Orcus

[font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"]I would be thrilled to join a new Almagest RPG. I was supremely bummed when I didn't get accepted into the last one, and I relish another chance to be a part of this world. And I don't mind in the least spending a week+ to catch up on the storyline.[/size][/font] [font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"] [/size][/font] [font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"]So count me in.[/size][/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"]Addley stared at Derek's visor, too shocked to cry, let alone follow after the vengeful slate. The sensation coursing through his body was foreign and cold to him. Derek was one of them. He was an ally. Not but five minutes ago he had been [i]alive. [/i]He had stood alongside them, prepared to take on Starlighter. And now he was simply gone. [i]Gone. [/i]And there was no body to cry over, to bring back, to bury. There was nothing. Derek wasn't just dead. Starlighter had practically erased him from existence. Addley's fists clenched as his shock violently turned to rage. Starlighter had to pay. As Addley felt the strength of that resolve pass through the team, he turned to face them, though his eyes rested on Esfir particularly. Addley extended his hand to Esfir. [b]"Let's stick together, right?" [/b]he said, echoing a request she had made to him the other day.[b] [/b]She nodded and took his hand. Addley looked to the others, and they grabbed his hand as well, and he teleported them all into the building. *** Warp and the others had managed teleport just behind Vegas as a Blank was about to shoot at him Warp focused and created a large wormhole in front of the Blank's guns, which redirected the rounds into the Blank's skull. Warp then tackled Vegas, warping him out of the line of fire of the other Blanks and back with his teammates. Novus had already erected a wall with his mysterious abilities and Phoenix was giving the Blanks a flaming bath, so they were safe for the time being. As much as Warp wanted to console his teammate, he knew that now wasn't the time. They would die if they didn't stay moving. [b]â??What do we do,â? [/b]cried a nervous Night Terror. With the current wave of Blanks defeated, Novus dropped the wall and addressed the team. [b]â??We clean up after Magnus' sloppy work. We go floor by floor, taking out whatever Blanks he carelessly left behind. The Blanks may be less dangerous, but if there are too many of them left when we engage Starlighter we stand even less of a chance then we do now. But most importantly we stay focused. Running off haphazardly will get you killed. Follow my lead no matter how you're feeling right now,â? [/b]he said authoritatively. [b]â??Warp,â? [/b]he continued, without actually looking at Warp, [b]â??we'll need to you take us up as a group level by level. It's faster than traveling on foot and it'll help the rest of us conserve energy. Understood?â? [/b]Warp nodded without responding. The group huddled around him and touched his body. Warp focused his mind on the layout of the building they had been given, deciding on a suitable area to drop everyone. As soon as he decided, he took a deep breath and spoke to his teammates. [b]â??Brace yourselves.â? [/b]The world spun for one long second, and then they were on the second floor, behind a group of Blanks monitoring the staircase and other entrances to the floor. Warp exhaled quietly despite his blood racing through his body. He felt exhilarated. Thanks to his suit and his recent training, teleporting the group both times so far had been [i]easy[/i]. He wasn't cocky enough to think that his new found control would let him beat Starlighter, but it was a confidence boost. Feeling empowered he joined his allies in their assault on the Blanks. OOC: Sorry for the short post, but I didn't want to take to much creative freedom away from everyone else. [/size][/font]

I believe it's on page 2 of this thread. At least it's on page 2 when I use my phone. :) Omnomnomaly, I'd say Addley is a 3.

[font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"]I hope that was fine Lilt. I tried to have our characters cross each other as little as possible during the training so I didn't accidentally mess with your development. Gavin, I hope I did McKnight justice as well.[/size][/font] [font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"] [/size][/font] [font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"]Also, Drizzt, I hope you don't mind me imposing on your gun-toting territory. I just thought it might fit well with my skill set. Otherwise, I hope everyone enjoys my post.[/size][/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"]Addley grinned and patted Slate on the back as Slate victoriously walked away from his bout with McKnight. The fight had eased Addley's nerves substantially in a number of ways. Slate had proven himself able to overcome opponents with more experience, even if it had only been a spar. More importantly, however, Addley was relieved to know that these two titans were both on his side. He had grown quite close to Slate, and considered him a true friend that he would be absolutely loyal to. As for McKnight... Addley had worried about him initially, and while he was still a little suspicious of his new teammate, he knew that he could rely on him for now. As McKnight passed by Addley, Addley gave him a cordial nod and then headed back to his room, thinking about his own training session...[/size] [i][size="2"] A day earlier...[/size][/i] [i] [/i][size="2"] Addley smiled as Esfir entered into the training room. He was excited to see that despite her new suit, she seemed chipper, and he was also secretly curious as to what new whistles and bells Esfir had. Before he had a chance to ask her, McKnight walked into the room. Addley was surprised by his relatively unassuming appearance, but could see the man's power and authority in his eyes. McKnight marched toward the two and looked them up and down. A tense minute passed before he finally addressed Addley and Esfir. [/size] [size="2"][b] "I am Michael McKnight, as you both probably know. I have called you both here because your powers, although different from each other, could both be labeled as 'transportation' abilities. Compared to the big five, you are both most like Freight Train. Hopefully that is the only thing you have in common with him, although I suspect a mental deficiency isn't out of the question." [/b]Addley clenched his jaw, and he could feel Esfir's temperature rising as well. He took a deep breath and tried to remind himself that McKnight was [i]trying[/i] to get a rise out of him, when McKnight's gaze settled on him.[/size] [size="2"][b] "Braddock Raines, codename Warp. Utilizes wormholes for transportation. Lacks range, control and, currently, the ability to use said ability offensively. Subject is also prone to bouts of anger, making him unreliable and unruly," [/b]he stated matter-of-factly. Addley kept a straight face, but couldn't help balling his hands up into fists. He had been more angry and violent than usual during his 'stay' with Geist, but what else did they expect from someone they had [i]abducted[/i]? McKnight paid Addley no attention and turned his attention to Esfir.[/size] [size="2"][b] "And Esfir Veselov, 'The Martian'..." [/b]McKnight stopped at this point and looked back to Addley with a smug expression on his face. [b]"I'm sorry, I thought I asked for the Martian to join you for training, Warp. Not Flash Gordon. I can't even tell if there's a person under all of those gadgets," [/b]he stated dismissively. Addley watched in shock as Esfir responded to McKnight's comment by swinging at him. Before her punch could connect, McKnight used his ability to send Esfir flying backward through the air. Without missing a beat, Addley warped to Esfir, grabbed her, then warped them back in front of McKnight. McKnight shook his head mockingly at the display.[/size] [size="2"][b] "Thank you both for demonstrating to me exactly why you are useless to the team," [/b]he said sternly. [b]"At the poor level of control you two exhibit your powers are completely useless in a battle scenario. And your powers aren't the only problem. Veselov, your attempt to punch me was more daft than valiant, as at your level of strength you would have done little more than irritated me by hitting me. Raines, you're too preoccupied with swooping in to rescue your comrades to actually assist against your opponent. And that level of half-assed devotion will cost the time. Consider your last battle-- you did absolutely nothing to stop Starlighter's attack and you couldn't even save Ms. Veselov here..." [/b]The last bit sent Addley over the edge. Without a word he warped behind McKnight and threw his fist at the man. Just as his fist was about to connect his stopped abruptly, as if it had struck a wall. Another blast like the one that had struck Esfir earlier knocked Addley backwards. McKnight frowned and shook his head again.[/size] [size="2"][b] "Also, your severe lack of training makes you predictable. Undoubtedly, in your numerous fights against normal people, attacking from behind is the best approach. However, anyone with half a brain will expect just that once they learn about your abilities," [/b]he said simply. Mcknight then shifted his eyes from Addley to Esfir and then back to Addley.[/size] [size="2"][b] "If either of you wants to live I suggest using your powers in more creative ways," [/b]he declared, before using his abilities again. A wave of power swept Addley off of his feet, and he slammed down onto the ground. He groaned for a second at the pain in his head and back, but quickly shook it off. Another blow struck his stomach, but he was expecting it this time, and managed to push through the pain and warp over McKnight's head. However, even distracted by Esfir, McKnight was able to create a barrier over his head, stopping Addley cold. A metal panel unhinged from the roof and shot toward him, forcing him to warp a distance away from McKnight again. McKnight looked over his shoulder at Addley. [b]"Pathetic," [/b]he said casually. Addley grimaced and decided to make a new plan of attack. He rushed his opponent on foot. As soon as McKnight's powers connected with him, Addley warped a couple inches in front of his prior position and continued his charge. Once he was right behind McKnight, he swung his fist, knowing fully well McKnight would erect a shield. Remembering roughly where McKnight's shield had existed last time, he warped around to the side of McKnight and finished his swing. McKnight smirked as Addley's fist struck another wall.[/size] [size="2"][b] "Better," [/b]he said sarcastically, before launching Addley into the air again. Addley growled and warped behind McKnight again. He could see that Esfir was giving it all she had as well to attack their new teammate but was having equal difficulty. Another panel came flying at him, forcing him to warp again. McKnight's now irritating voice called out to him again.[/size] [size="2"][b] "Losing your focus already? This is how your teammates get killed or wounded Raines. Can you live with the guilt of knowing Esfir will be maimed twice?" [/b]Addley snarled at McKnight and focused all of his attention on him. If McKnight wanted to see his skill, so be it. With a new plan in mind, Addley continued to stand still and watch McKnight and Esfir fight. In response, McKnight ripped four more metal panels off of the wall and shot them at Addley. Addley smiled and ran at the assault, using the panels to shielf him from McKnight's sight. He jumped into the oncoming wall of metal and disappeared, reappearing on the ground behind McKnight. He grinned at his own cleverness and swung his foot into the side of McKnight's legs. But still McKnight was prepared. Although the blow connected, McKnight didn't budge an inch, having used his abilities somehow to brace himself. McKnight looked down at Addley and smirked. [b]"And better still. With that lack of strength, though, you might consider doing the same as the other Reins and wielding a gun," [/b]he muttered with a slight grin. Addley warped away yet again, and attempted to devise another plan of attack. He could see Esfir doing the same across the room. McKnight frowned at the two and shook his head yet again. [b]"Pathetic," [/b]he repeated, [b]"just as soon as you two start demonstrating some level on competency, you drop your commitment. If you two don't care about your lives, than neither do I." [/b]McKnight brought his hand up and snapped as he finished his sentence, causing turrets to climb out of the walls and begin firing. Addley teleported to directly beside McKnight, hoping the bullets would shower him. McKnight easily disintegrated the bullets without so much as a look. A quick burst knocked Addley backward again, and before he could react a metal panel struck him in the back. The shock of the attacks dropped him to the floor, and he could hear the bullets from the turret tearing their way toward him. All of his spur of the moment warping had drained him, and McKnight's continued attacks had left him sore. He couldn't take a showering of bullets, regardless of how the suit protected him. Before the bullets connected, Esfir blasted by and grabbed the back of his clothes. She carried him for a couple of feet and once they were out of the line of fire, dropped him and resumed her attack on McKnight.[b] [/b][/size][b] [/b]The assist was more than enough to revitalize Addley. There was no way he was going to have Esfir save him again. His duty was to protect her and the others. And right now, that meant defeating McKnight. Addley watched as the bullet stream redirected toward him, and thought back to his dossier [i]...could use this ability to create a barrier for defensive purposes, such as absorbing gunfire and redirecting it... [/i]Addley stared intently at the turret currently targeting him and placed his hands out in front of him. His body tingled as he attempted to force a wormhole to open in front of him. At first his body merely flickered in and out of appearance, before finally a large, swirling spacial displacement appeared in front of Addley, and another one appeared in front of McKnight. McKnight caught sight of the wormhole right as a volley of bullets poured out of it at him. He quickly disintegrated the oncoming bullets, but Addley could see that McKnight was impressed by the show of skill. Addley knew it was no time to celebrate though; projecting the wormhole had taken more strength than he expected, and there were two more turrets that had appeared on his side and were firing at him. Addley exhaled sharply and closed his eyes, bracing himself. He disappeared as soon as the fire converged on him. He reappeared underneath the furthest turret and using his new-found ability placed a wormhole in front of it that opened up next to it. He smiled as the turret ripped itself to pieces. He did this again with the second one, only this time he concentrated on keep the wormhole open, so that a sort of portal existed between where the wormhole was absorbing and expelling objects. The sight was amazing to behold, but suddenly Addley dropped to one knee. Maintaining a constant wormhole like that was exhausting. Unfortunately there was one turret left, setting it's sights on him. Addley sighed again and shook his hands. [b]"Slate's not the only one who can go out with a bang," [/b]he said with a smile. Using the last of his strength, he tried one more trick-- he focused all of his energy on creating the kind of wormhole he used to transport himself and others, which varied from his projected wormholes because they sucked objects in instead of simply acting as a doorway for them (he had quickly deduced). Using this wormhole he pried the last turret from the ceiling and the last thing he remembered seeing was the turret reappear above McKnight's head, right before the world went black. Addley had woken up a while later to Esfir sitting next to him in the infirmary, and message scribbled on a paper by McKnight saying 'It was stupid when Slate did it. Don't do it again and you might survive". Addley assumed that meant he had done decently. [i]Today...[/i] Addley packed up the rest of his belongings and made for the hangar. He had taken McKnight's backhanded advice about a gun and currently had one latched to his waist so that he could get a feel for it on the mission. He nodded again to McKnight, who had arrived before him, and to Tyler before stopped at Slate's side. [b]"Ready boss?" [/b]he asked with a mixture of amusement and anxiety. Slate nodded, his determination from his fight with McKnight still dancing in his eyes. [b]"Definately."[/b][/font]

[font="'Book Antiqua"]That's more than okay with me, Lilt. :D I'm excited to read your post.[/font]

[font="Georgia"][size=2][center][size="7"][color="#000000"]The Immortals[/color][/size][/size][/center][center][size="4"][color="#000000"][Tulas Shorn x Vongola][/color][/size][/center][size="2"][center][size="5"]*[/size][/center][/size] [size="2"][size="2"][color="#000000"]Marduk stared down at his hands as they wrung around each other with anticipation. Normally he was a calm, collected figure, never surprised and never excited in battle. But this was different. Too much was at stake for him to lose this battle. The Tournament of the Gods was the single most important event to him right now. The winner received a prize beyond measure; he would have his one truest desire granted to him, so long as it did not challenge or offend the gods. When Marduk had first heard of the Tournament he had been indifferent. He lacked dedication to or interest in the gods, for they were too fickle and caused men more evil then they did good. He had resolved to simply allow the worthiest man from his kingdom to take part in the competition so that he would seem benevolent, as well as to increase the prestige of his kingdom. After her death, however, he entered the competition himself, hellbent on bringing her back and not allowing his... [/color][color="#000000"][i]companion[/i][/color][color="#000000"] the pleasure of doing so. Subconsciously his eyes drifted over to the subject of his thoughts.[/color] [color="#000000"]His companion was called Abilsin, and he was one of the kings of [/color][color="#000000"][i]Å umeru [/i][/color][color="#000000"]who had in recent years come to rule the land. Marduk himself was a king of Akkad, and he had hated the Sumerians for usurping power from his forefathers. Abilsin was the most bloodthirsty of the kings, and that was enough to put the two at odds. From their first clash the two considered each other rivals, and they had fought many wars against one another. They had caused each other great pain. And yet here they stood, allied, to an extent, by a common cause. But this was only a temporary truce; they were allies only until the other warriors were dead. They had no love for each other, only her-- and even if they were both fighting for her life, neither one was willing to sacrifice the chance to save her and claim her as his own.[/color] [/size][/size][/font][font="Georgia"][size="2"][size="2"][color="#000000"]Mardkâ??s muscles tensed as a white flash filled the sky above the arena, a massive structure somewhere between a roofless ziggurat and a tower. Marduk grimaced and quickly looked over to Abilsin, who returned his gaze. [/color][color="#000000"][b] â??Donâ??t die,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin said simply before turning his back to Marduk. Marduk closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. [/color][color="#000000"][i]Iâ??m not going to die,[/i][/color][color="#000000"][b] [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he thought as he felt the warmth from the second flash wash over him.[/color][color="#000000"] He opened his eyes, sprung away from Abilsin and attacked the first soldier in his path. The soldier swung a mace at Marduk, who crouched down countered with a fist to the soldierâ??s chest. With the wind knocked out of him, the soldier dropped his mace, which Marduk deftly caught and swung up into the manâ??s jaw. As the man teetered backwards Marduk positioned the mace over his head and pitched the weapon forward into the face of another soldier. Before his bloodied opponent could react, Marduk disarmed the man and stabbed him in the chest with his own weapon.[/color] [color="#000000"]Before Marduk could finish his opponent an arrow soared down from above and struck the soldier through his head. Marduk ducked down and used the body as a shield as another arrow whizzed by overhead. He peaked through the gap between the corpseâ??s arm and side so that he could pinpoint the archer. Another arrow shot by and quickly traced the arrowâ??s trajectory back to its origin., a soldier from [/color][color="#000000"][i]Kush[/i][/color][color="#000000"]. Years earlier Marduk had led an expedition to conquer parts of the kingdom of [/color][color="#000000"][i]Kemet[/i][/color][color="#000000"], but had found them engaged in fierce battle with [/color][color="#000000"][i]Kush. [/i][/color][color="#000000"]The Kush archers possessed skill beyond anything he had ever witnessed. [/color][color="#000000"][i]Alas, the archer will have to wait, [/i][/color][color="#000000"]Marduk thought as he rolled away to narrowly avoid a spear point. He snatched up a nearby sword and spun around, blocking his assailantâ??s spear mid-stab. He pushed the spear away and prepared to strike, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain through his right wrist.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Hmmm,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he grunted through clenched teeth as the arrow in his wrist forced him to drop his sword. The spear-bearer smiled condescendingly and drew his weapon back to strike Marduk in the heart. Marduk grimaced at the manâ??s arrogance and prepared to counter the strike, but it never came. The spear-bearer stood perfectly still for a moment, locked in his stance. Marduk gripped the spear with his left hand and pulled it out of the manâ??s grasp. The spear-bearerâ??s head rolled off of his neck and his body crumpled to the ground. Marduk used the spear to hoist himself up and ran in the direction of the archer. [/color][color="#000000"][i]I will have to repay Abilsin with a swift death, [/i][/color][color="#000000"]he thought as he scaled the nearest stairway.[/color] [color="#000000"]The archer was roughly four levels up, and Marduk was forced to murder ten soldiers on his way up, two of which were rogue soldiers from his kingdom. Both had surrendered to to him and begged for their lives, but he killed them nonetheless. He felt no remorse or sympathy for disloyal followers, especially when they stood between him and his goals. It was for this reason that Marduk was unpopular with many of his subjects. He cared little for the complaints and concerns of the people--it was his responsibility to ensure the survival and wealth of his kingdom and itâ??s denizens regardless of public opinion. He had watched his father fail as a ruler due to his inability to make unpopular decisions, and he refused to share in that weakness. Marduk frowned at the thought and stopped in place.[/color] [color="#000000"][i]Where is my focus today, [/i][/color][color="#000000"]he thought with disgust. From his arrival his mind had been reeling with nostalgia, force feeding him images from his past. Thoughts of his conquests, his homeland, his family. [/color][color="#000000"][i]Why?[/i][/color] [color="#000000"][b] â??Marduk...â?[/b][/color] [color="#000000"]Marduk readied his weapon and glanced around. Hadnâ??t someone just called his name? It had been faint, nothing more than a whisper, but Marduk was absolutely sure he had heard something...[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Marduk...â?[/b][/color] [color="#000000"]A shimmering light accompanied this call, and Marduk stared on in surprise as the light began to take a humanoid shape. He flexed his fingers around the spear apprehensively, in case the shimmering light was an opponent or a trap. As the light finished its amazing transformation, however, Marduk nearly lost his grip on his weapon. [/color][color="#000000"][b] â??Shala?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]He questioned lowly. Indeed, the being before him had the appearance of the woman he had come to save, but something was amiss. Shala shouldnâ??t have appeared yet. Even if Marduk didnâ??t hear the sounds of battle off in the distance, he knew the battle wasnâ??t won yet. Abilsin wouldnâ??t have allowed himself to be killed by anyone other than Marduk. The shade itself seemed to different from the memory of his beloved. It hovered ever so slightly over the ground and seemed to flicker in and out of existence. But most alarming was the difference in its visage; its features were sorrowful, as if they had never known humor.Was this some form of trap? Marduk took a step towards the spectre, keeping his weapon up.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Shala?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]He repeated, this time more forcefully. The pain in â??Shalaâ??sâ?? eyes intensified at the sound of its name. Its body shuttered for a second before responding. Marduk had to strain his ears to hear her and only managed to catch one word. [/color][color="#000000"][b] â??----- -- alone.â? [/b][/color] [color="#000000"]Suddenly Marduk understood. This apparition was not actually his wife. It was the manifestation of her negative feelings from the afterlife and had appeared to him to beg him to release her from her torment. He nodded at the illusion and managed a smile, something he hadnâ??t done in months. [/color][color="#000000"][b] â??I wonâ??t make you wait much longer Shala. Iâ??m coming for you,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said tenderly. â??Shalaâ?? quivered for another second, and then a single tear rolled down its face. Marduk reached out for it, but it exploded into an array of lights and disappeared. Marduk frowned at the sight and could feel a sense of dread creeping through his body. Why had she still looked so sad prior to disappearing? Marduk pushed the thought aside and took a deep breath before continuing his ascent up the staircase. He could ask Shala what was troubling her once he had rescued her.[/color] [color="#000000"]Emerging from the staircase Marduk stayed low to the ground, hoping not to alert the archer. The archer was ready, however, and fired an arrow straight into his right shoulder. Marduk thanked his luck and charged the archer. Before the archer could string another arrow, Mardukâ??s arrow-pierced shoulder struck him squarely in the chest, catapulting him off of the level. Marduk smirked with approval as the archerâ??s legs broke from the impact of the fall. He directed his attention to the archerâ??s spare bow to his left, and silently cursed his inability to use his right hand. He prepared to run back for the staircase and rejoin the fight when he caught sight of Abilsin.[/color] [color="#000000"]He was engaged in combat with a large, brutish axe wielder who obviously lacked the technical skill of Abilsin, but made up for it with unwieldy strength. Abilsin was simultaneously hacking away at the bruteâ??s body to seemingly no effect and dodging the bruteâ??s impossibly powerful swings. This activity left Abilsin oblivious to the Assyrian soldier slinking up behind him. The cornerâ??s of Mardukâ??s mouth tugged lightly as he suppressed a sneer.[/color] [color="#000000"][i]Debt repaid, [/i][/color][color="#000000"]he thought as he launched his spear through the neck of the brute. Even with the great distance Marduk could still see the look of discontent on Abilsinâ??s face at the loss of his kill. The expression melted back into murderous intent as he effortlessly disemboweled the Assyrian behind him. As the warrior fell to the floor, both Abilsin and Marduk came to a realization. That had been the last opposing soldier. The only obstacles left were each other. The real fight was upon them.[/color] [color="#000000"]The two rivals stood facing one another, scrutinizing their opponentâ??s appearance. Marduk watched Abilsinâ??s eyes travel from his pierced right shoulder to his bloody wrist on the same arm. Marduk noted the gash across Abilsinâ??s forehead, which had covered his face in blood, as well as the fact that Abilsin had almost all of his weight on his right leg, indicating that his left was slightly disabled. Abilsin grinned at Marduk. [/color][color="#000000"][b] â??A fair fight then,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said simply, and then swung at him with his sickle sword. Marduk brought his own up to counter, but the force behind Abilsinâ??s double handed swing overwhelmed Mardukâ??s and knocked his blade from his hand. Unfazed, Marduk sprang back, escaping with a thin slice down his chest, and then threw a punch at the still hunched over Abilsin. Due to his inability to shift his weight successfully, Abilsin took the blow right against the side of his head. He staggered slightly, but recomposed himself quickly enough to use the decreased distance between the two to impale Marduk in his stomach. The metal in his abdomen forced Marduk to convulse and cough up blood. As Abilsin withdrew the blade, Marduk headbutted him in the face, breaking his nose. Abilsin took a step backwards to wipe away the blood on his face. Marduk rolled away and tore the shirt off of a nearby soldier and quickly tied it around his wound. Abilsin, whose vision was still inundated with red, estimated Mardukâ??s location from the sound of ripping cloth. He tossed aside his sword and kicked up a spear his foot had brushed against. He leveled the spear and threw it haphazardly at Marduk. Marduk managed to lean his shoulder back enough that the spear didnâ??t impale him, but simply grazed him. [/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??You dead?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin questioned loudly, still attempting to wipe the never-ending flow of blood from his face. Marduk inhaled sharply and jumped to his feet, although the pain in his stomach made him dizzy.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Of course,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he muttered before lunging at his opponent. Abilsin heard Mardukâ??s weight shift off of the ground and braced himself. The two collided; Abilsin brought his left knee up into Mardukâ??s ribs as the two plummeted to the ground, but the strain of his weight on his other leg, as well as Mardukâ??s body collapsing onto him caused his right leg to break completely. Abilsin screamed and shoved Marduk off, though Marduk could barely hear past his own pain. His ribs were definitely broken, and he could feel them piercing the insides of his body. He coughed up some more blood as he attempted to crawl away from Abilsin. Abilsin noticed Mardukâ??s attempts and bore his teeth.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Youâ??re not getting away from me...â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he growled, reaching for an axe nearby. His fingers wrapped around the blood-soaked hilt and he began to swing it over his body, when suddenly something cold slid in between his armpit and his ribs. He dropped the axe immediately and gasped for breath. Marduk pulled the blade out, victorious, and slowly rose to his feet. He and Abilsin locked eyes again as Abilsin continued to struggle to breath.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??D...do it then...â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin sputtered with a mouthful of blood. [/color][color="#000000"][b]â??Kill me. You wonâ??t get another chance.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Marduk, however, made no movement. He simply stared at his opponent with cold eyes. Abilsin, surprised and upset, roared at him.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??How dare you! Youâ??ve taken everything, and yet you refuse to take my life? Where is your honor?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he spat at Marduk. Marduk still remained unresponsive, but now turned his attention to the sky. Abilsin looked on in disbelief, his body seething with anger. Shaking, he muttered one last thing to Marduk.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??You should have killed me. We were so much happier before you.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Mardukâ??s eyes widened with rage. He gripped his blade with both hands and raised it above his opponentâ??s chest, preparing to make the final strike. His hands plateaued above his head, and in one quick instance he fell to his knees. Streams of blood began trickling from his mouth, and his body hung over limp. Abilsinâ??s ire gave way to shock at the sight of his enemy. Marduk chuckled at the taste of blood in his mouth and raised his face back up to the heavens.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??We are both dead. You have two winners and two losers. Grant us our wish,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he called. For a moment nothing happened. Marduk shook his head and called again.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Well? Are the gods not men of their word? We are winners. Now grant us our wish--â? [/b][/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Silence!â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]The sky flashed with a brilliant, overwhelming light. A powerful gust blew over the arena and circled in on itself, gaining momentum and whipping Abilsin and Marduk. Lightning flashed in the sky and struck fiercely against the ground, and noisy thunder boomed down the arena, shaking its foundations. Abilsin scoffed at the display.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Exciting,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he murmured. Marduk ignored him, still staring at the sky. The sky flashed again as a single monstrous lightning bolt streaked down from the sky and struck the ground, splitting it open. The crack erupted with hissing steam, and from the steam a figure emerged. Although Marduk cared little for tales about the gods and their allies, he knew who this man was.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Utnapishtim,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he uttered. He was an elderly man in appearance, although his actual age was far greater due to the gift of immortality granted to him by the gods. He was a tall man, standing a head over Marduk, and his fierce brown eyes reflected years of experience. His skin was dark but seemed to glow and shimmer. He wore a intricately detailed and ornate robe and carried a large staff that appeared to double as a unique spear-- the top of the staff split into two curled goat horns, representative of the god Ea, who had saved him from the flood. Marduk knew of both Utnapishtim and Ea well -- Utnapishtim was rumored to have been an Akkadian, and the god Ea was the father of a god who shared a name with Marduk. Naturally, he had heard a great deal about them.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Marduk,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin interrupted emphatically. Marduk followed his rivalâ??s gaze and noticed that Utnapishtim was leading someone along by a rope. Marduk knew who it was instantly.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Shala!â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he yelled. She didnâ??t look up, however. She continued to follow her captor and stared forlornly at the ground. Mardukâ??s face contorted in anger and he rose up to advance on Utnapishtim.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Let her---â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Suddenly Marduk fell back to his knees and clutched his stomach. Utnapishtim stared on with his hard eyes and Marduk vomited blood all over the ground, which seemed to happily take it in. The gods were mocking him.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Enough,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Utnapishtimâ??s deep voice declared, and the vomiting ceased. Marduk clutched the ground tightly, his vision fading in and out. Despite the pain, he looked back up to Utnapishtim.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??The gods... owe...owe...owe us. Re...return her,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he growled before falling to his side. Utnapishtim looked back to Shala.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Go, if you wish.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Shala stared at Utnapishtim with a scared expression before looking at her two past husbands who had come for her. And much to their surprise, she refused to step forward. Mardukâ??s mouth opened and closed, but he could produce no sound. Abilsin hoisted himself onto one arm and reached for Shala.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Shala, come on. Youâ??re free of them. Come back,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said, trying his best to swallow his fear and sound comforting. When Shala still refused to step forward, Abilsin snapped.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Damn the gods, Shala come here! The gods have no hold on you. Come to me now. It is your duty as my wife!â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he exploded. Tears streamed down Shalaâ??s eyes, but still she did not step forward. Having recovered slightly, Marduk attempted to speak to her next.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Do not listen to him. You. Are. My. Wife. Come to me and we will have a new life far from the gods. Everything can go back to how it was. Everything,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said with a crimson smile. Shalaâ??s tears increased. Utnapishtim turned his back on Abilsin and Marduk and stroked Shalaâ??s face.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??You boys are blind,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Utnapishtim stated bluntly. [/color][color="#000000"][b]â??She does not wish to return. That is why she killed herself in the first place.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Marduk and Abilsin both froze. Marduk was the first to speak now, slowly and deliberately.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??She... did not kill herself. We killed her,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said, although confusion had crept into his voice. Abilsin continued.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??The intensity of our battle caused us to lose sight of her. She was pierced by our blades. What manner of trickery are you attempting?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin asked incredulously. Utnapishtim stroked Shalaâ??s face again and then raised her chin up so they were looking each other in the eyes. He smiled at her and nodded his head, a gesture which she returned.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??I threw myself in front of your blades,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]she admitted. [/color][color="#000000"][b]â??I could not chose between my love of each other of you, and did not want to see you die... So I killed myself, with the hope that you would both live.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Marduk took a moment to swallow the information and then responded.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??So?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Marduk questioned. [/color][color="#000000"][b]â??What is past is past. You were afraid harm would come to us and it already has. We are both on the brink of death, but surely one of us will live. Whoever you choose will continue on in life with you, and the other will fade away. But you most choose.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin nodded in agreement.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??I have not come all this way to leave without you Shala. Choose,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he added. Shala simply continued to hang her head as her crying increased. Marduk and Abilsin stared at her in anticipation, holding on to life with all of their willpower. Utnapishtim shook his head in disappointment and grasped Shalaâ??s shoulders.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Hurry back, child.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Shala nodded and ran back towards the opening without so much as a look at Marduk and Abilsin. They both called for her, but Utnapishtim slammed his staff down.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??No more!â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he commanded, silencing both warriors.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??You two are disgusting creatures,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he continued.[/color][color="#000000"][b] â??Throughout the entirety of your lives you have heartlessly murdered, enslaved and tortured other humans to further your endeavors. Even the woman you both claim to love is little more than another means for your self-fulfilment. And you have walked along this path without remorse, too blind to see the error of your ways. Too blind to accept the help and forgiveness of the gods, who have countless times attempted to offer you their aid. For your transgressions, you are to be punished.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Abilsin scoffed and spat into the dirt.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??So this... this is the great wisdom of the gods? They who betray promises and bring pain to all of the people of this land? Even at our worst, we have never committed atrocities like the gods. Every manâ??s truest, foulest ire is reserved for those monsters.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said meekly. He was fighting desperately to keep his soul tethered to his body, but he could feel it prying lose little by little. Marduk looked over at his dying enemy, and surprisingly, felt sadness.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Monsters indeed,â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]he said, feeling his own spirit being severed. [/color][color="#000000"][b]â??They hide in their sanctuaries... stalking unsuspecting humans to feed on their misery. We were proud, noble men. We will be written of as heroes. Truly... we are... greater than the gods.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Utnapishtim silently walked over to the unconscious, dying warriors and watched as they struggled against death. He knew they could not conquer it. Yet still they struggled and continued to espouse their disrespect for the gods, despite being on the verge of entering the godsâ?? kingdom. He knelt down and rested his hands on Marduk and Abilsinâ??s forehead.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??If you believe yourselves so much mightier than the gods, than you have chosen your own punishment. Continue on from here new men, shaped in the image of the gods, with all of their powers and their immortality. Bear the burden of power, of responsibility, of true cosmic greatness. And to further bring humility to you...â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Utnapishtim looked back to the crevasse, which began to shake and hiss violently. Shala once more emerged from the pit, scared and bewildered.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??Why am I back?â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]She shreiked. Utnapishtimâ??s eyes softened with pity for a moment, before he returned to his solemn demeanor.[/color] [color="#000000"][b]â??For having been a party of the tragedy of these two lives, for shaming your family and insulting the gods by sacrificing your invaluable life... You will take part in their punishment. You will be a constant source of sorrow for these two men, being reborn and forced into their lives time and time again for the rest of eternity.â? [/b][/color][color="#000000"]Shalaâ??s eyes filled with tears again, and she crumpled to the floor sobbing. Utnapishtim looked back to Marduk and Abilsin and leaned over them. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled the curse into their lungs. He then stood up, turned away, and retreated back into the pit, which sealed itself behind him. For a few minutes the battlefield was still, calm. And then there was life. Marduk and Abilsin gasped for breath, and with each lungful of air, their wounds healed. Shala watched in horror. [/color] [/size][/size][/font][font="Georgia"][size="2"][size="2"][color="#000000"]Mardukâ??s eyes opened first. Everything felt new to him. The air tasted crisply of blood, of magic, of sorrow. The ground felt solid, strengthened by the spilled hopes of soldiers. And the sky... The sky was filled with more wonders than Marduk had ever imagined. His range was limitless. The world was his. With this power he had everything he could ever-- [/color][/size][/size][/font] [font="Georgia"][size="2"][color="#000000"][b]â??Aaaaaaaaaaah!!â?[/b] [/color][color="#000000"]And like that all of his feelings of awe and mystery and wonder were gone. He was in a world of shadows, with sorrow and misery coating every inch of him. The scream that had shattered his world months ago had plunged him back into a nightmare world. And all Marduk could do, even as a god, was watch as Shalaâ??s lifeless body slunk to the ground and soaked in a pool of her blood. Her spirit was back in the hands of the gods. As the presence of the gods around him wained, and the structure dedicated to his immortal tormentors began to crumble, Marduk began to understand. This was eternity.[/color][/size][/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"]I'm pretty sure a day has passed since the infirmary, since Slate went to sleep the day everyone got out and the woke up the next day for his training session with McKnight. The timeline got spotty with Drizzt's post involving Aimanan, since Aimanan was supposed to go visit Addley the night when everyone got out of the infirmary ( i.e. after Addley and Esfir talked and before Slate went to sleep) but Drizzt accidentally has Tyler running into Aimanan the next morning (the day of training). It's partially my fault for that mix up-- Tulas Shorn and I had worked out an interaction for our characters which was supposed to lead into the next morning, but Drizzt posted before I could. We also should have clarified that it was the night before in our posts. My bad! -_-' [/size][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"]So with the way the timeline is now, I believe it goes-- [/size][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"] Slate and Addley talk (Day of Infirmary) and then Slate goes to sleep Addley talks with Esfir and walks her to her room and then disappears (Day of Infirmary) Aimanan goes to Addley's door but doesn't find him there (Day of Infirmary) Rinoa has short training session (morning of Day of Training and from here on everything is the Day of Training) Slate wakes up for training (Day of Training) Tyler has food with Rinoa and Derek (brunch-ish time Day of Training) Tyler finds Aimanan waiting outside of Addley's door, but Aimanan and Addley have not talked (Day of Training)[/size][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][size="2"]Current training sessions (miday Day of Training)[/size][/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"]Hey howdy hey fellas. There's no need to go for each other's throats. I understand your eagerness to get the story rolling Shwa, I do. But there are a lot of factors that go into not posting aside from 'being busy'-- like for me, I've just been somewhat lacking in inspiration and direction. You've also probably seen me on quite a bit, as I have a tendency to leave my computer on or the boards open even when I'm doing other things. Luckily, though, I've fallen back into inspiration, so there should be quite a bit up from me on the boards this weekend.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"] Perhaps it would be more constructive to post a comment in the backstage with suggestions or something of the like prior to assuming the story is dead. I don't care for bickering between teammates! After all, the lives of our fabricated characters are in each other's hands. :][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"]P.S. Sorry if this came across as playing mod. I was just hoping to put in my two cents.[/font]

[quote name='Lilt' timestamp='1314801378' post='709189'] [b]Hey, I had a good idea actually. I'll have Sefir interact with Addley in my next post if you don't mind.[/b][/quote] [size="2"][font="'Book Antiqua"]That sounds beyond perfect to me. :D[/font][/size]

[font="'Book Antiqua"]I'm in as well. I'm in the process of sorting out my housing situation meself, but mostly I haven't posted because I've been waiting for someone else to post so I could get a feel for where everyone is situated before I throw Addley into their lives and potentially ruin any plans they have set up for their characters.[/font]

[font="'Book Antiqua"]Maybe we should decide here who is going to go with which group. I'd like to go to the room of requirement if it's all the same for everyone.[/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"]I can always go for some dupstep. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7YTwFcCkXw[/media][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"] I absolutely love this one so I'm going to post it, even though I think everyone has heard it.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1VLaXoRRdk[/media] [/font] [font="Book Antiqua"]Another favorite of mine. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEBYg6v3P6g[/media][/font]

Allow me to start by saying it's great seeing you back in the theater, Vicky. You know you can always count me in when you make an appearance. That being said, I think it's an ace idea. As a habit I try to write my characters so that they behave in a manner similar to my own, albeit with more exaggerated qualities. But naturally, those characters usually have an awesome physique and all of the battle prowess known to man, both of which I'm pretty sure I'm lacking. Placing myself, with all of my flaws, into a heated situation sounds simultaneously more exciting and thought provoking. I think if everyone is honest with the way they portray themselves, this could be a really brilliant rp. In short, I'm all aboard, and I'm more than happy to help in any way I can. I do have a quick question (I'll try to think up some more later). What would be the cause of the post-apocalyptic world? Something like nuclear warfare, or a simply a collapse of society?

[font="Book Antiqua"]Addley watched Slate leave the canteen and slouched into his chair with a sigh. He didn't want to admit it to the already paranoid Slate, but the idea of a super working for Geist was a little offputting. [i]I mean, [/i]Addley thought, [i]I'm sure he's not working for them entirely of his free will. And if he is, it must be to better our situation or something along those lines. How could anyone sell out their own kind? [/i]The thought gave him a slight sense of relief, but he couldn't help but still feel antsy. He jumped to his feet and marched off toward the training room. He hoped silently that Esfir was alone, because he really needed to talk with her. She would quell the concerns he had been harboring for her, and she would also keep his mind from racing. [i]Or something worse, [/i]he thought with a shudder, his earlier vision filling his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew those two people somehow, even distantly, like passing them on the street or seeing them on the news. Had he really me those people? Or did they simply seem so familiar because they had been created from his subconscious? Frustrated, Addley pressed his hands to his temples. [b]"What did Geist do to me?" [/b]He asked angrily, pushing the doors to the training room open. Tyler and Derek were in there, standing on the opposite end of the room, chatting. Addley calmed down enough to flash a smile and give the two a friendly nod, before noting another figure in the corner of the room nearest to him. A small figure was sitting in the corner, with its knees pulled into its chest. Addley couldn't make out who the figure was, but when the shape hiccuped from a sob, Addley knew who it was immediately, despite the person's electronically distorted voice! [b]"Esfir!" [/b]He exclaimed. It had meant to be a question, but the surprise of seeing her in a space suit had overtaken him. The figure raised its head up, and Addley could see Esfir's face behind the visor. Even with the odd colored tint of the visor he could still see the redness in her eyes, as well as the tears streaming down her face. Addley could feel his own eyes watering now. How could he have let this happen to her? She was under his command. He should have been paying better attention. She blinked away her tears, obviously frustrated that she couldn't simply wipe them away, and stood up. [b]"Addley? I'm so glad you're ok---" [/b]Before she could finish her sentence, Addley rushed over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Neither of them said anything for the entire duration of the hug, Esfir being too shocked and Addley feeling too guilty. Here he had been cursing Geist for the visions that were plaguing him, when he should have been angry about this. He should have been angry with them for Aimanan's nightmares, for the injuries Esfir sustained that forced her into this helmet, for everything that happened to each and every single one of the team on that last mission. As the anger swelled in Addley's chest, he silently swore to master his ability so that he could protect the others... and prevent Geist from doing this to anyone else. [b]"Um... Addley?" [/b]Esfir's buzzing voice disrupted Addley's thoughts and cut through his anger. [b]"Oh, sorry," [/b]he said sheepishly, letting go of the almost strangled Esfir. She gave him a nervous smile, which he returned. After another period of silence, he scratched his head and shrugged. [b]"Well at least the helmet looks good on you," [/b]Addley said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Esfir merely stared at him for a while, causing his smile to waiver, when suddenly she exploded into laughter. Tyler and Derek looked over with confusion at the two of them, and Addley waved his hands to indicate that they were okay before looking back to Esfir. [i]She's an odd one, [/i]he thought humorously. But that didn't bother him in the slightest. He couldn't help but take to Esfir; in all honesty, he had taken to everyone here, although he hadn't really shown it yet. He had always been a big brother type in his friend groups, and he felt no different now, but the circumstances really hadn't given him the chance to get to know everyone as well as he'd like. But that would be different now, he decided. As Addley finished his train of thought, he realized he had been quiet for a long time again and quickly went to apologize to Esfir, but she had only finished laughing right then, and was completely oblivious to Addley's silence. He shook his head with amusement and sat down. Esfir abruptly stopped laughing when Addley hit the ground, and perched on the ground as well. [b]"Besides, the suit/helmet combo should prove to be beneficial," [/b]he reasoned to both himself and Esfir. [b]"The enemy won't expect a spaceman as an opponent, so you've got the element of surprise. You're also protected from fire and light, meaning you'll fare better against Starlighter. Aaaaand, you won't drown as quickly as the rest of us, so Hydro-Girl will have to try harder to kill you. And I don't know what extra do-hickeys they have installed in there, but you could always ask Geist to modify it further for you, and maybe put in an oxygen filter and a controlled environment inside the suit, so you don't get too hot or cold. Just think, built in air conditioning! And wrist mounted rockets. Or shotguns. The possibilities are endless!" [/b]Addley finished with a broad grin and a wide sweeping gesture. Esfir laughed, having perked up quite a bit. The two talked for a while longer, before Addley began to feel the wear of fatigue. He offered to walk Esfir back to her room, which she obliged. When the two got to the door, Addley turned to her. [b]"Try not to worry to much about the helmet. I think it will prove to a blessing in disguise. Try to get some sleep tonight, and I'll check on you in the morning,"[/b] he said. She nodded her head in agreement and the two exchanged good nights. As soon as she was gone, however, Addley could feel a weight return to his chest, so he ran over to the infirmary to check on anyone who was left in there, as well as checking in on everyone he ran into, before finally collapsing into bed, exhausted. *****[/font] [font="Times New Roman"][size="3"]OOC: Sorry the ending was so rushed, but I wanted to give Lilt a chance to write in some of the conversation as she pleased. In addition, anyone feel free to interact with Addley in your upcoming posts. I feel like he really hasn't opened up to anyone yet, and I'm hoping to change that a little. :][/size][/font]

Hey DeLarge, is you current training session exclusively between you and Gavin? If so, will the rest of the characters be watching and/or waiting their turn, or free to do as they please?

Well, for the spell you could use 'Intellige lingua', which would be a command, "understand language/tongue". And I totally understand the confusion, what with all of the ethnicities of the characters. In addition, it would be a pretty nifty skill if you ever came across a parslemouth.

I think the program sometimes suggests words with multiple meanings, as well as translates the words directly, instead of considering them a full body of information. Also, some latin cases are the same, so it might not know which to translate when you put it back into the translator. For instance, lingua looks the same in the nominative and the ablative, and can mean tongue, language or a number of things related to speaking. And res looks the same in a number of its declensions, and can mean thing (like en media res, "in the middle of the thing"), or matter (like res publica "matter of the the public"). I think the translator might be having difficulty sorting everything, haha. What was the meaning you were aiming for? I might be able to help. :]

[font="Garamond"][size="3"]Despite hearing the Goblimon descend onto the village, Edward bolted away as fast as he possibly could, even managing to stay ahead of Gaomon. The others would be able to hold of the Goblimon. Edward had to reach Garurumon before Garurumon made for the village. If Garurumon's heart was still in there, it would shatter if he attacked the village and killed his friends. And if Garurumon was as powerful as Agumon said, he would be nearly impossible to defeat once all of his humanity... Or [i]digimanity [/i]was gone. As the mountain grew larger and larger in front of Edward, he could see a figure bathed in the moonlight. [img]http://images.wikia.com/digimon/images/2/20/Garurumon_b.jpg[/img] [b]"Garurumon," [/b]Gaomon muttered, clearly in awe of the creature. Garurumon was standing perfectly still now, a silver cloud emitting from its mouth. Edward didn't know what Garurumon looked like originally, but he felt that he could see Garurumon's madness in his appearance. His fur, or what was left of it, was patchy and dirty, his nails were blood red and every inch of him had a feral, starved appearance. But Garurumon's red eyes seemed unmarred, despite the color change. Edward saw Garurumon's strength, his passion, his struggle inside of his mind. Edward could feel himself shaking a little as he drew closer to the beast. Before he could muster up the strength to call out to the creature, Gaomon slammed against his back and knocked him to the ground. The next second a loud crackle roared over them. Edward and Gaomon pulled apart and Edward nodded at his partner. [b]"Thanks partner," [/b]he heaved through his breathless lungs. Gaomon hopped to his feet and faced away from Edward. [b]"Garurumon will have to wait for later," [/b]he said sternly. Edward pried his eyes away from Garurumon to take a look at the new threat. [b]"What are they?" [/b]Edward asked, jumping to his feet so he could join his partner. Standing in front of them were four multi-colored, nine-tailed, lizard mammal... things. [img]http://images.wikia.com/digimon/images/9/91/Elecmon_b.jpg[/img] [b] "Those are Elecmon, Edward! They're rookie digimon known for their inquisitive, playful natures as well as their shocking attacks! They share a similar bloodline with Garurumon, which is probably why they followed him out of the village," [/b]Gaomon reasoned. The Elecmon were in a sorry state as well. Their fur was matted and dirty and they had a hungry look in their eyes. They let out a unified howl and rushed Gaomon and Eddie. Gaomon charged his opponents. [b]"Stay back, Eddie!" [/b]He cried, tackling the first Elecmon. The other Elecmon swarmed on top of Gaomon, who valiantly knocked them back one by one. Edward stared on in awe as his partner stood toe to toe with the four digimon. Lightning bolts shot past Gaomon's head and heads collided with is stomach, but he continued to fight against them. It became clear though, that Gaomon was fighting a losing battle. Despite being able to hold his own, the Elecmon were more vicious, and whatever had corrupted them had stripped them of caution or restraint. They would keep fighting until Gaomon was... Edward swallowed hard and tried not think of it, instead attempting to maintain hope in his friend. [b]"Go Gaomon!" [/b]He yelled. Edward's call momentarily rejuvenated Gaomon, who released a powerful Gao Rush at the nearest enemy. Unfortunately, this left him vulnerable to a powerful lightning strike from the three other Elecmon. Gamon's body seized up as the lightning coursed through his system. A singed Gaomon collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. [b]"Gaomon---" "No Eddie, stay there!" [/b]Gaomon said forcefully, stopping Eddie in his tracks. An Elecmon jumped into Gaomon, who managed to barely toss the creature away. [b]"Dangit..." [/b]Edward growled. Here his partner was, facing danger again because he recklessly dove into danger. Edward couldn't keep taking Gaomon's strength for granted, especially not when it was his partner doing all of the work. Edward clenched his fists, resolved to fix the situation. He spun on his heel and ran to Garurumon. The creature hadn't moved an inch, and simply stood facing the village, shaking back and forth. Edward took a deep breath and stepped in front of Garurumon. [b]"Garurumon, why did you attack the village?" [/b]Edward questioned boldly. In a flash, Garurumon pinned him to the floor and roared at Edward. [b]"How dare you! I---" [/b]Garurumon snapped his jaw and eyes shut mid-sentence. A tremor passed through the creatures body and a dark mist began to emanate from his body. When he opened his eyes back up, they were cloudy and distant, as if he was staring through Edward at someone else. [b]"I don't care about the village any longer," [/b]Garurumon said in a disconnected tone, [b]"I only live to serve my lord and master. The village... was holding me back." [/b]Garurumon's voice faltered with his last couple of words. Edward could still sense the creatures heart radiating in his chest, determinedly trying to keep him from attacking the village. Edward struggled underneath Garurumon's paw, wrenching his arm free. He placed his hand on Garurumon. [b]"But you do care about the village. You care about Agumon and the others. You don't want to see them hurt. And they want you back," [/b]Edward reasoned desperately. The color returned to Garurumon's eyes for a moment, and his features softened. Edward sighed, hoping that the battle was over. But Garurumon still continued to shake, and still wouldn't move. He simply stared down at Edward. [b]"I can't go back... He's still influencing me. He's too powerful!" [/b]Garurumon's eyes flashed again, this time back to red. [b]"He is all powerful, and I will do his bidding. Nothing will stop me! Certainly not you!" [/b]Garurumon lifted his paw above Edward and prepared to slam it down on him. Edward felt a tear fall from his face, but he didn't make any attempt to move from under the creature. [b]"The village asked me to save you, because I'm a digidestined. But I'm not staying just because it's my duty as a digidestined-- I want to save you! I won't give up!" [/b]A light began emitting from Edward's pocket as he spoke, and when he finished his sentence, the light erupted from his digivice. The beam of light blinded Garurumon and shot over to Gaomon, covering him. Edward recognized this feeling and grinned.[i] [/i] [b]"Gaomon, digivolve into..." [/b]the light merged with Gaomon and became a blue star. The star knocked away the Elecmon, and then changed shape, growing larger to a size comparable to Garurumon's. [img]http://images.wikia.com/digimon/images/b/b3/Gaogamon_b.jpg[/img] [b]"Gaogamon!" [/b]The ferocious wolf stood up on its hind legs and roared out into the night. The moment its feet touched the ground, Gaogamon disappeared. [b]"Dash Double Claw!" [/b]Gaogamon reappeared in front of Garurumon, and fired an x-shape blast, which hit Garurumon squarely in the chest and launched him away from Edward. Gaogamon looked down at Edward and smiled, or at least that's what Edward assumed the showing of his teeth was. [b]"You alright boss?" [/b]Gaogamon said in a guttural sounding version of Gaomon's voice. Edward used his partner's paw to help himself stand up. [b]"You bet, Gaogamon," [/b]Edward said with a reassuring head nod. In the distance, Garurumon had risen back up, and the black mist was rising off of him again. Edward grimaced and faced his partner. [b]"Whenever that mist rises, I think it means that the influence on Garurumon is disappearing. I think it's his warrior spirit," [/b]Edward said, remembering the look in Garurumon's eyes when he was staring at the village. [b]"He's too strong for the force. Let's remind him of that!" [/b]Gaogamon howled in agreement, and charged Garurumon. The two wolves jumped at one another. [b]"Slamming Attack!" "Gaogo Hound!" [/b]The two became a ball of fur and fangs, biting and snapping and roaring. Edward watched nervously, digivice clutched in hand, hoping that his feelings would feed into it somehow and charge Gaogamon. As if answering his call, the digivice began glowing again. Edward stared curiously down at it. [b]"What are you trying to tell me?" [/b]Edward pondered. Nearby, Gaogamon's eyes glowed. [b]"Spiral blow!" [/b] Gaogamon released a massive torrent of wind from his mouth and blasted Garurumon off of him, and directly in front of Edward. The digivice glowed brighter in response. On a hunch, Edward aimed his digivice at Garurumon. The light basked Garurumon, forcing more of the mist off of him. Garurumon roared in pain and motioned to knock Edward away, but Gaogamon leapt onto his back so he couldn't move. [b]"Remember your village!" [/b]Gaogamon yelled at Garurumon. The light from Edward's digivice increased. [b]"Remember yourself!" [/b]Edward yelled, and the light completely enveloped Garurumon. An unfamiliar scream rose up with the last traces of the mist, and then the light was completely gone, leaving Gaogamon standing next to a revitalized looking Garurumon. Edward lowered his digivice tentatively. [b]"Garurumon--" "Thank you!" [/b]Garurumon jumped on Edward and licked him across the face. Edward almost passed out with relief. [b]"Thank goodness," [/b]he said with a chuckle. Garurumon helped Edward up and then licked Gaogamon as well, who laughed. [b]"Thank you so much, digidestined," [/b]Garurumon said happily. [b]"The infection amplified the anger in my heart, and the moment that I gave into it, I lost control of my body. Thank you both for saving me!" [/b]Edward smiled and scratched Gaogamon on the head. [b]"Good job partner," [/b]Edward said smiling before adressing Garurumon. [b]"It was our pleasure Garurumon. When I saw how much Agumon cared for you, I knew we had to help. That kind of friendship couldn't be allowed to flicker out." [/b]Thinking back to the village, Edward and Gaogamon remembered the Goblimon at the same time. [b]"Goblimon!" [/b]They screamed in unison. Garurumon understood immediately. He trotted over to the Elecmon to check on them, and seeing that they were okay he allowed them to hop on his back. He tilted his head back to face the partners. [b]"Help me once more, digidestined!" [/b]Garurumon said powerfully.[b] [/b]Edward nodded in agreement. Gaogamon knelt down so that Edward could climb on his shoulders, and then the two wolves bounded towards the village, hoping the others were okay.[/size][/font]

[font="Book Antiqua"][font="Book Antiqua"]Addley could feel his blood pour into his mouth as he fumbled away from the caged Starlighter. The blow to his face had filled his world with red, and he couldn't follow the voices of the others because of Starlighter's enraged screams. No-- not just Starlighter's screams. Somewhere nearby, Addley could hear a female voice yelling as well, which he quickly identified as Martian, who had been injured somehow, and couldn't move. He tried his best to navigate towards her, and eventually he felt her hand shoot into his. He tried his best to comfort her by smiling in her general direction, but he imagined that the blood spilled over his teeth and down his face might be more disconcerting than anything else. He knelt down and scooped her up in his arms. [b]â??Hold--â? [/b]before he could say 'on', the world around him began to spin. He collapsed into a nearby wall, causing Martian to scream again, but even her screaming was fading away. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but instead found that he couldn't see anything at all. Fearing for his and Martian's lives, he focused with every inch of his being and opened a worm hole to the roof. But when they reappeared in front of the others, a crying Martian was kneeling over the unconscious, feverish body of Addley. ***** [i]Addley's eyelids pried apart slowly. His whole body felt sluggish and exhausted, like he had been running for miles. He lie still, half consciously staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling fan. He could hear voices talking in the background-- a man and a woman. He couldn't make out what they were talking about, but he could just barely hear the man say, 'you'll be alright'.[/i][i][b] [/b][/i]Oh good, I'm in the infirmary, [i]he thought, relieved. That explained why he felt so tip top-- his body, aside from feeling oddly heavy, didn't feel in the least bit injured. Even his nose, which he was sure had been broken, felt as good as new. He reached his hand up to feel his face, but stopped abruptly when his hand came into viewâ??or rather, didn't come into view. [/i][i][b]â??What... What the ****?â? [/b][/i][i]Addley stared blankly at the space where his arm was supposed to be. He was still too tired and too groggy to wrap his mind around his seemingly non-existent arm. Before he could figure out what had happened, his arm faded back into existence, but now it was translucent, with an unearthly glow. He blinked a couple of times, expecting his arm to reform entirely. But after a few fruitless minutes, Addley's fear started to sober him out of his sleepiness. He waved his arm back and forth frantically, and with his arm still refusing to reappear fully, panic overtook him completely. He stumbled to a standing position, although he almost pitched himself across the room doing so. Now that he was completely awake, he found that his body was almost weightless. [/i][i][b]â??What the **** is going on here!â? [/b][/i][i]he screamed out. He had expected to see the inside of a Geist laboratory around him, probes and nodes lining his body. Instead, his barely visible physique remained entirely unmarred and unprobed, standing in the middle of an unfamiliar kitchen. Everything in the kitchen seemed dated by a few years, and looked like they had gone through a period of serious disuse. Addley grabbed a nearby cabinet and attempted to open it up, but his hand phased straight through. [/i][i][b] â??Oh,â? [/b][/i][i]he mumbled. He could feel his fear hardening into dread. He pulled his hand out and looked at it for a second before shoving it back through the cabinet. A nervous laugh escaped him. [/i][i][b]â??I'm dead,â? [/b][/i][i]he stammered. What else could explain this phenomena? His phantom-esque figure. His inability to interact with his surroundings. The fact that despite having screamed bloody murder a few minutes before, not a single person seemed to hear him. He gazed down at the feet, when a question sprang into his head. [/i][i][b]â??How the **** am I standing then? Just what the **** is happening to m--â? â??Aaaaah!!â? [/b][/i][i]A scream from outside of the house tore through his thoughts. Without a second thought Addley bolted out of the kitchen, through the adjoining living room and straight through the glass wall in the back of the house. The screamer was a young woman in a wheelchair clutching her head. An extremely tall, muscular man stood next to her, cradling something in his arms-- a baby, most likely, but compared to the giant it looked like a skipping stone. The man tucked the baby under his arm like a football and knelt down on one knee in front of the screamer. [/i][i][b]â??C'mon!â?[/b][/i][i] his voice boomed, startling Addley, who had been expecting something much, much softer in tone. [/i][i][b]â??How can you be so upset? I mean just look at this little ****!â? [/b][/i][i]He took the baby in both hands and tossed him up in the air. The baby screeched with joy all of the way up and down, and the man had a wide toothy grin spread from ear to ear. Even Addley couldn't help but smile, forgetting his own predicament for the moment. The woman ceased screaming, but her face was locked in an expression of terror. Instead of wailing she began muttering under her breath. [/i][i][b]â??Please god just get him away from meâ??All of those people died on that bridge--I killed him, I killed himâ??he'll end up like me!â? [/b][/i][i]She rambled aimlessly. The sadness in Addley's heart grew again as he listened to her speak aimlessly. It seemed that although she was somewhat aware of her surroundings and her situation, she could do nothing to escape her madness. [/i]What kind of a trauma could have driven her to this[i], Addley thought somberly.The big man frowned at the woman and stopped tossing the baby around. [/i][i][b]â??Look at him,â? [/b][/i][i]he said in a gentle tone, placing the baby on her lap. [/i][i][b]â??He won't be nothin' like you. We'll take good care of you. Just hang in there ----â? [/b][/i][i]The last word came across as little more than a dull buzzing to Addley, whose mind had been filled with other voices; first he could hear his teammates, and then Welsh, and then a series of unfamiliar ones. Addley fell to his knees as the voices got louder and louder, overwhelming his senses. [/i][i][b]â??What the **** is happening to me!â? [/b][/i][i]he roared in agony. The world began to spin around him and his body felt weak. He recognized this feeling. This had happened to him at the bank, right before he had blacked. Why was it happening again now? What was even happening? His hands fell from his head to the floor, and he struggled to keep himself propped up. As the vision began to drain from his eyes he reflexively took one last glance at the couple, although his last sight chilled him to his core. The woman was no longer sitting in her wheelchair. She was kneeling right in front of Addley, her eyes no more than an inch away from his face. [/i][i][b]â??What is happening-- all of the children were taken-- no, still nothing--who are you? How did you get here?â? [/b][/i][i]her eyes widened with every question, and her voice rose louder and louder, so that now she was hollering at him. [/i][i][b]â??How did you ******* get hereâ??I don't want to die!â? [/b][/i][i]Her baby was crying again in the background. In a flash the man was at her side and attempting to talk to her, all the while oblivious to Addley's presence. He pulled her and the rest of the world away from Addley. Floating in a sea of white, Addley only heard one thing. [/i][i][b]â??Please don't let the baby cry,â? [/b][/i][i]spoke the chillingly calm voice of the woman. [/i][i][b]â??If he starts crying now he'll never stop. I'm so sorry.â? [/b][/i][i]And then Addley felt two cold objects press into his temples, and the light erupted.[/i][/font][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][font="Book Antiqua"]*****[/font][/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][font="Book Antiqua"]â??[b]He's awake!â? [/b]Someone mumbled over Addley, though it sounded more like a blasting horn to him. He flinched away from the voice, but the motion caused pain to shoot throughout his body. [i]****!![/i] He howled in his head. [/font] â??[b]Are you alright, Mr. Raines?â? [/b]the voice inquired. Addley slowly opened his right eye to get a better look at the person who was currently assaulting his senses.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][font="Book Antiqua"][b]â??Oh my god,â? [/b]was all he could manage. The speaker was a beautiful, redheaded doctor. Addley looked back and forth, hoping sincerely that she was talking to him, whether he was dead or not. When she continued to stare at him quizzically, his mouth gaped open and close with unbridled excitement for a couple of seconds, which garnered a smile from her. [b]â??Something to say?â? [/b]she mused. Addley shook his head quicklyâ??[i]jesus ******* christ my face!--[/i]and focused hard on responding. [b]â??Uh, I... Its just a bit hard to speak... With all of this blood in my mouth,â? [/b]he ended absentmindedly, noticing the taste of dried blood. To be honest, the taste of blood was wonderful--it meant that, without a doubt, he was still alive. The doctor frowned and bent over to help Addley up. He expected it to hurt more, but he could feel the medicine they had pumped into him beginning to take hold. The doctor brought over a glass of water and a bowl to spit in. He obediently gargled and spit, although he winced violently at the sight of his blood saturated saliva. Addley saw the doctor start back as well at the sight. She hurriedly stuck something in his neck. [b]â??Wah?â? [/b]he moaned before he fell back into his bed, asleep. After what seemed like a second he opened his eyes again, feeling disoriented. Before he could collect himself, the doctor from earlier rushed Addley to his feet and dragged him to a nearby sink, and then demanded he rinse his mouth out. Addley obliged. [b]â??My apologies Mr. Raines--â? â??Adrey!â? [/b]Addley spat half-consciously through a mouthful of red. The doctor smiled nervously and nodded. [b]â??Uh... My apologies, Addley. I had to knock you out so that I could re-stitch your wounds. When you were brought to me a decent amount of blood had pooled in your mouth,â? [/b]she explained to Addley, who was happy to see that his spit had lightened dramatically. [b]â??We cleaned you up, but the bleeding began again after we fixed your nose. I had been checking on you every couple of minutes to ensure that you didn't drown but something strained your body and caused your wounds to open again when you regained consciousness,â? [/b]she finished apologetically. Addley splashed some water on his face and stared at the doctor in the mirror. [b]â??It's not your fault, Doctor...â? [/b]he trailed off, hoping she would correct him. [b]â??Dr. Ambrose,â? [/b]she confirmed, much to Addley's relief. He finished washing and drying his face off and then turned to face her. [b]â??If it wasn't for you, Doctor Ambrose, I could have drowned in my blood at least twice,â? [/b]he said with a chuckle, with Dr. Ambrose reciprocated.[b] â??I owe you my life. As do the others, I'm sure. How is everyone doing?â? [/b]he asked. Dr. Ambrose gave him a run down of the others' conditions. Addley sighed at the news. Despite whatever injuries they had sustained, they were all still alive. He was worried about Esfir though; even though Ri's flames had burned her, he felt partly responsible for not getting her out of danger quickly enough. If only he hadn't-- his smile wavered as the memory of his experience flooded into his mind. Dr. Ambrose placed her hand on his shoulder apprehensively. [b]â??Is everything alright, Addley?â? [/b]Addley forced a smile and shrugged. [b]â??Just worried about Esfir. Do you know where she is now?â? [/b]Addley liked this Dr. Ambrose enough, but she was still working for Geist. If he told her about his... vision or whatever it was, she would want to run tests on him. In addition, Addley needed to flee the infirmary. The person he did want to talk with the situation about, Slate, had already departed to his room. After Addley checked on Esfir, that would be his next stop. [b]â??You all are a handful,â? [/b]Dr. Ambrose interjected through Addley's thought. [b]â??As soon as you're awake you're running off somewhere else. I'm going to have my work cut out for me. Anyway, I saw her head off in the direction of the training room, as well as a couple others. Please be careful, Addley.â? [/b]Addley nodded and thanked the woman again, before leaving the infirmary. If Esfir already had company, the last thing she probably wanted was additional people asking her questions and making her uncomfortable. He would have to check on her later. Addley trekked down the corridor toward their living quarters, when he saw a very angry looking Slate stomping down the hallway. [i]Yikes, [/i]he thought. [b]â??Uh, hey Slate!â? [/b]he said tentatively with a wave of his hand. [b]â??There's a ******* super working for them!â? [/b]Slate yelled back. Addley clenched his jaw shut, half from surprise and half from fear of Slate. Why would a super work for Geist? Addley rubbed his eyes in with disbelief. [b]â??Today is just ******* full of surprises...â?[/b] he growled. Slate shot him a confused stare, deducing from Addley's tone that he was talking about their unexpected skirmish with Starlighter. [b]â??What happened to you?â? [/b]he inquired. Addley took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, silently thanking God that he hadn't simply passed through it. [b]â??Where do I start?â?[/b][/font][/font]

So would it be possible to add a section to the initial post of this thread that contains all of the player made spells? The name and a basic description would be useful, I imagine. If I'm alone, though, [i]no es una problema[/i]. Also, I added the form of my patronus under the skills section of my character sign-up, just in case at some point in the future we're attacked by Dementors. You never know.

[font="Book Antiqua"]Cid rushed down the stairs to check on Akil. They hadn't been here any longer than 10 minutes and already they had been attacked, and two of them were bleeding. He scaled the staircase, trying his hardest to ignore the devastation all around him. He had never seen Hogwarts prior to this, though he had heard tales about it from his cousins on his mother's side. They talked often of its beauty, its magnanimity, its awe-inspiring wonder. He had grown up idolizing the school as [i]una torre de la esperanza[/i], and Professor Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter as [i]salvadores[/i]. When the Aurors lost the Battle of Hogwarts, he lost faith. Seeing Hogwarts in person now, lifeless and decrepit, he could feel a sense of hopelessness returning. What hope did they stand against una fuerza de pura maldad?[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"How are you holding up, Akil?" [/b]Cid asked as soon as his leader was in sight. Despite the sinking feeling in Cid's stomach, he did not have the luxury to fall into depression. Not while there where others depending on him.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"I'm quite alright Cid. No serious damage has been done, I'm simply a little fatigued," [/b]Akil stated with a weak smile. Cid frowned and shook his head disapprovingly.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Well, given the situation, we need our fearless leader to be a little better than 'fatigued', no?" [/b]Cid said smiling. He reached into his pocket, searching for a particular set of vials, when Alexis strolled down from the staircase. Cid rolled his eyes and continued searching.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Y tu, supongo," [/b]he muttered under his breath. Alexis raised an eyebrow at the Spaniard as he passed by him.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Oui?" [/b]he said, sensing the sarcasm in Cid's voice despite not understanding the language. Cid smiled innocently and threw something at him. Cid caught Alexis eyeing the object quizzically as Cid handed another vial to Akil. [/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"A strengthening solution," [/b]Cid stated as he continued to leaf through his pocket, [b]"it should bring you back to full strength. Don't waste your new-found strength, though. No tengo mucho, and its easy to develop an addiction to the solution." [/b]Akil and Alexis downed their potions, and could immediately feel it warmly coursing through their systems, rejuvenating their spirits. Akil handed his vial back to Cid and nodded appreciatively.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Much obliged Cid," [/b]Akil stated. Alexis made a face at the taste of the solution and tossed his vial back as well. [b]"Merci," [/b]he said despite the bitter taste in his mouth. Cid bowed his head to him.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Je vous en prie," [/b]he responded, having learnt a bit of french from his mother. She taught him the basics of a few languages, and that information had always stuck with him. Alexis smiled and patted Cid on the shoulder. [/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Well?" [/b]Interrupted James' and Ewan's voices. They eyed each other warily, before Ewan continued talking.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Now that we're all in tip top condition, we need to get moving. I'm sure the commotion from the bridge has caught the attention of every creature on the grounds. If we want to avoid more pointless brawls, I suggest we get moving. Leader?" [/b]he said impatiently, turning to Akil. Akil took a deep breath, either from agitation or to regain focus, and began speaking.[/font] [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Mr. Longbottom was a member of the 'Gryffindor' house, so our objective is to search every inch of that room for clues. From there, I suggest we attempt to discover the so called 'Room of Requirement'. Unfortunately, if there are traps waiting for us here, they are most likely to be in these two places. Be on your guard. So, if you wouldn't mind Mr. Finlay, lead the way," [/b]he stated authoritatively. Ewan simply spun on his heel and began walking in the direction of the Gryffindor common rooms. Akil and the others followed suit, with Cid bringing up the rear.[/font]

[font="'Book Antiqua"][size="2"]Cid slouched back in his seat, with mingled emotions. Percy's statement had affected Cid negatively as well, although he felt more guilt than anything else. He had blazed a path of vengeance across Europe, slinging Unforgivable Curses at every Death Eater who stood between him and his father. Although he had left those curses behind with his father, he couldn't help but feel that Percy had directed the demand at him moreso than the others. It made Cid so upset he had accidentally spoke Spanish to the angry Heartwell, despite knowing that the others weren't fluent in Spanish. Although the Harry Potter comment had perked up his spirits a little, his guilt was still lingering in the back of his mind. At least no one had commented on-- [b]"Anselmo Lucientes. Any relation to the Death Eater Ignacio Lucientes?" [/b][i]Damn[/i]. Cid's lips tensed as he locked eyes with the speaker, Finlay, the animagus. Cid had hoped that the conversation might keep away from the issue of his lineage, but his teammates, even if they didn't already know of is past, would find out sooner or later. [b]"Yes, actually. He was my father," [/b]he responded as casually as he could manage. The french Auror, LeCrosse, responded next. [b]"Family reunions must be awkward for you, ey?" [/b]He said with a laugh. Cid grinned in response, easing up a little. [b]"More awkward than you know. All of my living relatives are Death Eaters and they worshiped my father as a god. I imagine they took it rough when I killed him," [/b]he stated with a dark grin. Bakr's eyebrows raised slightly as the comment, and he leaned forward to address Cid. [b]"You murdered your father? No small feat, I imagine," [/b]his mused with his melodic voice. The similarity between Bakr's exclamation and one of the last lines Ignacio said to Cid caused Cid's skin to crawl for a second. He clutched the arms of his chair and took a deep breath. The seer, Ms. Lee, looked at him nervously. [b]"You're not going to flip a chair too, are you Mr. Lucientes?" [/b]She asked apprehensively. Cid laughed despite himself and relaxed his grip. Across the room, LeCrosse shook his head and stroked his chin. [b]"Who would have guessed that the best Aurors every country had to offer were also the most unstable?" [/b]He said with a shrug. Cid ran his hands through his hair and chuckled. [b]"Yes, well, perhaps the sane Aurors could not be convinced to embark on what is most likely a suicide mission," [/b]he said with a smile. LeCrosse tilted his head in agreement. Finlay stood up and turned to exit the room. [b]"Just don't get in the way of the mission," [/b]he growled coldly, cutting through the humorous air in the room. [b]"And if I discover that you're really a Death Eater..." [/b]He paused at the doorway, and Cid could hear his knuckles crack even at that distance. Finlay then left without another word. Cid frowned and shuddered slightly. [i]Cínicos y los locos... [/i]he thought humorously. The others in the room were equally silent, although Bakr quickly acted as leader again and spoke. [b]"Perhaps we should follow Mr. Finlay and Mr. Heartwell's example and return to our quarters as well. We have an unquestionably dangerous mission ahead of us, and the better rested we are, the more likely we are to get along and formulate a plan that will allow us to survive," [/b]he quipped. The other Aurors voiced their agreements and began filing out of the room, Bakr first, who held the door open for the others. LeCrosse stood up next and bowed his head to Cid and Mai before leaving. Cid rose up from his chair and made a sweeping motion, offering for Mai to go first. She smiled and trotted off, her kneazle following behind. When Cid exited, Bakr placed his hand on Cid's shoulder to get his attention. [b]"Don't worry over the opinions of the others. If you weren't a reliable figure, the IMU wouldn't have chosen you for this mission. I know we can trust you, and I have no doubt that your skill with potions and your knowledge of the Death Eaters will prove invaluable," [/b]he said reassuringly. Cid smiled and clasped Bakr's hand. [b]"Thank you, Mr. Bakr. But I understand the other apprehension and agitation of our teammates. This journey will change everything. Either we return with hope or we are resigned to our fates," [/b]he replied. The smile on Bakr's face widened. [b]"There is no better pursuit than the pursuit of hope, Mr. Lucientes. Don't worry--all will be well. And please, call me Akil" [/b]he said amiably. Cid smiled again and nodded at his leader, before departing for his room.[/size][/font] [font="'Times New Roman"][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2][b]OOC[/b]: I hope this is fine for everyone, and that I portrayed your characters adequately. I thought it would make more sense for the characters to all go rest since Heartwell departed, and the whole team should presumably be present when a game plan is constructed.[/size][/font][/font]

[font="Garamond"][size="3"][b]"Ready team?" [/b]Addley muttered with a grin, extending his right hand to 'Critter', 'Night Terror' and 'Martian'. The three tentatively nodded and grabbed his hand. Addley took a deep breath and shook his limbs in an attempt to loosen up. Night Terror frowned and looked nervously at his teammates. [b]"That's not very encouraging..." [/b]He mused, although his own nervousness subtly crept into his voice. Addley shot him a dirty look in response. [b]"I'm just not used to transporting other people, let alone three people," [/b]he replied, cracking his neck and bouncing up and down. [b]"So I apologize in advance if any of you are missing limbs when we get down to the vault," [/b]he added with a light chuckle, though no one seemed too amused by his joke. Addley coughed and straightened himself out. [b]"Uh, right then. Brace yourselves." [/b]Addley closed his eyes and concentrated, and suddenly the world around them lurched and spun and swirled in on itself abruptly, though only for a second. As soon as they reformed Addley opened his eyes, silently praying that he hadn't actually maimed his teammates. Luckily they had reformed in one piece. Unluckily, the trip had been a bit more than they had expected. Martian teetered back in forth, attempting to regain her balance, while Critter crouched down low and held his head. Night Terror exhaled sharply. [b]"Well that was novel," [/b]he said as he stumbled back into a wall. Addley grinned and, satisfied with his work, took a look at their surroundings. Prior to leaving for the mission they had been given the blueprints of the bank, which Addley and his team had reviewed thoroughly. Addley had transported them directly into the vault hoping that the robbers hadn't gotten through the bank door prior to their arrival. His hunch had been correct, though he could hear the sound of the drill tunneling through the other side of the door. He took a second to overview the layout in his head. There was a back room to the right and a hallway in front of the vault that's other wall had bars lining the top half of it. This hallway connected to a hallway on the other side of it through a single doorway. This hallway led to an electric door that needed bank clearance to access, and behind that was the stairway to the first floor of the bank. Addley inhaled again and then turned to his team to discuss the situation. [b]"Alright team, this is the run down. We know there are three Blanks on this floor, but an unknown amount of hostages. We have to assume there's at least one or two though, acting as leverage for the Blanks should the police manage to make their way down here. There is only one entrance to this floor, a stairwell at three o'clock from the vault entrance. Now this works to our advantage; at least one Blank is tending to the vault, another to the hostages, and the final one is most likely watching the stairs. They'll all be focused in one area," [/b]he said confidently. Martian smiled. [b]"So we'll be able to surprise them from behind!" [/b]Critter, Night Terror and Addley all stifled a laugh despite the seriousness of the situation and the innocence in Martian's voice. She caught on a second later and blushed brightly. Addley extended his hand again, and she sheepishly took it, followed by Critter and Night Terror. They teleported again, this time into the back room of the same floor. From here, they could walk out into the hallway where the vault was roughly 25 feet to the left. Addley turned to his team again--who subsequently were fairing much better than they had on their first warp-- and gave them their instructions. [b]"Night Terror, use your abilities to cover you and Martian. Martian, you and Night Terror travel along the ceiling of the hallway so you can gather info on the Blanks that we can relay to the others. If you think they're catching on to your presence, create an illusion to lead them to Critter and I. They'll probably only send one, and I think Critter and I can handle that. Go, and be careful." [/b]Night Terror nodded and grabbed a hold of Martian, and they both stepped into the corner of the room and became a massive shadow. Critter laughed. [b]"Not exactly inconspicuous," [/b]he stated. The shadow transformed into a giant hand with it's middle finger up before shifting back to normal. It then rose up to the ceiling and slithered its way across. Addley smiled slightly. So long as they didn't cover any lights or breath to heavily, there was a good chance the two wouldn't be discovered. Critter turned to Addley quizzically. [b]"So what do we do now, Warp? Just wait?" [/b]He stated, obviously anxious. Addley grinned nervously again and shrugged. [b]"We wait till they get back... Then we improv."[/b][/size][/font]