left the woman. The mimic reached for magic, began to borrow Daniella's until Vittoria licked her lips as the woman screamed out in pain. Blood fell from her mouth, and as she clutched her cheeks, small objects fell past her lips. Vittoria watched as another tooth fell, pulled away with the minor power she was using. "If not, I am happy to educate you both how easy it is."

 

[Yuric]

Yuric kept himself in-between the two realities, just barely poking through the veil of death without fully jumping into the realm of spirits. It wasn't the most comfortable of tactics, feeling akin to leaning over a steep cliffside without losing your balance. It was that sensation that he hoped would catch their bloodthirsty foes off guard.

Daniella heeded Yuric's call, and even though he was not the target the boy had to admit the temptation that dripped from the sweet and honeyed words that carried through the air from her lips. it was a challenge not to turn his head to face the source of such an alluring sound, but he grit his teeth and stared forward, as one by one the their enemies were bewitched, most of their heads turning directly to Yuric at the command of the temptress.

Yuric could hear them chanting, low and muttered incantations as they cast their foul mimicking magic, copying that which was his, seeking to use it against him.

They were not ready.

Quickly a panic set in amongst those who'd fallen to Dani's suggestion. Sudden shouts and screams, palms thrown against temples and frightened words as those unlucky souls lost control over their sudden connection with the Spirit Realm. Their panic and fear would see them swallowed by the veil, blinking out of existence one by one, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

A sigh of relief left his lips, and Yuric anchored himself back in the living land once more. They hadn't all taken the bait, but their number had dwindled significantly. Now all they had to do was--

"We need one alive, Larrainth!"

Yuric whipped his head towards Vittoria, just in time to see her purring in delight as her foe more or less began to fall apart before her very eyes, seemingly effortlessly. It made him cringe, watching the grisly scene unfold. He'd known Larrainth to be a bloodthirsty, sadistic type. But to go so far as to disobey orders in such a gleeful fashion...

Gods, she would never forgive him for this.

"Trattia's Shield!" He called out, exasperatedly. The large tower shield that had been planted in front of Daniella suddenly dissipated, reappearing in Yuric's hand, which he then tossed with all his remaining might. Were his aim true, it would land between Vittoria and her victim, blocking her from finishing the job long enough for Ophir to intervene.

Vittoria Larrainth
Daniella Von Fleet

 

[Daniella Von Fleet]

Daniella had minded Yuric, and now waited patiently to see what he had cooked up for their guests of honor. It took a great amount of effort to abstain from further action, but this was a team effort, wasn't it? She folded her arms, eyes narrowed as she watched her classmates with a keen eye. Silver curls bounced as her head swiveled at the sound of Ophir's voice. Vittoria had found her first victim. Her eyes widened, and her lips split as the sound of laughter escaped her lungs. She watched Vittoria slowly pull the mimic apart, and she clutched her stomach as the gleeful laughter would not abate.

There were screams in front of her too, and she faced forward once more to see Yuric dispatch several, their bodied vanishing into nothingness. Her pale cheeks were flushed with the amusement that still trickled from her lips, her fingers curling into claws. She slid a dagger from the folds of her dress, the silver glinting red from the fires around them. She gripped it tightly as she started into a sprint past Yuric, she tapped him on the shoulder as she sprang past him, a grin still painting her ruby lips. "My turn!"

Her steps carried her directly into the path of another mimic, and her sweet melodic voice reached out once more. "Don't move." Her target stopped abruptly, and another maniacal laugh escaped from her. She tapped him on the nose, taunting him as she placed the dagger at his throat. Her enemy stood paralyzed as she slowly dragged the blade across his throat, taking her time as she watched the panic in his eyes. This was going to be so much fun.

Yuric Vittoria Larrainth

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria's face was one of pure rage.

Teeth bared, biting down on part of her bottom lip that it came loose with a blossom of blood now staining her teeth, her eyes alive with a fury intent to kill. The intrusion between her and her kill was unwelcomed, one she knew she had handled, but this was not the work of Ophir.

She had heard him call out in the deepest reaches of her mind, only recognising it now as her eyes fell onto to Yuric.

But before she could do anything to wound him, to make him curl up in pain, Ophir laid a brave hand at her shoulder and pulled her back. "Alive." He asserted, staring into her blue-green hues of ire and poison. "You did your part, Initiate."

And all around them, Dreadlords and Guard alike were taking back control. They overwhelmed the pack of mimics with ease, thanks to the Healer present with the Dreadlords. Blood was spilled, all but the mimic Vittoria had ripped teeth out from one by one. A few seasoned warriors came to secure their prisoner, and Vittoria whipped her head around to watch as the woman was pulled onto her feet and dragged away.

"I would have made her talk." She seethed. Vittoria shrugged from Ophir's grip, stalking closer to her classmates. "I can do a lot more and get the results we want."

But she kept on walking, inspecting the fallen mimics.

Ophir sighed, coming up to gather Yuric and Daniella. "Good work, the both of you. Now... help clean up and check our supplies before we can continue. We can let Larrainth to cool..." And his eyes drifted to stare at the back of the Initiate, kicking bodies with her foot to see if they had any identifying objects. "Cool off." He finished, giving them both a grim look.

 

[Yuric]

Vittoria could have turned him inside out with one cross look. Yuric knew that, and in that moment he was sure she probably wanted nothing more than that. He'd never backed down from her before though, and even now his actions had been in direct defiance of her overwhelming aggresion and desire for control. So when her eyes fell upon him, filled with seething rage and boiling hatred, he merely stared back, confident he'd made the right desicion.

Still, he didn't allow himself to look elsewhere until Ophir intervened and redirected her. Defiant or otherwise, turning your back on Vittoria Larrainth after wronging her was the act of a dead man, and Yuric had no intentions of a permanent stay beyond the veil, especially not with those mimics he'd just sent there.

"We wouldn't have been able to understand her, without any teeth. She'd have sooner coughed up her lungs than said anything under that kind of pressure." He retorted, crossing his arms. Vittoria... he wanted to believe that there was some hope for her, to be more than a mindless killer. Lately, he couldn't help but think maybe that was all she wanted to be.

Yuric took solace in the fact that he'd, at the very least, stopped some unnecessary deaths and bloodshed. Then, with a tap on his shoulder getting his attention, he turned around and saw Daniella halfway through slicing a throat.

Well... he couldn't say he didn't try, anyways.

"Good work, the both of you. Now... help clean up and check our supplies before we can continue. We can let Larrainth to cool off..."

Yuric let out a slow sigh, shaking his head and turning to check on the supplies that hadn't been destroyed in the attack. Even the overturned wagons likely had some surviving goods, and they would need to be gathered and counted to be loaded with the remaining carts.

"I'll check our supplies. I already cleaned my mess."

Vittoria Larrainth
Daniella Von Fleet