Peaceful Days, Nights of Blood 3 (Hibernating for now!)

[Ty Gwynnia]

"By horse, if not by flight," Elistral replied and stepped out. "I prefer horse though, even if it's slower, so I'll be going to the stables." That said, she moved on without the two, unsure if they would follow but eager to leave already.

Verin grumbled, and to his surprise he resheathed his blade. However his hand grabbed the small crossbow on his hip and held it tightly, loading a small bolt into it. It was probably useless but like his sword, he felt better having it out. "You look old." He mumbled towards Strider.

"As always." Fenrir shrugged and winked with one yellow eye. "I've got to get back to work. Have fun, my friend." With that, he tipped his hat to the only lady there, Raven, and disappeared.

"Dead?" Eon chuckled deep in his throat. He wasn't surprised when Azeois appeared out of nowhere, and when the animal did the same though reversed, the dragon felt a strange sense of relief in his bones. His tail twitched anxiously again and the earth was as soft as sand as his claws dug deep into the soil, churning it up into small piles. He was beginning to get restless, and not just because of the former god's appearance before him. "That, and slumber have 'been good to me'. You seem eager to battle this early into the game, Azeois."  

[Strider Wolfheart]

"Battle?" Strider laughed. "You wound me. I thought you had wanted to fight, coming down past the detection zone. If you just wish to talk then I have no problem talking. Just as long as you allow my friend and his companions to pass unharmed." Strider looked the dragon in the eye. "And perhaps talk alone before the rest of my companions come. It has been a long time since we've had a chance to have a friendly talk."

Sardain was still riding when he noticed something behind them. "Hey, we're being followed." Sure enough when Sardain looked back there was a small group of riders chasing them. "Friends of yours girl?"

Aleck looked back. "They sure seem like they know they're discovered. They don't look too happy either."  

[transformersgirl13]

Raven and Maxx didn't really know what to do, so they just stood there, but Maxx did flinch at the word 'Dead'.

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Sasha looked back, and shook her head. "I've never seen them before." Great, just what she needed, she had finally relaxed, now THIS.. "Ugh, sometimes i hate people..." she said softly to her self. She looked back again, trying to see if she did know any of them, but she knew she didn't.  

[Strifer Garuwashi]

The girl's laughter interrupted Azoth's thoughts on the sky, which seemed to bring a slight and sudden disdain for having brought the girl along. She was only going to get in the way, especially as the new problem arose. They had indeed been followed, as one of the humans had noticed. "Bah. Common thugs. Barely worth slowing down." Azoth had made his judgement of the group with a quick glance. They weren't going to pose any trouble. At least not to him and the man with bloodlust. The other one may have difficulty protecting the girl. Then a devilish thought occurred to him, which produced a smile. "We should slow and meet with them." Azoth's grin showed his true colors as chaos began to form in his thoughts.  

[transformersgirl13]

Sasha frowned at Azoth's idea of slowing down and meeting with the group, in a way, she almost wanted them to, so she could prove her worth, she didn't want to feel like a major burden, but she knew at least two of the three thought of her as that. She could fight, she just preferred not to, but if they slowed down and fight, she wasn't just going to sit there and cower so she had to be protected. She was going to prove to them she didn't need 100% protection.  

[Ty Gwynnia]

"You know all too well the reason I came down from the sky," Eon rumbled. The prospect of having a chat, after so long, changed his thoughts somewhat from the tensing in his muscles. Though he preferred to get moving immediately, the thought kept his wings still. "I needed to confirm that a second threat would be so easily removed as the one that I returning from has. The elves will no longer be bothering me...save yours." A pleased chortle punctuated the end of his sentence.

The hairs on the back of Verin's arms and neck rose uneasily as Strider, who did look much older than he remembered him to be, talked lightly with the dragon. His fingers absently fidgeted with the release of his crossbow. Then they slipped and the trigger let the bolt loose. "S**t."

A tiny sensation on one of his claws, like a dull pinprick, interrupted his prideful thoughts and Eon lowered his head a little to inspect it. The cause was equally small and he noted that something the size of a fly rebounded off the hard surface and flew up. It shouldn't have mattered to him, and it didn't, but when the same feeling, coming with a small 'tink!' sound, hit his right horn his entire demeanor change. As a wave of sorrow washed over him, Eon threw his head up into the air and began to sway with closed eyes, a high-pitched keening giving voice to some loss that burned in his breast. Just as easily as it had come it was gone, replaced with an overwhelming rage that kindled the fire in all dragons. He opened his maw, looked directly at the group below him, and let loose a stream of fire.  

[Strider Wolfheart]

Strider's eyes widened as Eon's hed came back down. He brought up his hands just in time to put up a barrier around the small group of people. "Jake!" Eon's fire wasn't normal fire, it was inbued with magic and was capable of eating way at magical barriers. Strider could only hold such a large barrier for so long.

Jake jumpped up and teleported close enough to not be hit by the fire but able to help. "Hey ya big lizard!" Jake waved his hands and a huge amount of water splashed all over Eon, steaming as it hit. "Calm down!"

"I'll fly there ahead and see you two there okay?" Demios walked out and extended his wings, flying up. High aboe the city he could see some smoke whisping up beyond the cliffs. "May wanna hurry! I see smoke over there!" Demios yelled down to Elistral and Sylvia, who was chasing after Elistral.

((I'll post for Sardain and Aleck later))  

[transformersgirl13]

Maxx reacted the second the Dragon's head went back, he picked up Raven and ran, he had to keep her safe. He had to keep both of her Roses safe, his real rose, and Raven. He had a feeling the others could help them selves safe, but he had to keep Raven safe. She wouldn't get hurt on his watch.  

[Ty Gwynnia]

"Holy hell, you really do have problems, and not just family ones!" Verin's mount went into a full panic then as he screamed at Strider. As much as he pulled on the reins and kicked it, the result still made it turn in jerky circles. It took him a few seconds to realize that the boy and girl had bolted, and were not in the safety of the barrier that actually protected them from the fire being blast. "You f***ing moron!" Verin yelled at the boy's running back. He spurred his horse and burst out of the barrier, much to the frightened animal's relief, and caught up quickly, holding his arm out to both of them. The wristwatch he wore glowed and a similar, if weaker, barrier enveloped them to fight off the flames that had caught onto the plains' grass. "You're gonna get both of yourselves killed by leaving that way! Get on if you want to stay alive."

Eon ignored the cold water so that his fire would continue to flow uninterrupted. He played out his anger for a bit longer before sweeping to face the one responsible for the liquid, keeping his jaws opened rather than bite off the attack. As his body moved, his tail smacked the ground close to Azeois and his wings unfurled to cast twin shadows.

Elistral heard Demios but didn't respond; she didn't need to just to understand the urgency and voice her fears. Two fingers came up to her lips as she ran and she whistled loudly. The guard on post by the north gate jumped back in surprise as Elistral's horse, a golden palomino, came to his master's call. No time was wasted as the elf leaped nimbly from the cobblestones to the horse's back, and she glanced back at Sylvia to see if she'd be coming on for the hard ride.  

[transformersgirl13]

Maxx tossed Raven up to him, as long as she was safe, he didn't care. once he was for sure Raven has safe, then, and only then, would he get on. He felt the Earth move under him, ready to protect them if they needed it.  

[Ty Gwynnia]

Verin slipped his wrist through the leather strap at the end of his hand-crossbow so that his hands could be empty to catch the girl. He did, easily, and shifted while she made herself comfortable in the saddle. "Your boyfriend's crazy." He muttered, not expecting to be heard iof at all. Again his arm stretched outward, and he felt a pang of guilt for the poor horse he was going to burden very soon. He wondered if his legs would be up to the task of trying to match the horse's speed once he let go of the reins. He was confident he could. "You won't have to carry me for much longer." Came his mumbled promise.  

[Strider Wolfheart]

Jake put up a barrier of his own, readying a second with his other hand when the first came down. At least Verin and those other three were safe. "Strider! What do we do?"

Strider rolled out of the way from Eon's tail. He didn't know what to do. Entire droves of elven warriors had fought Eon to no avail. And Strider wasn't a god anymore, he was mostly elf now. "Hang in there! I have a plan!" Strider summoned his staff and as it transformed he pulled an item from a pouch on his belt. It looked like some sort of spear tip. "Eon! Remember this!?" Strider placed the tip of the spear on the spear shaft his staff had turned into. It was the exact match to the spear that ended Eon's life. Strider had so aptly named it Eon's Bane. He spun the spear in his hands and readying a barrier, knowing Eon wouldn't be pleased with the arrival of the one weapon able to pierce his flesh.

Sylvia hopped on behind Elistral, bumping her head with hers. "Go, sorry about your head."

Demios flew as hard as he could, even changing his back to allow his wings to grow larger. He had already passed Elistral and Sylvia on their horse. He could still see more smoke coming as a fire seemed to spread. And lights seemed to spark up over the hills. Magic from Strider and Jake no doubt. He would be there soon. "Hang in there guys." He mumbled half to himself.

Sardain smiled. "Yes, lets meet them. My weapons are thirsty." Sardain begun to slow down, coming next to Aleck and Sasha.

"Well it'll be nice to have a chat any way. Maybe they'll leave when they realise who we are?" Aleck wasn't reassured by his own voice, knowing Sardain already planned on killing them. All Aleck could do was slow down and allow the thugs to catch up.

"Stopping are you? How brave."The leader of the group seemed to be greeting them as they all slowed down. "You all look well armed. Obviously you are very important people. Oh, and what a pretty girl you have there. New slave to have your way with? You noble scum are all the same. So hows about you hand over the girl, all your money, and possessions and we let you all leave. Or would you like us to put some hurtin' on ya?"

Sardain trotted his horse near to the leader, close enough for his scythe then stopped. His unsettling smile easily visible to the group.

"Hey, Smiles, get back or i'll cut you to bits." The leader didn't like the smile on Sardain's face or the look in his eye. It was almost like he wasn't even looking at you. "Go on!" He swung his sword tauntingly, knicking Sardain in the face, drawing a droplet of blood.

"Uh oh. Azoth, we may wanna get back." Aleck backed his horse up a little bit as Sardain's entire demeanor shifted from nuetral into something very dark. "May want to avert your eyes, Miss. This won't be very pretty."

Sardain had shifted his head to avoid being cut worse and as the thug leader put his weapon down again Sardain dabbed his finger onto the wound on his face, getting blood on his glove. When he brought the glove to his face he licked up the blood, his face changing to an even bigger and more wicked smile. Sardain then began to cackle to himself quietly at first. He dismounted his horse, landing on the ground with a thud, still not looking at the thugs who by now had started to back up. Then Sardain suddenly shifted his gaze towards them, drawing his scythes and going to town, his cackle turning into a diranged and insane laugh of pleasure. The true Sardain had emerged. An insane monster with no soul, no mercy, and no hope.

Aleck had to look away. The sight of horse and rider being cut to shreds just too much.  

[transformersgirl13]

Maxx just smiled, winked and dissolved into the rose in his pocket as he tossed it to Raven, whom caught it and put it in her hair, the rose was in full bloom.

"Yeah, but that's why i loves him." She said smiling. gently touching the rose to make sure it was okay.

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"Slave?!?!" Sasha growled angrily, she wanted to punch his in the face. "I'm no slave, but you deserve to be." she muttered softly as Sardain went to meet them, gasped when he got cut, blinked when he tasted his blood, and watched as he got off of his horse. She watched for a minute as Sardain started killing, then turned away burring her face in Aleck chest so she wouldn't see what Sardain was doing. In the back of her mind she knew they deserved it, because she knew what they would have done to her. She felt nothing for the men Sardain was killing.  

[Strider Wolfheart]

Aleck held Sasha's head out of reflex. Not wanting her to see the horror that was Sardain. Aleck however watched in horror as Sardain cut off the men's limbs and appendiges to shreds.

Sardain had cut each member down until there was one left, missing a hand, was crawling away as Sardain turned his gaze to him. Sardain walked slowly, both of his weapons up.

"Stay away from me you monster!" The man crawled even faster, holding his stubbed hand.

Sardain now stood over the man and brought up his scythe, a great grin on his face. He then brought his scythe down into the man's back, bringing it back up and down several times until he was dead, even a bit after. After he was satisfied he sat down near the epicenter of the massacre, his knees to his face, cackling, and rocking back and forth.

Aleck sighed. He had seen it so many times before. Sardain shuts down when he is injured, just like that night so long ago. "Everything is okay now." Aleck patted Sasha's head and dismounted. He then took out his kanteen, unstoppering it and pouring the water over Sardain, washing the blood from him, not seeming to snap him out of his trance."When Sardain gets like this he is reliving a memory from a long time ago. When he killed everything inside of his home. Every man, woman, and child. The servants and the animals. With a scythe. He was discovered three days later after there was no word. The first thing the guard who found him said to him was, 'By the Gods, what kind of devil did this?'"

Suddenly Sardain looked up. As if enlightned. "Oh, Aleck. Those bandits are taken care of I take it?"

"Yeah, they're all gone. Come on then." Aleck lifted Sardain up. "We better get going." Aleck walked over to his horse and remounted.

Sardain nodded and remounted, starting off again as if nothing had happened.  

[Strifer Garuwashi]

Azoth smiled as the second human agreed to his statement of slowing down. When the bandits caught yup, for that was what they could be and nothing else, the human exchanged a few words. Before Azoth could have even enacted his plan, the bandit had spelled his own doom, taunting the man who had been clearly not the one to mess with. The girl had scoffed something at the bandit moments before everything began, but it fell on deaf ears. It was a shame really, Azoth had hoped to dabble in witty conversation with the leader, but alas there was not much eh could do. It was out of his control.

The other human, Aleck covered the girl's eyes from the massacre, but Azoth had done and seen much worse. There was one thing that Azoth took acute measure to notice. Sardain was not himself, but a man lost in memory of bloodlust. A simple kill was not enough, he had to mutilate. When The man was done, the was little else save limbs and blood splatter, the final kill being to a man who was attempting to crawl away. This forced Azoth's eyes to sparkle. Something to exploit. Something to force a challenge of life and death. From a mortal no less. He stored his thoughts away for future reference.

"That was a shame. You didn't even let me bargain with them. It's much more enjoyable to give them hope of a trade before leaving a pool of blood on the ground." He said this after Aleck had stepped down to clean off his partner, who then seemed to regain conscious thought. Azoth had not dismounted, and when the other had begun to ride off, Azoth started after him, keeping the same amount of distance he had before, taking little head of the man's apparent psychopathy.