Altercation with Sho and Adar [9/22] Big Angery

[01:02] Syril asks, "How much do enchantments cost--?"
[01:02] Ardith Hirai says, "Seven fifty. Usually. Whaddya' need?..."
[01:04] Any enthusiasm Sho might have had at her roll melts like dirty snow in the springtime in the face of Fortuna's unfathomable luck. For a few seconds she's silent, staring at the die, then at Fortuna, then back at the die.

"I... Wow...!"

She pushes herself back to her feet and says, "Ugh... who loses on a five...? I have the worst luck! In! The! World!" Though she stays true to the wager and digs out 469 coins from here pocket, to toss lightly to Fortuna.

"Good game, I guess. And... speaking of wagers..."

She turns to Ardith and yells out a bit louder so she can hear her from over here, "Hey...! Hoofwoman! Did Azarashi talk to you after his operation...?"
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:04] Syril says, "What don't I need.. Enchants aplenty if anythin' but rather start with one on muh armor."
[01:04] Syril says, "... Hoofwoman."
[01:04] Ardith Hirai asks, "Right...vitality, I'm guessin'?"
[01:04] Syril says, "Mmmhm."
[01:06] The Accursed glances to Sho. Then pointedly ignores her. For a short list of reasons.

Primarily? There's a business transaction. Secondarily? Hoofwoman is not her name.

She takes the chestplate and draws the runes on it with her clawed fingertip. The metal sizzles until the sigils sink into it, a living part of the metal.

"And there ya are. The finest Illyothian runes that can be drawn in this here era...A steal at that price," she grumbles. Her heart's not quite in her sales pitch.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:06] The bag is dextrously swiped from the air, with eager eyes scanning over her newfound winnings, licking her lips as such a bag of coins is tossed up and down in one hand, feeling the weight of such, before tucking it away into one of many pockets.

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll beat me soon enough."
(Fortuna Ru)
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[01:06] {Item} Picked up a bag of 750 dropped by Syril.
[01:09] Hoofwoman. Funny little name; not that Ardith particularly agreed! Watching as the metal sizzled and shifted with a few moves of her clawed finger-tip... something about Illoythian?

"I don't know what Illyothian anything it is-.. But! Thank ya' kindly." Tossing a bag of coin in the accursed's direction before glancing at the Nagual.
(Syril)
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[01:09] "Wait until I get more money... I'll try again...!"

And then Ardith ignores her. If she was closer, she could see the vein swell up on the side of Sho's forehead as rage instantly begins to bubble up inside her.

"Don't you dare ignore me...!"

And then stomps over to her so she's in her face enough that ignoring her would be extremely difficult. "I said... did Azarashi talk to you...? This is important. I made a bet with him...! If he talked to you first, things are going to be different than if I'm talking to you first. Got it...?"
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:10] Ardith Hirai asks, "Uh huh. Pleasure doin' business with ya. Give your brother my...uh. Lukewarm regards or somethin'?"
[01:10] Ardith Hirai says, "I'd say warm, but I ain't want him gettin' ideas."
[01:11] Syril says, "... He's like a dog desperate fer' a treat, so, I'll improvise."
[01:12] Ardith speaks to Sho. Sure. But she only gives her eye contact out of her periphery.

"Tell ya what. We can talk when ya use somethin' remotely close to my actual name. I'll even let ya use 'Ardie'. I'm feelin' charitable.

"Otherwise? 'Hoofwoman' ain't quite my speed today. Not in that mood. So what'll it be?"
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:12] Syril says, "Tellin' 'im you scowled when I mentioned his name."
[01:13] Ardith Hirai says, "Good luck."
[01:13] Ardith Hirai says, "He'll prolly just be glad to hear I ain't curse his breath or somethin'."
[01:14] Syril asks, "You don't?"
[01:14] Ardith Hirai says, "You're funny."
[01:15] Sho shuts her eyes for several seconds. Her face grows redder before they reopen, and she issues an ultimatum. "I'll give you ten seconds to answer my question, before I rip your horns off and cave in your sinuses. How's that sound...?"

"Ten..."

"Nine..."
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:15] Malzvatan says, "What."
[01:15] Ardith Hirai says, "...."
[01:15] Ardith Hirai asks, "...Well. How 'bout that?"
[01:16] Syril says, "Glad to hea-.."
[01:19] The Accursed turns towards Sho as she slings her threats. The knuckles of her left hand crack as the malformed fingers try to make an appropriate fist.

Somewhere through the twisting ether goes a signal, and life stirs on the outskirts of the city. To the beck and call of the demonic woman come several shifting shapes moving through the undergrowth.

Demons, a trio of them, come shifting up to her side with hungry eyes on Sho.

"I ain't sure that's any way to treat the one who gave your lover eyesight...Do your countin'. Go on."
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:20] Syril gets fucking bounced by one of the trio demons-..
(Syril)
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[01:20] Syril whispers something.
[01:22] Adar says, "Me and my mouth..."
[01:23] Either rage-fueled bravado, anger-powered stupidity, or fury-given guts make Sho fairly tough to intimidate. Those feline eyes flick back and forth between each demon, before bouncing back to the accursed.

"I promised him I wouldn't go kicking your ass if he talked to you first...! But since you're not saying..." She grits her teeth. "You let him see, but I know exactly what you're doing to him... you're going to keep twisting him and changing him until he's even more mishappen and mutated than you are."

"You're not giving him these things because you want to help him... you're giving him them to make him an experiment...! Preying on someone that dumb and that kind... You stay away from him."
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:23] Ardith Hirai says, "I'm gonna tell you somethin' then, lil' Sho..."
[01:24] Ardith Hirai says, "And listen' REAL fuckin' good..."
[01:24] Malzvatan asks, "Death?"
[01:26] Magdalen reforms coalescence of glittering white-gold motes! Immediately the motherly Elisheva will wander up behind Juniper and give her a big hug!
(Magdalen Metzli)
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[01:28] "I talked to him. He came to me. Yeah."

There is no smile on her lips, no mirth in her eyes as the demons circle around her feet like watchful dogs, protective of the Accursed.

"And that's all ya get to know. Ya wanna know more? Ya either use my proper name, or ya go talk to him yourself.

"The FUCK do ya or anyone else know 'bout what I want? I ain't hear anyone ASKIN'! I change and make better the people who want it. No one else, cuz no one else is worth my fuckin' time."
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:29] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:29] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:30] She turned, as her Aunt formed behind her to give her a hug - she returned it with a happy smile.
(Juniper Elisheva)
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[01:30] After a glare of I told you so meets with Roxanne's stare, Adar would pace forward. A hand is raised from afar, as if to try and catch the attention of the accursed.

He'd wave it about sternly, prompting the interaction to halt inadvertently, in a grimly strict authoritarian gesture.

"Enough - what is this ruckus about?!" An assertive stare prods Sho Gwyn from afar, as if to beckon her over. Then, lacking complicity, he'd inquire the accursed as well. "What is this I hear? Who are you twisting and changing?"
(Adar)
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[01:31] Famfrit whispers something.
[01:31] The kiddo gives another quick squeeze to the Juniper, before, once hug breaks off, waving and wandering home! Tired Angel!
(Magdalen Metzli)
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[01:31] Kabu Metzli asks, "Oh?"
[01:31] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:31] Kabu Metzli says, "Welcome back love."
[01:31] Magdalen wanders right into Kabu! And gets him with the hug, now!
(Magdalen Metzli)
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[01:31] Fortuna offers a frown towards Famfrit.
(Fortuna Ru)
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[01:31] Magdalen Metzli exclaims, "Thank you, my dear husband!"
[01:32] Famfrit whispers something.
[01:32] Famfrit whispers something.
[01:32] Adar says, "... that is the plan."
[01:32] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:32] If Sho had more patience, or less of a hair trigger, this might be a good time for her to back off, and employ some peace and understanding. But, since she's incredibly aggro and barely able to hold a normal conversation at the best of times, she does not do that.

She's very hyperfocused on the accursed, so Adar's words fall on deaf ears. The only thing she's focused on is tightening her fist into a tight little ball, and swinging it directly at Ardith's nose.
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:33] Sho tries to punch, woaw.
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:33] tries to not get socked in the nose.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:33] Adar moves in to stop the punch, catching it midway.
(Adar)
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[01:33] Famfrit whispers something.
[01:35] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:36] Famfrit whispers something.
[01:36] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:36] The Accursed takes a sound whallop to the nose. Her head snaps back.

And then, like attack dogs, the pack of demons lurches forward to swarm onto her. They had one purpose, to protect the kin who beckoned them from the deep places of the jungle. Now they fulfill that purpose.

Ardith snarls and her head whips forward, baring her considerably sharp teeth. Her hand reaches for the tome at her hip.

It's about to get hectic.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:37] Adar shouts out. "Enough, the both of you! Stop this!"
(Adar)
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[01:37] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:38] Fortuna Ru whispers something.
[01:41] Fortuna whisks around without much more said, spinning about their heel, and pacing off with noticeable agitation.
(Fortuna Ru)
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[01:43] Sho seems very satisfied the punch landed, less satisfied about the demons everywhere. One rakes a claw down her back and gets blown back with a blast of lighting, while another gets a boot to the face. She's doing her best to keep these things off her but one thing is clear-

She's a little outmatched.

But that does nothing to put a damper on her fighting spirit. As soon as she gets a moment she rips her coat off, revealing a well-worn, but maintained gi beneath it.

"I told you to answer the question...! But this is fine too, mm...?"
(Sho Gwyn)
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[01:44] Oddly, enough. Syril appeared to be the only one who viewed the initial argument and knew the root cause; yet, for some odd and unexplainable reason... didn't mention a god-damned thing.

In truth? This was far too entertaining to speak out against.
(Syril)
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[01:55] The Accursed was not in the mood to begin with. Most other days she takes the japes and jabs in stride, the eyes upon her, the hushed whispers.

But today? Today her mood is foul, her disposition bitter and her heart?

Grieving.

Normally she keeps herself and her more base urges fairly well composed, but with the breaking of her nose comes the breaking of that composure. She howls a banshee screech, winds whipping around her as the demons that circle her.

She has had ENOUGH of all this.

Ardith harries the young Nagual with a barrage of cutting winds and concussive sonic fusillades, all to drive her back, to force her into pain and submission. They want her to be a monster? Here she is, the one they wanted, for all to see in Gehenna's very own square.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[01:56] Syril whispers something.
[02:00] As she summons the lighting to cloak her and the occult to act as her weapon, Sho is reminded of something Azarashi once said.

You'd protect me if I ever needed it.

Is that what this was? Was she protecting him? Or was this just a chance to get violent? Maybe it's this whirlwind of thoughts that keeps her from winning. Or perhaps it's something more primal, like the accursed's undoubtedly superior magical ability.

As much as Sho tries to catch her and land another lightning-empowered punch, she's always just a little too slow or a little too late. Her blows never land with the impact she wants.

And at the same time... while she's a well of stamina from her dual-use of lightning and cosmic energy, Sho can only take so much punishment. The wind and the noise pile on and on until finally, she's launched back onto the stairs of the temple.

When she lands, she doesn'tget up. Instead she's just lying there coughing.

"Ugh...!"
(Sho Gwyn)
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[02:05] Syril whispers something.
[02:10] With the quick, one-sided skirmish coming to a brisk end, Adar would bolt in to properly deem the conflict over. A hand extended over to hover just a few inches away from the accursed's chest, prompting her to stop her unadulterated assault.

"Enough." He'd declare, sternly staring into Ardith's restless gaze. The Gwyn laid clearly beaten, humiliated, even. To stay down now and retreat would be wise, since this was a fight she had perked up on her whim alone, boasting it about. "Enough." He'd repeat himself, giving the cursed wind's wielder a nod.

"You've fought for your name, and you've won. This point of contention is settled." Then with a wince, he'd look back at the crumbled down hellstorm magi, awaiting her eventual recovery from the mostly superficial beatdown as she laid over the temple's steps.

"Wits about you, now. Pick yourself up and leave."
(Adar)
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[02:14] Ardith does not step forward. She lurches, shambling towards where Sho has fallen. But then...

Then something is in her way. Her dull red eyes, now alight with life and malice, flicker up to the floating magi's face. He gets no words in reply, instead a deep, rumbling snarl rumbles up from her gut.

Where once she bared her teeth against her Nagual assailant, now she bares them against Adar. The fact that he is a friendly face gives her pause initially. Then no more. In this moment her mind isn't wholly her own.

The growl is followed by another ear-drum shattering howl, one that somehow echoes inside the heads of bystanders, no matter how they might try to cover their ears.

The intent is clear: move aside, or be next.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[02:17] Roxanne recoiled from the loud howl when it came. It wasn't something she appreciated at all and the fact Adar was right before that woman clearly made her concerned. No longer was she all smiles and butterflies; a rather serious look appeared on her face as she paid more attention to the altercation before her eyes.

If things were to go bad... She couldn't imagine the worse!
(Roxanne Lonval)
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[02:20] Malzvatan simply observes from afar. He does not desire to be this Ardith's next target.
(Malzvatan)
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[02:20] Humiliation, anger, and resigned sadness all play across Sho's face as Ardith approaches her. It's all she has in her to snarl and flash a little fury behind her eyes.

Everything about her says finish it, then.

And she looks ready for it, too. Those are the eyes of someone who's stared down death before, and the thought of it coming from this woman is shameful, but something she can accept.

But that's not to say she doesn't flee when she gets the chance. The second Adar distracts her, Sho pushes herself up and in a flash of red lighting, blinks several meters away. Cradling her side and glaring daggers at him she warns, "Stay away from him..."

Then gets her ass out of there.
(Sho Gwyn)
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[02:22] Syril couldn't tear his eyes away from the brewing altercation. Reverbant howling aside; watching as the accursed shambled forward...

Intending to lash out once again against an innocent-... city official? Local do-gooder? All for the chance to tear that Nagual asunder- how bullheaded of her.

…

Oh.

Sho ran- The man's solely remaining eye remained glued onto Adar; even as he slowly backed away to hand Sumiye something...
(Syril)
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[02:35] The astronavigator was suddenly coated by a veil of opaque, dense magic of transmundane origin. A cloud of pure occult energy, one oozing with a halo of lethargy and despondency. Being around his figure in itself would be enough to be undriven by abjection and abasement. To mortals, thoughts become bleak, sorrowful, dreary.

"I said enough, Ardith. You need to get a hold of yourself, this is not you." With a sincere, hard-nosed look, he'd coat the accursed with that very same shroud of dole magic. Unlike a human would usually respond, such aura would feed the accursed's thirst for violence and grudge much like the dreadwooods' gloom - but to a much more concentrated degree. "You gave her what she had coming, you no longer need this violence."

She'd feel her heart dampen it's pace in resonance to Adar's listless corona of radiance, her adrenaline levels falling notably. What would translate to feelings adversely crippling to a man, yet fodder idleness of mood to the pacteé.

"Let's talk, this is not necessary."
(Adar)
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[02:45] At first she slows. The Accursed's heartbeat becomes sluggish, just as Adar wills. It feels like...home. Like the Dreadwoods, where she is safe. Her eyes draw slowly up again to the astrologist.

But this isn't the Dreadwoods. This isn't home, and memories of home bring with them a keen, painful longing that draws another telepathic, sound-enhanced howl of agony from the occult-mad creature.

Not just the howl is projected to the bystanders, but feelings of that longing and despair are translated directly into their minds, assaulting their psyches from within with invasive occultic energy against their will.

The attempt at pacifying her backfires. She goes wild, rampant, and begins buffeting the source of that energy with a fresh, violent assault. Her intent is single-minded, her fury uncurbed. Ardith gives in to despair and the heady high that comes with barbarism.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[02:53] Adar flinches, abruptly coating himself with a frontal shield of transmundane properties to parry the assault. And while he partially succeeds, he is still pushed back violently, landing several on his feet at a considerable distance from the temple's stairs.

His method had not functioned at all. In fact, he was now subject to mild anxiety and unease. It was time to improvise and manually subdue her. Something he had tried to avoid, yet could no longer waltz around.

"I have to stop you." With his mind made up wholly, these adverse sensations only fueled up the obscure flame to burn further up, coalescing around him - like a skeleton beyond his very own figure.

"I have no choice."
(Adar)
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[03:02] The initial counter assault is obscenely swift. For such a slender, poorly-toned physique, Adar's movements are unnaturally agile. He bolts, twirls and turns around and through the accursed's flurry of cursed winds, stomping out the lesser demons she'd shield herself behind as a mere coincidence.

With a few rough stomps of magnetic pull driving her in, Ardith is left defenseless against the dance of the navigator's punishing flame, which would surround and blast her into brief, incidental submission.

Only then, a second chance was offered to try and appeal to her better senses. If her consciousness was there to heed the call at all, he'd reach out and try to grasp for it.

"Ardith, for the last time - enough! I am not the Nagual that has sparked your ire. Get it together! I wish naught to harm you." Resolutely, yet colored by faint distress, Adar demands she yields once more. The result, otherwise, would be clear. "Halt your onset at once!"
(Adar)
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[03:04] Ardith's wild, completely mad, and just out of combat as it stands. Adar has agility over her in spades. That doesn't stop her from continuing her assault. Not in the slightest.

His use of gravitational forces pulls her into flames, making her shrieks louder and more filled with agony.

But never does she stop. The call to halt isn't heeded, the command to cease responded to only with snarls and growls and, surprising to no one, more attempts at violence.

If she's going to be halted at all, it is becoming clear it must be by force. Something has finally snapped within the Accursed and the demonic denizens of the surrounding jungle are all too happy to join in.
(Ardith Hirai)
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[03:07] Alexander Norn says, "Gosh, looks like people're goin' at it again."
[03:17] Atsushi Xuefeng says, "Mm..."
[03:18] Atsushi Xuefeng says, "This looks like...none of my business."
[03:33] Don't make me do this…!

Ardith is verbally unresponsive, her demeanor had become purely beast-like. Much to Adar's dismay, whose only true virtue laid within words and reason, forcing her to submit was the only conceivable option.

The square, given the commotion of the clash both transmundane magi had become catalysts to, would be victim to mild wreckage and distraught. Natives, visitors and trades ran in fear as the polarly enhanced elemental magic of the keeper and heartsmith clashed into blistering implosions of hot air.

Adar's only chance to avoid further collateral damage? To finish her off as quickly as possible, yet with subtly. His coup de grace was conditioned by the welfare of the backdrop in question.

With little time and no room for error, the scholar's mind trailed to the one choice that was made obvious. Too far from any place desolate enough to plow her to submission, the only option was to fly.

Mindlessly, almost reacting impulsively to the stakes, Adar tackled the accursed head on, clasping himself onto her as tightly as his limbs would allow. Then, surrounding them both by a dense coat of opaque flames, they'd lift off with the very same momentum.

There was something off to the rapid levitation in which they'd take flight. It was unlike the magnetic, weightless flying the navigator was usually seen doing. This time, something actually pushed the both of them upwards an away.

The abstract protuberances coming from the man's back had taken a more figurative shape; like appendages flapping; like clapping of hands in applause; a pair of wings.

Then, upon reaching an altitude deemed safe enough? A blunt, opaque explosion of curse, heat and force saw both their figures encompassed. One that, under careless circumstances, would've ravaged city blocks worth of plot, building and estate like they'd never been there.

The feat could be well seen from just underneath cloud level, looming above the town and briskly lighting the city a vibrant purple for a split second.

Few seconds later, they'd descend, worn and beaten. Adar, with the unconscious accursed in his arms, lamented the event in it's entirety. This was all his fault. He thought magic would've sufficed to quell her thirst and ire, yet the plan backfired entirely, potentially further harming others.

Adar cursed below his breath upon reaching ground level, hiding his gaze from the onlookers.
(Adar)
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[03:44] Ardith knows no remorse, no solace, no content. She has a few singular desires in mind; destruction, violence, mayhem. Nothing good is in her mind and heart. Only wrath and ruin.

Not just for Adar either. Everyone and everything has suddenly become a target in her monstrous periphery. No exceptions. Collateral damage? Icing on the cake in the midst of her rampage.

They meet in a head-on clash, the astrologist brazenly grappling and hoisting the stampeding Accursed and taking her straight upward where she might wreak the least amount of havoc.

And, evidently, where his final mana-fueled barrage would do the least harm to innocent bystanders.

She has enough fire in her belly, enough breath in her lungs to scream and struggle all up until the final concussive pulse. Fire licks her skin and blunt force trauma wracks her head. A final shriek dies in her throat. Her eyes go dull, then close. Her body goes limp. Ardith is no longer capable of fighting, battered, beaten, and singed.

The Beast rampages no more. Silenced by force.
(Ardith Hirai)
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