Fable - Ask The Voice of the Damned

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Trix

Poisonous Bitch
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Mission classification: A
Agents assigned: Top-Ranking Dreadlord initiates & one over-seeer
Location: Vel'Tyrus
Urgency: High


Log #59: Reports of citizens in severe distress. Illness is reported to involve vomiting, severe fatigue, boils, blackened skin. Cause unknown. Initial studies conclude it is not infectious and is believed to not be a virus, but a poison.

Log #67: Patients with beforementioned conditions are disappearing. No evidence of bodies.

Log #129: Request for further assistance. Missing now number 529. Sick total 1309.

Log #135: I am the only one left.

* * *

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Vel'Tyrus was nothing of note per see. Small in size, it could claim to be a relatively fruitful market town with traders from the East and West. It was also home to a Monolith from the Age of Legends. Nobody of course knew what it did, and many speculated it did nothing at all, but it still drew in scholars and students alike on the regular. Altogether it was a prosperous town and a worthwhile addition to the Anirian Empire. But its wealth was not the only reason.

Situated off the Northern coast of Cortosi it was also one of the latest claims Vel'Anir had made into the Western territory.

This small, little town that had amounted to nothing had now become a symbol of the future possible war between the ever growing Western Empire ruled by the God-Emperor himself, and the power hungry Anirians. It was only a matter of time until the two forces came to logger heads and both were acquiring as many pawns as possible before the fighting broke up.

But pawns wouldn't be useful if they were abandoned.

"Isn't that right?" Proctor Du'vil had asked rhetorically to the group he had gathered for this mission. He paused in his pacing to comb a hair through luscious blonde locks before turning towards those gathered before him with obvious dislike. "I expect you to deal with the matter before it becomes serious."

The Proctors of course had not told the initiates anything, and Trix doubted Ein had been told anything more either, but she had her own ways of getting to the bottom of secrets. A little bit of Mirthru here and a drop of Bellatine there and she had managed to piece together that this was a much higher issue than anyone wanted to draw attention to. Unfortunately, it had become so bad - she was told - that they couldn't send in the army or they risked alerting Gerra's Empire to the possibility there was a vulnerability in their armour.

Their answer?

Send in the children.

It was hard not to laugh really.



Still, Trix was glad to be out of the Academy and away from the insufferable peers she had to deal with and she was going to discover a new poison. Or something. They had at least told them that they didn't believe it to be a virus and that was why they had selected both a blood mage and a dreadlord practised in the arts of poison to join this little mission. The other two were not the brains, even if one was 'in charge'. No. It was her and Jax who were the real heroes in this story she was sure of it. They would discover what had happened here.

"Spooky," Trix intoned when they crested the final hill at dusk on the fifth day of travel from the Capital. Lit in the pre-dusk light it was hard to tell the city was abandoned from here though they all knew it to be a fact. It would only become more noticeable when it grew dark and the torches weren't lit.
 
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Ein stared onto the city ahead unimpressed. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, and there was hardly any light to be seen. It reminded him of so many other cities he had been sent to, so many other places that he had been forced to bring into line.

His lips thinned for a brief moment, head shaking. "Could be worse."

The Pheonix said, his head lulling towards his young companions.

"Could see the ghouls inside." Memories flickered towards the mission he and Ryn had been sent on. A village all but overrun by walking corpses. It had taken them nearly a day to clear out the place, and no tall those who had been cleansed were undead.

"Keep your head up." He told his little flock of pipsqueaks. "And your eyes open."

Briefly he wondered how in the fuck he had gotten here.

A few months ago he had still been sitting pretty at the Weiroon Estates in the Reach. He'd been surrounded by beautiful women, expensive wines, and enough gold to make a goblin cry. Now he found himself in the midst of a bunch of brats.

How in the fuck had the Republic fallen so far so fast?

Even now he wanted to scream. "Maybe this will be quick."

Ein said, more to himself than to his band of merry morons.
 
This sucked.

At first it sounded like some sorta humanitarian outreach or one of those other fancy three pence words Lil loved to use. More he learned, more he came to realizin' just how bad it sucked. The place was gonna be emptier than the academy's cafeteria on "meatpie special" day.

As they got near 'nuff to see the tops of buildings it was Trixi who said just what they were all thinkin' as far as he was concerned.. Very spooky woulda been an acceptable answer too.

"I dun get it," Jaxan scratched at his scalp, "if they keep vanishin' then problem's been solved already."

Hard to investigate folk who weren't even there. Least Big Red, a fun name he'd affectionately given to their fearless leader, was hopin' to be in and out all quick like.

Toothy grins were appropriate in a time like this. "Dun worry Big Red, quick is Jax's middle name." 'cept for when it came to the ladies of course.
 
The west. It was almost like being back home in Tarrow. Well fuck that and fuck this place too, Vel'Tearus or whatever. Zael had a pretty good idea of why he, of all people, was here. First of all, to give other initiates running missions in the east a chance--wouldn't be any left if Zael aced all of 'em. Second of all, Proctor Du'vil had a chip on his shoulder ever since Zael compared him to a very feminine Fourth Level healer who also had a head full of luscious blonde locks. Look, if it was true, Zael was going to say it, and it was true, because Proctor Du'vil wouldn't have been so chafed in the cheeks if it wasn't.

So now they were here in the southwestern ranges, looking down on Vel'Turus from the next ridge over.

Spooky, said Trix. Long shadows of dusk crawled over the town, and so far as Zael could see there wasn't any movement. Maybe they all just up and left. Took their sick asses off to die elsewheres.

Zael grinned. "I'd love to see some ghouls inside." His accent, matching the region they were in, drew out the words ever so slightly as he spoke them.

He twisted his torso left and right, his armor rattling faintly, a tiny, satisfying pop from his back following. "Nothin like some combat exertions to work the arms, ey Jax?"

Push-ups on the ground and pull-ups on tree branches every morning and every meal break were like a good steak, but combat was the delicious pepper that brought the whole dish all together. That is, of course, if they even got a taste. They had a full-on, no-shit Second Level Dreadlord with them on this one. Zael hadn't been briefed on all of the politics hovering around the mission, and even if he had he wouldn't have cared. All that mattered was what was right in front of him--that's how Zael got through life in Academy, how he thrived in the Academy.

And what was in front of him, and the others, now was a town that may or may not be empty. Result of some poison. Shit, if he hadn't've fucked around Proctor Du'vil, Everleigh would've been on this mission and it would've fit better. But here he was.

So challenge accepted.

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Trix's eyes swung to the heavens as each of the half-wits spoke.

Men.

She wasn't sure which was more tiring; the exhausting way in which her minion and the other brainless loathe of an initiate had been competing in the grunting fashion of a basic animals, or that the supposed brains and lead of the mission was proving to show the same deficits of stupidity that were prone to those with egos too big for their shoulders. She stifled a sigh and booted her horse into a gallop, careless as to whether they would follow her lead.

The initiate only pulled up her sturdy pebble-grey mount when she reached the stony towers that marked the beginnings of the town that clung to the hill like limpets. There were still scars and holes within the walls that told of the battle that had waged here and eventually won Vel'Anir their latest seat of power. Her eyes wandered over it all in the quick bored fashion of a youth before setting her horse into a steady walk further into the ghost town. They had said a poison was the cause of this and the best way to poison a town was their water source. She just had to find the well.
 
Ein's gaze swept through the city.

Forgetting the others for a brief moment as he began to study his surroundings. Though after Graduation Ein had lived in the lap of luxury, before than he had gone on more missions than near anyone in his Class. Most of them had been on his own, or with May.

He wasn't exactly used to being in a team, much less leading one. It was in a way, a blessing that Trix was already heading for the well.

It was the exact thought that Ein had, but he never issued any command to see to it. Instead he simply moved in the direction of the center of the strange mountain town, all the while looking at the buildings that surrounded them.

A frown flickered over his features as they continued on.

There were no bodies. No sign sign of life. "Jax, Zael."

Ein finally spoke.

"Check out some of these buildings. Look for rotting food. Clothes left behind." There were disappearance, but what sort hadn't been mentioned. Were people being taken from their homes? Or were they simply getting up and walking away. "Meet us at the well after you check a handful."
 
It SUCKED so bad.

Jax was ridin' along, miding' his own business, and then Big Red thought he was the boss. Worst still, Zael the fire-gnat thought him and Jax were old buds. Talkin' about workout routines or whatever the hell he was goin' on 'bout. Effin' A, shit was too annoyin. "Yeah my arms are real big." Jax shook his head, didn't wanna deal with that chump more than that.

"Right-o," Jaxan said without a second thought. Then reality up-and-smacked 'im in the face and he realized it meant he'd 'ave to traipse around with the Z-meister. God, kill 'im right here and now!

He didn't discuss plans with his mandatory partner, instead he just rode his steed towards the nearest house and waltzed in. Once Z-meister was inside he looked over at him and just stated the facts. "I ain't fixin' to listen to Big Red. You do whatever you wanna, but when we get back we inspected every house. They're all gone, big mystery, very spooky."

Jaxan uncorked a bottle of spirits the residents had prior to their vanishing and took a glug. "Very, very, spooky," he re-iterated.
 
"A handful. Well, how many houses you think I can fit in my hand?" Zael said. He gave his horse a spurring kick, and off into the mountain town he rode, leaving their Second Level with a parting smartass grin.

Alright. So, fact was, this mission was awful. It blew wind. It milled without a grinder. But, just because the mission was awful, didn't mean you had to have a bad time. You had to make the most of it. Embrace the suck. A little bitchin' and complainin' was fun, yeah, but too much brought you down. And Zael refused to let that happen.

So. He got his bitchin' and complainin' in. Now it was time to make something of the mission, like in his efforts to keep well exercised during their travel time here. They had a whole town to themselves, for crying out loud. Trix just wanted to get the mission done and over, Ein as a full-fledged Dreadlord had responsibilities and shit, and Jax was lax about the whole thing. They were gonna do what they were gonna do. Suited Zael just fine.

Zael dismounted right around where Jaxan had. Sauntered into the same house, hoping the two of them might get ambushed. No such luck. Only the sound of his armor clanking within the humble stone confines of the house.

He glanced over to Jax. "These people are dead," he concluded. "They shoulda sent Chasmine. This was her shot, the one thing she could not possibly fuck up." He thought about it for a moment. Chuckled. "Actually. Nevermind. She fucked up that Ball, she could fuck this up too."

Zael pointed to the bottle Jax had in his hand. "See, you got the right idea. Me? Imma browse around. Take what I want. Looters'll take it all anyway."

Zael started to rummage through the house, tossing aside things which didn't catch his interest with a cavalier disregard, making something of a racket doing so.

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"That was a terrible idea."

Trix and Ein had watched the two lads depart into one of the houses when given their task for the next few hours before heeling their horses on further into town. Their hooves echoed eerily through the main street where empty doors and vacant windows watched them pass. She was sure lesser people might find it scary but there was an odd thrill that ran through her. What had caused this? What poison had been able to decimate a town that quickly that there wasn't even a body? Ein, unfortunately, was just ruining her excitement with his terrible leadership.

"Zael will stuff everything he can into those pockets of his and Jax will likely find the nearest bit of food and settle down till we get back. That's one option. The other is that Jax will kill Zael," the blood-mage didn't have the greatest social skills. Unlike her.
 
"Don't give me any hope." Ein said with a sigh. He wasn't exactly a leader, never had been nor wanted to be. Working in a team was for morons who couldn't find for themselves. An attitude that likely all of them actually held. Given the state of things so far anyway.

He shook his head.

"If he kills Zael." Ein remarked. "I get to torch him."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "And that at least would be interesting."

Though it would probably also end any prospect of a career in this new Republic. Not that he was too keen on that just yet. He still wasn't entirely sure what the fuck he was doing here, nor why he even cared. The whole thing was still utterly fucked, and he found himself with far less direction than he wanted.

Ein shook his head.

"We'll see what idiot one and two come up with." He commented as they entered the main town square, the Well sitting directly in its center. "If it's nothing, they're really only harming themselves."

Given that it would mean they would all have to stay here longer. "Though I doubt either of them have thought of that."

Ein commented as he hopped off his horse and walked towards the well.
 
Things were startin' to suck a bit less.

Jax was already a quarter done with the bottle before he finally took it away from his lips. Settin' it down sorta loud-like on the dresser stand before an idiosyncratic eyebrow rose up at his 'partner.' "If you find anythin' good, I get half."

Those were just simply the rules of lootin' stuff. Well established by the Jax pact years ago after that lil' mishap in the Falwood when a few of 'em spent two days partyin' it up at a cabin by a creek. They thought it was abandoned but the lone inhabitant died real easy like when he came home to a house-party hosted by a half dozen Dreadlord initiates.

"Oh damn," Jaxan regaled in a soothin' sorta way, "they got a whole spread of food in this pantry."

Whippin' open the small enclosure revealed a bunch of stuff that looked gross but the brioche roll and jam looked mighty fine. Jaxan cut himself a slice and dug in. "We oughta have a story when we get back," he spit out between bites. "Y'know, like, we found a note that ties this whole problem together!" They could be out of this town by sunset if Big Red bought it.

"Can you write real fancy-like?" Jax wasn't illiterate but Trixi and Lil had told him he had the scrabblin' talent, "of a Vel Torsi bumpkin."

Whatever that meant.
 
Zael let out a bark of a laugh as he started down the short hall. "You'll get half if you get your ass up and get lookin."

He stopped by the bedroom door. Ajar, just a sliver open. Zael placed his palm on the thin wood and gracefully pushed open the door all the way, tilting his head as more of the interior of the room was revealed. But, sadly, there was nothing. No enemies of any kind. Just a pristine bedroom.

Another glance toward Jax once he mentioned the pantry. "See. There you go. Grab what's yours." Heh, that was part of the survival and evasion training at the Academy. Some colossal mess happens, you find yourself stranded somewhere having to trek back through some unfamiliar and potentially hostile land, you take the right measures to get back alive. Take food and supplies from any locals you come across--covertly if possible, by force if necessary. Now, here in Vel'Tyrus (that sounded right), this wasn't that kind of situation. But, like Zael said earlier, the place was going to get looted one way or the other.

Zael stepped into the bedroom. Tossed a few things around--the bedding, the drawers of a cabinet, pots on shelves. He stopped when he saw an exquisitely well-painted and framed picture, oil colors and everything. Two parents, standing behind their only son, hands on his shoulders, all smiling but the son wore the biggest of the three. He was beaming with love.

Zael stared at this picture. Was arrested by it for a quiet moment.

Then he heard Jax from the main room. Belated, Zael called back, "Yeah. A note." He departed from the bedroom, leaving the framed picture untouched from its place on the shelf.

Out in the main room again, the question came. Zael gave an indifferent shrug, his armor rattling just slightly. "It's legible. You want fancy-like, you gotta talk to Kristen." That was something he would have never acquired in Tarrow: literacy. Kinda funny how some kids had to risk life and death just to learn read and write.

"They got any quills and ink in here?" he said as he began his own pursuit for said items, glancing around and investigating unaccosted places of storage. "If not, the next house over might."

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Well it would be interesting, if a little inconveniencing for Trixie. Who else would carry all her books and go into town to fetch her one of those pastries from the bakery when she wanted it? Dogs were replaceable, of course, but she had just got Jax to the level of obedient she needed. With a strangled sigh she bought her horse to a halt and dismounted in one smooth movement. She had wanted to take her time looking into this poison and the mysteries of the disappearing townspeople, but it seemed she would have to rush it to save Jax from having a fire lit under his arse. Literally.

She managed to refrain from darkly muttering as she sauntered over to the well with all the confidence of a teenager at the top of the pecking order in her class. Even the rodents seemed to sense it and scattered out of her way. Curious. If it was a poison it clearly wasn't impacting the wildlife.

The bucket had been left on the dusty floor and so Trix picked it up and tossed it down the well. It took a few seconds before there was a splash and then she begun to wind the bucket back up. The pitcher of water that arrived was beautiful and clear as it should be this far up the hill. She sniffed it curiously but there was no odour so she scooped a handful of it up and took a sip.

Nothing.

"No poison here," she shook her head. What had it been then? "Now what?"

* * *
Across the town where the boys meandered from home to home, creating such a din with their searching through pots, pans, wardrobes and caskets it was a surprise they didn't wake up the spirits of the land themselves, nothing else moved. That was, except, for the curious heads of curious flowers. Only an observant person would comment on the fact even in a town that had been abandoned for nearly a week now, that the flowers were still fresh.

And watched.
 
For all the bluster, Ein was no fool.

He had gone through the Academy at the top of his class, and he'd done it through more than arrogance. He frowned for a moment as Trix sniffed the water, declaring that there was no poison. "I thought not."

It was a good thing to cross off the list, but most ordinary poisons left bodies, or some other sort of sign. There were few substances in this world that took directly control of the mind, fewer still that had folk simply wander off into the wild.

"Magic." He declared, reaching into one of those belt pouches.

He pulled out a piece of charcoal, tossing it towards Trix. "Deprehendere Rune."

It was a simple, although at the same time complex magic. The theory behind it was about as difficult as a drawing something, the difficulty came in how good the drawing actually was. A Deprehendere Rune was straightforward in function; it detected magic.

Of course in order to do so over the span of an entire town the rune had to be quite large and quite complex. Especially given the presence of one Dreadlords and three Initiates.

"Start on that end." He told her as he took out another piece of charcoal, pausing for a second.

"You do know how to draw one, right?" Ein asked with a frown. "You're not one of those?"

Those who thought they could get by just knowing their own magics.
 
Zael sucked.

The boy clearly hadn't read the room quite too well if he thought it was ever appropriate to ask Jax to chip in on lootin' stuff. Jax's job was to beat in skulls like it were goin' outta style. Sometimes he also needed to carry books or go pastry gettin' but that was more about rubbin' elbows with folks that could elevate you to higher plateaus. Zael was born to some shithole family in some forgotten backwater, just like Jax. No profit in helpin' the blondie firestarter do a damn thing.

He wasn't 'bout to call him out though. He just kept on nibblin' on his bread. He'd frisk little Z for goodies just 'fore they headed back.

Least the boy was smart 'nuff to agree with Jaxan's letter writin' plan. "Legible works, I guess these were mostly peasant folk or whatnot." The ask for a quill and ink weren't too bad and since it helped Jax's master plan he was willin' to take a look around.

"You'll 'ave to settle for charcoal and some re-used parchment," it was all he could muster up after he riffled through two whole drawers. The paper he'd chosen was a pamphlet for some local blacksmith or whatever, didn't matter, what did matter was the back side of it was all blank. "I'll tell you exactly what to write."

Jaxan's boot stepped firmly on a lovely lil' bed of flowers as they stepped outta one conquest and moved onto their next score.

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Fine. Charcoal'll work. Ink was a hard sell in small villages anyway--at least that's how it was in Tarrow from what Zael remembered. He set the parchment down on the table in the house's main room and set about writing what Jax dictated.

Once done, Zael's brow furrowed as he read over the note again. He held up the note in his hand. Glanced to Jaxan with a dubious perk of a lone eyebrow.

"This is the dumbest shit I have ever read."

And he incinerated the note with a flash of his magic. Tiny glowing embers fluttered about in the air like fireflies in the wake of the parchment's obliteration, and then these too winked out. There wasn't nobody in hell was gonna believe that note.

Zael grinned. "I know Trix ain't Liliana, but while we're here you oughta let her do your thinkin for you."

They were all part of the same posse, Jax and Trix and Liliana (along with the disgusting fat-body and the psycho). There were all kinds of rumors behind their collective back. Talea-like rumors with regard to Liliana, how she had the lot of them wrapped around her finger. Maybe she'd Weaved them. Maybe they were all just her pets. Hell if Zael knew.

Well, regardless, good idea on the note. Just terrible execution. And it was fine opportunity to rankle his lanky, house-searching partner.

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Trix bristled and snatched the offered piece of charcoal.

"Of course I know how," she all but hissed. Despite being what some lesser initiates would call a bully Trixxie was incredibly dedicated to her studies unlike a few of the others in her group. Her results were usually only beaten by that brat Dorian, and the snivelling redhead Meredith in certain classes, but she had more than her fair share of classes where she dominated heavily (only by a mark but Ein didn't need to know that). Runes just happened to be one of those classes.

Stalking to the other side of the small, ornate square she begun to draw her half of the complex rune.

* * *
As Jax stood on the flowers they wilted as any others would. But once the two lads carried on walking they righted themselves in several, jerky motions. Stems smoothed, petals unfurled once more. They looked as good as new. Except...

A thorn glistened with the initiates blood which it seemed to drink.
 
With a single person the rune would have taken near half an hour to draw, with the two of them it cut the time in half. The intricacy of the thing couldn't be understated, and every line had to be just right, just so, or the whole thing wouldn't work.

Rune Magic had always been a rather fun concept to Ein.

He and May had early on established themselves as the best in their class, not just because of their magic, but because of their nature. Both of them had worked incredibly hard to master anything and everything they could, especially things like Rune Magic.

One extra touch, one extra thing, all of it could have been what put them over the top. It was one of the reasons Ein had graduated as a Second level instead of a third. Slighted only by the hands of Proctors who underestimated him.

Sullivan Weiroon had guaranteed him a spot in the First upon his return to Vel Anir, though of course...that promise had been stripped away by the Revolution.

Another wrankle the rebels had thrown into his life.

When they were just about finished Ein pulled up his piece of charcoal short of meeting the last line of Trix's half of the rune. "Well done."

He told her, glancing over towards the Rune piece she'd drawn. There was not a line out of place, he was rather pleased to discover.

"Now to wait for tweedle dee and tweedle dumb." The Rune would mark them on the map otherwise, and he'd rather not have to rule them out after the fact.
 
Flowers were the epitome of sucking.

But Jax didn't even notice the pinprick that one o' them little saplins gave him. Had he been a bit more perceptive his magic mighta caught the release of his blood. Or maybe he woulda registered the pinprick of pain from his step.

It weren't no matter though. There were far more important things for big ol' Jax to be dealin' with right now. Chief among 'em was blondies disrespectin' attitude. "Imma say this once, firebug," the tall boy with ebony skinned glared at his so-called partner, "you ever say somethin' I do is the, "dumbest shit I have ever read," that quoted part was said in the most falsetto voice Jaxan could manage, "and I promise you that you're gonna find your tailbone poking out where it don't belong."

Jax already let Trix or Lil do most of 'is thinkin' for 'im. Was a lot simpler that way. But when they weren't 'round there had to be decisions made. And Jax was nothin' if he weren't an opportunist.

"Let's just go tell 'em we didn't find shit then," he pointed a finger at his companion, "you can tell 'em. Jaxan was invaluable but I wasn't able to piece together a single fuckin' clue."

His stomach rose as the boy confidently stepped forwards towards Big Red and Trixi.
 
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"I call it like it is," Zael said. "And that was the dumbest shit I have ever read."

If there was one thing people didn't like, it was honesty. And the one thing that got Zael into more trouble than anything else? Guess what. Honesty. So honesty was the policy. It was a free ticket into everything Zael relished: fights, adversity, conflict. But it wasn't all about that. Honesty also produced other opportunities, which some people mistook for "punishments." So what if he got extra time in the Box for mouthing off--it only made him stronger. So what if he got a ban from sparring for speaking out of turn--it just let him focus more on physical self-improvement. So what if he got sent on this fuck-ass mission for making an apt comparison--just gave him the pleasure of engaging in some fantastically indulgent bitching.

All mental. Your own judgment made your circumstances good or bad. It took Zael a couple years to finally learn that when first he'd arrived at the Academy, but afterward? Heh, he couldn't be touched. Not by the Proctors, not by anyone. He always got what he wanted.

And if Jaxan wanted to make good on that promise and fight? All Zael would do was grin, crack his knuckles, and welcome it. Got what he wanted.

Let's just go tell 'em we didn't find shit then.

"All you, hotshot. Tell em whatever you like," Zael said, stopping beside the front door of another quaint home. "Me? I'm not done here yet."

He kicked in the door of the home, wood splintering and spiraling madly in the air after the impact of his armored foot, small pieces of it dotting the small bed of flowers on the latch-side of the doorway. He strode in as if he had absolute authority over the place. His booming voice echoed out from the stone-walled interior, "Anybody home? Now's your chance."

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Trix's eye twitched.

Well done?

Did she look like a fucking dog? Her back teeth ground together as she worked on what Proctor Neremeus said was a vital life skill in the Republic; controlling ones temper. No more could she just call the twisting roots she felt deep below the cobblestones up to crush the boys bones into dust. Now, she had to work through her issues with her fellows. Using words. It had been a hard lesson to learn but unless they did they would get nowhere in the prissy guard and Trix intended on obtaining a high rank - whatever army she ended up in.

So she forced one of those pleasant smiles her mother always went on about though it looked as though it could melt flesh from bone and then took a seat on the edge of the well.

"Could be some time," she drawled and begun to thread one of the weeds that had grown in the brick round her fingers. It begun to climb and grow, sprouting little harmless bluebelled heads. "They're--" She stopped suddenly as she felt the sudden quake.

* * *
Bits of rubble slowly vanished into the earth as the flowers stems pulled them down under a quickly widening sinking hole of earth. Not enough to alarm the fools who walked inside but enough to cut off the exit of whoever had gone inside and stop anyone entering. The house itself was more overrun than the others with weeds and signs of abandonment. Nothing moved as their prey fell into their trap.

Once Zael was more or less in the middle of the room the house erupted into chaos. Vines shot out of the now quite large hole, and more smashed windows as they shot through the sides. They lunged for him, attempting to ensnare any limb and begin to drag him towards that bit. All the while the Earth begun to heave.
 
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If Ein noticed any malice in Trix’s expression he didn’t seem to notice it one bit. Instead he was crouching down besides the rune, his eyes slowly scanning around the inside of the city as she spoke.

”Morons?” He broke in just as she was about to continue, the quake cutting them both off before any more quips or barbs could be thrown from either side.

The Phoenix shifted almost immediately, pulling himself up from his crouch and looking around. The ground shifted and rocked beneath them, the plateau of the market square seemed to shift beneath them, the cobbles rising and falling in an odd sort of wave.

A curse escaped Ein. ”Fuck it.”

He said as he quickly drew the last line of the Rune.

In an instant light burst from the great mark. It rushed through the ground, and then created a map of the whole city within a breath. There, pinging within it, was a great swath of orange glow that stretched beneath the whole of the city and into it’s very core. It’s light so bright that it outshone even the four Dreadlords.

”Shit.” Ein cursed as the Cobles rose, and then broke the rune apart. ”Guess we know it’s magic.”

He called, dancing back as a section of the earth suddenly fell, and from it sprang a vine that lashed out towards where he had been standing.
 
Jax wasn’t but a few paces from blondie as he started lootin’ some other home that he first felt it. Headin’ in the direction of the well was all interrupted by a sudden gut feelin’ that Jaxan couldn’t shake off.

Zael might find something really, really, good in that home he was breakin’ into.

In a flash he flipped on his heel and followed blondie towards the next home. ”Oi, you ain’t gonna scam me outta your big haul,” he shouted louder than a rooster’s morning crow, ”see we’re basically a team, so I gotta make sure you’re stayin’ honest and not tryin anything fun-“

A violent shakin’ of the firmament interrupted his words.

The way blondie had gone in was suddenly, and violently, covered by a thick layer of vines.

”This town fuckin sucks,” the dark-skinned trainee muttered under his breath before headin’ back towards where the well was situated.

Tryin’ to ignore the shiftin’ tectonics he’d felt the initiate broke into a sprint towards the other two but a flurry of vegetation ruptured upwards. Jaxan drew his battle axe, preparin’ himself for a bit of weed whackin’
 
Oh, that sweet lightning bolt of terror. The familiar rush, cold and then blazing hot. That savory tightening in his chest. And the release! The liquid fire of adrenaline coursed through his veins.

Zael lived for moments like these!

Things tended to either speed up or slow down for people in intense situations. For Zael, things always sped up. The house was normal, there was a cacophony of cracking, glass shattering, a yawning sinkhole ripping the ground open, and spindly vines shooting out. These like a rapid series of blinks, like still pictures flipped through without pause. It all happened so fast--that's what everybody always said.

Heh. Just needed to be faster.

Zael jumped to avoid vines wrapping around his ankles. Spun. A burst of propelling flame from his back jetted him straight up. He crossed his plated arms in front of his face and he broke through the ceiling of the home, shattered pieces of the red clay roof tiles erupting every which way from his explosive exit.

He'd drawn his sword without realizing it. Muscle memory. In the air above the house, as he reached the apex of his Fire-Jump, he ignited another to keep himself airborne--a trick he could keep up for a short while without landing.

"HEY!" He called out at the top of his lungs. He hadn't quite got sight of Jax or anyone else yet, despite his now high vantage. "THAT WAS ALL ME! I FOUND IT! WHO'S INVALUABLE NOW!? AH HA!"

Trix Ein Jaxan
 
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As the vines begun to erupt out of the paving slabs Trix's eyes widened with absolute delight.

"Oh!" She sighed dreamily as she stood and stepped towards the vine as Ein darted back. It wasn't just poison. Of course it wasn't. Nothing so good could be just poison. Someone had created something new, something she had never seen or heard of before. The vine darted forward as if to strike her then stopped. The pair examined one another curiously and slowly, tentatively, Trix reached out and stroked down the vines stem to one of the lethal purple thorns.

"You're beautiful," she praised the plant. It seemed to have some notion of the phrase for it returned Trix' caress with one of its own down her cheek. It left a fine red scratch but her skin quickly healed. Their moment was interrupted however by the arrival of the two idiots.

"Don't touch them!" she said, holding out a hand in warning before anyone could attempt to slash or harm them. "If they scratch you, you're infected."