21:23	Kazakiri	Assassin nods and pulls out the black key from the stone floor effortlessly.
21:23		*** PrincessKrei joined #faterebuild
21:23	Kazakiri	<Assassin> "Why are we doing this madame? The opportunity to parlay was ignored after all."
21:24	Kazakiri	He tosses the small sword away and strokes his beard.
21:24	Kazakiri	<Assassin> "Do not fear, I defer to you, Madame."
21:25		*** hguderian joined #faterebuild
21:37	GloriousRule	Vladislava nods her head with a sheepish smile, as if in some reluctant sign of approval or gratitude.  Edging carefully towards the unconscious girl, she procures her notebook and thumbs to a new page, scribbling something hastily down on it before kneeling in front of the girl's crippled figure.
21:39	GloriousRule	Timidly, she reaches out and taps the girl lightly on the shoulder, nudging her in a soft, but urgent attempt to rouse her from her daze.
21:39	Kazakiri	Katja stirs and opens her eyes a bit.
21:40	Kazakiri	She sees Valdis and tries to sit up but falls back down.
21:40	Kazakiri	A bit of blood trickling from her nose.
21:40	Kazakiri	She weakly raises a hand to wipe it off, smearing the blood against her cheek.
21:41	Kazakiri	<Katja> "vlat fui ah you?"
21:48	GloriousRule	Vladislava jumps with a slight start as she sees the girl awaken, moderately surprised but at the same time relieved that she was able to revive her.
21:51	GloriousRule	however, she manages to settle herself quickly and quickly turn her notebook around to show the page she'd just written into to the girl.  It reads, [I'm sorry for waking you up so suddenly, but it's not safe here.  Are you okay?]
21:53	Kazakiri	Katja manages to sit up this time. She rubs the back of her head and replies with a bleary voice.
21:53	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I. . . no. . . I feel sick."
21:54	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Am I dead? Are you an angel?"
22:00	GloriousRule	Vladislava blinks in confusion at the question, going very slightly red in the cheeks and shaking her head vigorously, making waving motions in front of her with her hands.
22:06	GloriousRule	Hastily, she turns the notebook back to face her and scribbles down another few lines.  [No, you're not dead!  A sharp-eyed lady came through here and set you down.  I don't know what this place is, but if you think you can handle it, you should get to a safe place.  I think there's a fight going on nearby and it could come this way at any second!]
22:24	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Damn. I thought I could finally take a break."
22:24	Kazakiri	She looks around and sighs.
22:26	Kazakiri	<Katja> "This place is called the Gloom or the Twilight. Like a place removed from our world but slightly not. I forget."
22:26	Kazakiri	She tries to stand up, her knees wobbling.
22:27	Kazakiri	<Katja> "A fight huh. Looks like my servant ran into something. Again."
22:28	Kazakiri	Her legs give out beneath her and she falls on her back again. Despite her strong words, it's clear she is still too weak and injured.
22:39	GloriousRule	"A, ah...?" Vladislava flinches as the girl falls back over, clearly not in any condition to be moving around.  Biting her lip, she ponders for a moment, before coming to a conclusion, scrawling hastily in her notebook once more, before turning it back over so the girl can read.
22:41	GloriousRule	[If you're too hurt to walk, please don't push yourself!  I can help move you away from danger, but only if you think you can trust me.  I just want to get out of here, but I don't want to just leave an injured person in harm's way.  Are you okay with that?]
22:42	GloriousRule	As she gives the girl time to read, she looks up over her sholder meaningfully at Assassin, nodding slightly, as if to ask his assent to help out.
22:43	Kazakiri	Assassin doesn't wait for Katja to respond. He scoops her up in his arms and carries her like a princess.
22:43	Kazakiri	<Assassin> "To where, Madame?"
22:47	GloriousRule	Vladislava startles slightly as Assassin gets right down to things without permission - but as much as she'd like to, now is hardly the time to complain about manners, and she gets the feeling she'd probably be told she was acting unreasonable anyways.
22:48	GloriousRule	So, for the moment, at least, this would have to do.  Closing her notebook, she takes a few steps back in the direction that they had just traveled from before coming to this point - back away from the echoing noises of battle and danger, nodding Assassin to follow her.
22:57	Kazakiri	--------------
23:03		--- PrincessKrei is away (Auto away)
23:13	Hiikarin	 Aya draws several hilts between the fingers of one hand, resembling flexed claws between her knuckles. The tri-pronged formation is held over her face like a mask.
23:13		--- PrincessKrei is back
23:18	Hiikarin	"Archer, let's flank it from different sides. I'll take the left."
23:23	Hiikarin	She moves to her intended point in a short dash, coiling her hand around her before rapidly hurling the three drawn blades towards the beast in a single swipe.
23:29	Hiikarin	An action that, just a mere fraction of a second before its execution, was disrupted by a sudden chill that had surged throughout her body.  The unexpected bite of cold delays the release of her attack and clumsily chips her own hand. "Kh..!"
23:32		*** YumeDayDreamer joined #faterebuild
23:33	Hiikarin	Realizing the bad position she had put herself in, she barks a command. "Archer! Keep shooting. If it changes course, divert its attention!"
23:35	Hiikarin	She shivers, the recently nicked hand now trying in vain to cover up the strange invasive coldness. "What... is this?"
23:35	Kazakiri	<Archer> "Got ya!"
23:36	Kazakiri	She nocks another magic arrow against her bowstring and shoots.
23:37	Kazakiri	The pink-purple bolt of energy strikes the monster lightly on the shoulder and skips off.
23:39	Kazakiri	Saber slashes his sword against the monster's tough skin, causing the monster to roar soundlessly in pain.
23:47		--- hguderian is away (Auto away)
23:47	Kazakiri	The monster tries to swipe at Saber with its claw.
23:47	Kazakiri	By some twist of fate, it over reaches and loses its balance.
23:48	Kazakiri	Capitalizing on the opportunity, Saber draws one of his pistols and tries to shoot the monster.
23:48	Kazakiri	However, the fates are fickle and feed on the tears of mortals.
23:49	Kazakiri	A stray stone, kicked up by the monsters fall, strikes Saber's pistol. Disrupting his aim and sending the bullet right at Aya.
23:49	Kazakiri	Surprised by the direction of the recoil, Saber loses his balance as well.
23:57	Hiikarin	Aya draws another set of Keys and prepares for another attempt, stopped short as the swordsman confronting the monster misses his mark by a wide margin. The rounds shatter the guards holding the blades to their hilts, the sudden impact knocking her down.
00:00	Hiikarin	She gets to her knees and pushes herself back to a stand, biting her lip at this mortifying display of incompetence on her behalf.
00:05	Hiikarin	"Mr. Swordsman." She calls, removing her cracked glasses from her face before shanking it into a front pocket. "I'd label you a clumsy shot based on that flunked performance of yours, but that goes against your image of an Epic, Heroic figure now, wouldn't it?"
00:06	Hiikarin	"No. You are so skilled and cunning that you intended to take down all potential threats at once."
00:07	Hiikarin	"Archer, shoot indiscriminately. Kill them both if it's what it takes."
00:10	Kazakiri	<Archer> "I'm pretty sure he totally missed, boss"
00:10	Kazakiri	She shoots another arrow at the monster, this time the arrow finds purchase and strikes the monster right in its side.
00:11	Kazakiri	Saber rolls away and jumps back to his feet, joining Archer where she was shooting from.
00:11	Kazakiri	<Saber> "I MISSED! HEROIC SPIRITS WERE HUMAN TOO!"
00:12	Kazakiri	<Saber> "Your master insults me, Archer!"
00:12	Kazakiri	<Archer> "It's part of her charm."
00:13	Kazakiri	The monster gets up. For the first time, the party could see that it was only leaving foot prints and disturbing the ground half the time.
00:13	Kazakiri	Along with the utter silence coming from it despite roaring and attacking, it painted a very curious picture.
00:23	Hiikarin	"Keep it busy."
00:25	Hiikarin	"How you do that is up to you, but try to buy as much time as you can. It doesn't seem fast, this should be easy for you. Go."
00:26	Kazakiri	<Archer> "Right!"
00:26	Kazakiri	The female samurai charges right at the monster, unsheeting her sword and stowing away her bow as she does so.
00:27	Kazakiri	She leaps and dodges the monsters attacks, spinning in the air and delivering several light slashes which seem to irritate the monster rather than hurt it.
00:28	Kazakiri	Landing on her feet behind it, she quickly sheates her sword and brings out her bow. Ready to fire.
00:28	Kazakiri	The monster abandons Saber and Aya and focuses its attention on Archer. Turning around and trudging towards her.
00:30	Kazakiri	Saber shoots at the monster again, striking it right in the middle of its back.
00:54	Hiikarin	Aya takes this window of opportunity opened by Archer, discarding the confiscated gun and drawing a Key in each hand before hurling them in that same instant.
00:56	Hiikarin	One finds its mark between the demi-giant's feet, another meets its end as it bounces off a nearby rock, cracking its edge beyond further use.
01:00	Hiikarin	The bright crimson glow of her eyes dissipate into thin air as the effect of her short term enchantment expires. "Now, Archer. Aim to finish."
01:01	Kazakiri	Archer aims another arrow of light at the monster, this time aiming for its head
01:02	Kazakiri	She lets the arrow fly. It sliced through the air straight and true. Striking the monster right in the head.
01:04	Kazakiri	However, the arrow didn't strike anything, going straight through as if the creature was never there.
01:16		--- PrincessKrei is away (Auto away)
01:28	Kazakiri	---------------
01:30	GloriousRule	It takes some time, but after a bit of backtracking, Vladislava finally takes another look around and decides that it should be far enough away to take a little breather, the clashes of battle having faded from her ears.
01:32	GloriousRule	Slowing to a stop, she leans against the wall and nods appreciatively at Assassin, silently motioning for him to let the injured girl back down from his considerate hold.
01:35	GloriousRule	Still, even in the quiet, the serenitty of this place hangs with an unnerving sense of unknown danger, and it's as she peers apprehensively back and forth down either end of the hallway, she fidgets uncomfortably, and it's with a silent request communicated directly to Assassin via her connection to him as a master that she asks him...
01:36	GloriousRule	...to once again take up watch in the area around her, to look for signs of trouble or potential threats.  In the meantime, she thumbs her notebook open to a new page once more, and begins writing.
01:38	GloriousRule	[My apologies for carrying you all this way, but I wanted to make sure we were out of harm's way before talking to you some more.]
01:38	GloriousRule	[My name is Vladislava Ivanova.  May I ask yours?]
01:39	Kazakiri	Assassin puts down Katja and helps her sit against a wall.
01:40	Kazakiri	With a bow to his master, turns and takes watch, fading from view as he does so.
01:41	Kazakiri	Katja rubs the back of her head where she was struck and looks at Vladis quizzically.
01:41	Kazakiri	<Katja> "You're not exactly talking."
01:42	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I don't know why you haven't killed me yet but if you're planning to take me hostage or use me as leverage I can tell you you're out of luck."
01:42	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I have nothing. So if you're going to kill me, be quick about it."
01:44	GloriousRule	The alarm on Vladislava's face is clearly evident as her greeting is met with such rigid skepticism.  Quickly, she begins writing again, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding.
01:46	GloriousRule	[Please don't misunderstand, I just wanted to try and help you since it looked like you were in a bad spot!  I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't know anything about hostages or leverage.]
01:48	GloriousRule	The bespectacled girl looks somewhat stressed as she finishes the fresh scrawl on the page, adding another [I just want to help!] at the end for good measure, before flipping it over for her new acquaintance to see again.
01:49	Kazakiri	<Katja> "This is new. Then why are you fighting to gain the grail? Did someone force you into it?"
01:49	Kazakiri	Katja frowns for a while, concentrating.
01:50	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Looks like they have their hands full outside. I can't believe this. A moment ago I was being beaten to an inch of my life. And now my servant is fighting alongside those who did that."
01:50	Kazakiri	<Katja> "God truly does have a sense of humor. A pretty bad one it seems."
01:55	GloriousRule	Vladislava frowns slightly, lowering her head just perceptibly as the girl brings up the subject of the Grail - a subject she's none-too keen on talking much about.
01:58	GloriousRule	It's with slow, but somewhat heavier writing that she does her best to explain herself a bit.  [I didn't want to be part of any of this.  Before I knew what was happening, everything had already started.]
01:59	GloriousRule	As she finishes writing, she doesn't so much hand the notebook back to the girl as simply lets it fall from her hands, leaning back against the wall with an airy, dejected sigh.
01:59	Kazakiri	<Katja> "You and me both."
01:59	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I didn't think there would be more like me."
02:00	Kazakiri	She leans back and sighs as well.
02:01	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Katja Donnikova. That's my name."
02:01	Kazakiri	<Katja> "And we are in the second level of the Gloom. I like to call it scary town."
02:03	GloriousRule	Blinking, a little bit of Vladislava's energy seems to return upon hearing Katja finally open up a bit and introduce herself by name.
02:05	GloriousRule	Picking up her notebook - and flipping to a new page so she can start fresh, she quickly jots something down and presents it to Katja with a glad, energetic smile.
02:07	GloriousRule	[It's a pleasure to meet you, mrs. Donnikova!  Thank you for trusting me enough to talk a bit about yourself.]
02:08	GloriousRule	 -- And, in a somewhat smaller, but no less energetic font, [P.S: I'm sorry I can't use words to talk to you.  Please don't pay it much mind; communicating like this is just much easier for me.]
02:09	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Well, since we're probably going to die here, I thought I might as well."
02:11	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I don't think I can fight well enough right now. At least those two outside haven't decided to take out my servant yet."
02:12	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Also, it's Miss Donikova. Do I look married to you? I'm only seventeen."
02:15	GloriousRule	Looking flustered, Vladislava quickly corrects herself on the paper, erasing the 'Mrs.' and replacing it as suggested, her cheeks going slightly red in embarrassment.
02:17	GloriousRule	Then, on the line below, she continues, [Die here?  Isn't there something we can do to get out?  If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know!  I can't do much either, but maybe if we work together, we can find a way?]
02:17	Kazakiri	<Katja> "The whole point of dragging that other girl all the way down here was so she would get herself killed after she finished me off."
02:18	Kazakiri	<Katja> "It was a last ditch, desperate action. I didn't actually plan up to this point."
02:19	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Falling down the levels is easy. Climbing back up is not. And right now I can't climb."
02:19	Kazakiri	<Katja> " . . . I suppose I could teach you how."
02:22	GloriousRule	To this, Vladislava nods enthusiastically, which has the somewhat unfortunate side-effect of ruffling up her already unruly hair.  [Yes, please teach me!  I'll do everything I can to get the both of us out safely.  Just tell me what to do!]
02:30	Kazakiri	Katja instructs Vladis on how to let herself fall into the deeper levels of the Gloom and how to drag others down with her.
02:31	Kazakiri	She also tells her about the barriers that bar a person's entry into the deeper levels depending on how many masters they have defeated.
02:32	Kazakiri	<Katja> "The passing of a servant somehow allows the master who defeated it and her servant to ignore the barriers. Like now, my gamble was to trap that other girl here in case she could not pass through the second level barrier."
02:33	Kazakiri	<Katja> "Now for the hard part. Climbing up."
02:34	Kazakiri	Katja demonstrates how to lift her own shadow although she couldn't do it all the way. She teaches Vladis about the mindset necessary and how each climb from one level requires a certain expenditure of power.
02:34	Kazakiri	<Katja> "It's easy to get stuck here. And if you do there's a million things that want to do horrible things to you. Moreso the deeper you go."
02:35	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I've never seen anything below the second level. I only managed to read about it."
02:35	Kazakiri	<Katja> "This is the part where you leave me to rot, yes?"
02:40	GloriousRule	Vladislava shakes her head furiously, having finished writing down thoroughly-detailed instructions in her notebook, recording every word of instruction that Katja has given her.  Turning to a new page so as not to mess up her notes, she writes quickly.
02:42	GloriousRule	[Please don't say mean things like that!  I'm a good person.  I keep my promises.  I wouldn't even think about leaving you here, after you taught me how to leave, it wouldn't be fair!]
02:45	GloriousRule	As she continues writing - upside down, as she holds it out to Katja, to make the conversation faster, she glances off into the corridor, in the direction that the fight had been going in.  [...But, before we leave, we should get your Servant back, and I need to make sure the scary lady gets out safely, too.]
02:49	Kazakiri	<Katja> "I suppose. I'll only be able to help you a little in case that other girl decides to beat the crap out of you too."
02:53	GloriousRule	Vladislava nods with a warm smile, although she's admittedly worried about being attacked by the scary lady.  At the very least, she's learned something valuable - something that even Assassin had warned her against.
02:54	GloriousRule	Not everyone has to be her enemy.  Maybe with enough work, she'll be able to convince the others to be friendly towards her as well!
02:54	GloriousRule	It's with those sorts of idealistic thoughts in her head that the bespectacled girl stands up, stretching out slightly as she waves down the corridor, signalling Assassin to return.