dev 4 - two lovebirds, two victims

The prowl continues. Of all the things, the Midnight Animal was seeking for more victims to be had- here, where it's covered in blood of another, where it walks among the places it would otherwise stain with the bloody intent it holds.. the two azure lights hold up to gaze upon Evelyn and Aranea alike.

It stares with intent of hatred.
It stares upon its potential prey.

As the creature walks through the domain of Esshar's Kingdom, it gets dangerously close to the Osronan walls, and yet.. by the sight of the crimson upon its form? It's rather easy to tell that its not intimidated by the prospect of fighting many like this.

Perhaps, it is precisely what it wants.

"You. Two."

"Where are you from?"

Spoken as a demand. It becomes rather clear that it appeared coincidentally after the festives of the witches.. that it appeared for a singular purpose.

That it's become scary at midnight.
(Impulse)

The nyeshk clad figure slowly turned her sights towards the man that was coming, apparently covered in blood. An eyebrow rose to him as a single plate was gotten from her belt, attaching it to her gauntlets- from the looks of it, it looked like several small, sharp spikes of nyeshk, the same hue as the rest of her full suit of armor. The golden energy shimmered around her, along with sparkling stardust, as she turned around fully, the faint sound of scraping plates echoing through the silent night.

"M-Messaris. We're hunters."

Her answer was short and to the point, as a chilling presence began to spread over from the woman, with a faint pulse of the energy siphoned from the stars; her expression was relatively neutral, considering the sight of a bloodied man. A little wary, as any sane person would be, but she had no positive and no negative opinions of him as of yet.
(Evelyn Stepford)

Aranea frowned heavily at the sight of the bloodsoaked stranger, feeling the hatred and bloodlust roll from him in waves. The lupin that they were hunting quickly escaped and backed into their burrows at the appearance of this. . creature, their prey instincts telling them to run for the hills.

A smile cracked across Araneas pale visage as the aura wrapped around her. The woman cracked her neck and stepped next to Evelyn, flexing her palms a few times to shake off the cold.

"Messaris." she stated, her own emerald hues cutting through the dark as she looked over the man. Regardless of the blood. .

She was not intimidated.
(Aranea Stepford)

"Mmh.. mhhh.. mmh..~!"

It almost sounds overjoyed. The tune begins to pick up its pace, and despite the evident mask covering the creature's face.. the distorted humming doesn't cease for even a single moment - instead, it begins to grow into cacophony of chuckles, of laughter.. and the azure fires envelop it, two sapphires in the eyes becoming a testament to its intent.

"Ahahaha.."

"Messaris!"

Carefully, it steps close, closer.. until the two find themselves almost enthralled by the visage of the sapphires that gleam in its eyes, two colors of blue that could threaten to overspill and become something much more threatening. Here, they find themselves cornered, even if there are no walls..

"That means. You are Osronans."

"Osronans. Are not welcome. In our lands."

"Pay, pay, pay, pay~"

The song continues. Its eyes steadily bounce between the two, almost as if a recollection of thoughts that cause it to mull over a thought.. up until the two are thoroughly assessed.

"With blood. For your insolence.~"

The first azure lunge is aimed right at Aranea. She finds herself targeted by the blast of pure, raw Energy- one in which these are evident to target her mana circuits, more than anything. It seems like this was a creature of madness..

And that madness would spill onto them.
(Impulse)

She should be scared. She should be honestly terrified. She wasn't much of a fighter, though she did enjoy her spars. But something else stirred inside of her.

Bloodlust.

Sudbury.

It stepped closer to her. The sound of its feet gliding over the cold grass was almost like music to her ears. She was sweating, shaking a little. Not from panic or anxiety, but from adrenalin.

She hadn't had a chance to release in seven years. Not since she'd met Evelyn.

From her ring, a stream of mercury-like liquid metal erupted and coated her body, sealing her form entirely in a case of solid white. A black line ran down the middle where she linked the two halves of the shell together. Two coat tails of thin, unidentifiable metal fluttered out behind her in the winds, almost weightless. Her gleaming emerald eyes shone outwards, wide. Staring right into those airy sapphires of their assailant.

Step. Crunch.

Her own feet crashed down upon the frosted blades, until they were a meter ten feet away from each other. "I'm not a noble. I know how to fight. You've made a grievous mistake."

Her voice seemed muffled from behind the shell given the only place for her words to escape were those eyesockets in her armour.

As soon as that blast of energy shot forwards towards her, a wall of Earth shot up and send a hail of chains towards the creature, intending to impale him!


Which would win?
(Aranea Stepford)

Impulse has lost 14 vitality from this battle for three hours.

Aranea Stepford has sustained a grevious injury in battle...

Aranea Stepford has rolled 1 or under: they may be captured!


The Black Knight in the nearby grove hears a low tune that just barely broke the ambience of the forests. Their head slowly turns to spot the glowing lights in the distance. At first, the Knight pays it no mind, but suddenly with a flare of blue energy bursting through the tree line and the loud sound of a snapping branch, the Knight drops about a foot in height with the assumption of their stance.

Their right hand jumps over their shoulder and grabs at the handle of their weapon. The lights in the distance grew dimmer, and the sound of battle filled the air. They turn toward the ambient glow and the overpowering blue hues that combat it. Whatever was happening, it was intense, and the Lupine that was nesting nearby come running past the dark warrior.

The Black Knight begins their approach, maneuvering through the woods, strafing toward the commotion and seeing the effects the battle had on the environment. They'd close in on time to see two blonde women bouncing through the woods in a battle with a particularly tribal looking assailant. Whoever they were fighting seemed not unlike an avatar of the woods.
(Black Knight)

Her eyes narrowed at the remarks from the man. That kind of talk- it sounded insane. Crazy. She haven't heard much of what had happened in the party of Moonfall, only that it was bad, so her mind didn't connect him straight to that specific event, and yet-

There was something off about him.

She felt it in her bones. She felt it within the shiver that ran down her spine as she walked over the grass, circularly, to assume a flanking position. An instinctive measure, taken from her years of hunting- Evelyn wasn't a soldier, she was a huntress, and prone to use hunting tactics, even when faced with people.

As the struggle had began, Evelyn siphoned the energy of the star above. Nyrissa, star of the north- when her back was pushed against the wall like this, the huntress felt herself being filled by the predatory instinct. Her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing upon Impulse; sparks of that shimmering golden energy were released from her.

A madman. No different than a monster, operating on base instincts.

We hunt monsters.

With the clash between Aranea's metal magic and Impulse's bone, Evelyn's cosmic energies were used to fire off from the sides, to attack him from behind while he was busy with the struggle against the other. Sharp nyeshk spikes were accelerated by the siphoned energies to strike against him; while Evelyn was precise and graceful once, that was no longer the case.

The past fine grace was replaced by a degree of ruthlessness, of moves that were aimed to cripple, to crush. These weren't moves intended to be used on people, but on animals and monsters.
(Evelyn Stepford)

The midnight animal was dangerous. So much so that Aranea could immediately feel it upon herself the moment that the proverbial beast leaps upon her- here, she finds that Impulse strikes her with surprising precision, one that is unheard of from someone so violent, so..

So maddened.

"You do not deserve to walk upon our lands!"

"We shall punish all of you! Cornelia shall punish all of you! Osrona will pay for its transgressions!"

It shouts loud, much like its attacks.. for while Aranea puts up a good defense against Impulse, the beast becomes far too much for her to handle; the Energy drives into the core of her circuitry, enough to disrupt the workings from within- though, whether it's intended or not, it becomes something far more chaotic..

Something far more dangerous.
Something far more cruel.

The chains, the metal, the magic of Earth.. it becomes unstable- which is ironic, for the most stable and solid element to be driven to such lengths with insanity that is overload upon her body. Here, she finds herself grow terribly weak, and with the strike followed right at her core..

She feels it.
She feels it drown her.

"Suffer."

"As we suffer."

Here, under the moonlight.. the azure flames consume her. They burn her- but not her skin, not her flesh, they burn from within. Here, where she finds herself overwhelmed as the physical contact is made between the two.. only the most durable, those of greatest fortitude could possibly withstand - for it feels worse than actual flames.

Worse than heat.

The touch is driven away.
Eyes glowing afire.

His eyes turn towards Evelyn. Where she launches herself against the tribal assailant, there's no hesitation in its movement, caused by how the azure flames spark up once more. The creature's attention was upon another woman.

"You're next."

To gore and torment you..
Till the stars expire.
(Impulse)

Aranea found herself left beaten, battered and tormented on the ground. Blood ran from her body, staining the ground; the bones that pierced her lay within her form, with Aranea unwilling. . and unable to remove them.

"Ghk. . E--Eve. . g-get outta h-here. . " she coughs, feeling that curse rip into her circuitry. A loud scream, unrelated to the physical pain, rang out from her as she was corrupted. Burnt. From the inside.

The roar of pain racked her body as her metal exploded out of her body like spikes, forming into a hedgehog-like shell around her body.

Her fate wasn't told yet. . but she was forced to watch her wife beaten down and butchered. .

This was not good tidings.

"F--. ." was all she could stutter out as the energy left her body.
(Aranea Stepford)

This was brutal, ruthless. As far as they could see, the maddening creature behind the mask had little restrain.. so much so that it would prove to be rather detrimental to even reason with it - for one reason or another, it seems there's deep-seated hatred for the Osrona as a whole, and all that dwell within it. Here, they find themselves at predicament..

For where Aranea was already on the ground, weak..
Evelyn was being severely wounded.

The cosmic magi fought well- so much that it forced some of the blood to spill from Impulse, and perhaps for the madman behind the mask to stumble about, to recover; and yet, despite her best efforts.. she was still overwhelmed. With those azure energies constantly assaulting upon her body, finding the weakness and overwhelming her, a single mistake is made that decides the battle..

Where she fails to catch the Impulse in cosmic dust..
The hand strikes right at her core.

Agony. It doesn't come from the sheer impact alone, but more so from the way that Energy overrides her circuits.. how it steadily infects her entire body, how it seems to spread out through her body in the most bizarre, yet ruthless ways- here, he lends a fate just slightly better, but no less painful than that of Aranea.

The circuits within her body are set ablaze..
So much that actual azure flames cover her skin.

The Hel-ish pain drowns her, and the physical contact remains- so much so that she becomes terribly, terribly weak.. incapable of fighting for the time being, and most definitely, cornered into being defeated by Impulse. As she falls..

He makes a stride towards Aranea- and grasps her by the throat, lifting her up.

"Get up. Heed my call."

"Or else. She dies."

"Infront of you."

Evelyn has no choice. She would have to listen..
Or Aranea would have to die.
(Impulse)

Base instinct had taken over.

Base instinct wasn't enough.


She had fought against him as she would against an animal- her moved were aimed to cripple at the bones projecting from his body, to pierce and rip through with the sharp spikes of nyeshk. The winds around her were violent, shredding, at every blow- and her own ruthlessness was matched with ruthlessness. But this was different.

He had more experience. He had a more honed instinct.

As her circuits were overwhelmed, feeling a sharp pain burning through her body, Evelyn felt her connection to the star dwindling as she emitted a loud, high-pitched shriek that echoed through the whole forest, causing her body to drop down onto the grass like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Immobile, unable to get past the feeling of her entire body feeling like it was set on fire.

The scream didn't last, but the pain did. She may have been suffering in silence, but she was rendered with a shocked look over her expression, with widened, glistening eyes, her lips slightly parted in a silent scream that failed to come out from the lack of air within her lungs.

Or she dies.

Thump. Her heart skipped a beat. But the pain was so intense..

Thump. Thump. She could feel her heart accelerating at the thought.

Or she dies.

Thump-Thump-Thump . . .

Shuddering, she twitched. Her hands at first, fingers moving faintly to grasp at the dirt below her. With yet another sharp shriek, she felt the energy of the stars filling her body anew- going through the blazing circuits. It filled her with pain, to feel the energy running, but it also filled her with adrenaline, fear, rage-

And that predatory instinct.

But this time, she couldn't use it to strike him. The pain was too much to do anything much- and he had Aranea by the throat.

Another twitch. Shuddering miserably, Evelyn leaned herself upon both of her palms, getting up to her knees. Raising her bloodied face, she moved her arms down to her knees, leaning there, to push herself upwards. Her expression was still that of shock- she was barely being able to move. Barely able to breathe. The pain was overwhelming her-

It's a wonder she could move at all. But in the face of despair, she did, with her widened eyes being set upon the madman.

"What.. do you.. want.."

No stammer this time. Even her voice came out differently, hoarse, her breathing uneven, irregular, punctuated by a light cough from the blood she felt coming up at the back of her throat.
(Evelyn Stepford)

Two azure orbs stared down upon Evelyn. Through the mask, there was naught but the gaze of the madman that could very well end Aranea's life infront of Evelyn- where she's helpless, he does the most unspeakable, vile thing, for he draws upon the knife in his other hand. That knife..

.. is driven into Aranea's flesh.
Scarring upon the surface of her skin..
All to draw crimson and shed it onto ground.

"Remember, that this is the blood that you, Osronans, owe us. This- is the blood that we will draw upon all of you."

"For all the transgressions- for killing Caritas- for killing our own. You will die."

The knife is driven deeper into Aranea's flesh. The whole time that Impulse tortures her with his excruciating pain, on top of what she already suffered.. more and more blood is drawn. Yet, it doesn't reach her vital organs just yet, done to leave the scars for the future and treatment to be made.

"This is a declaration of war. Against Osrona, against Order, against every filthy dog- that dwells within city. And I- we- will kill you."

"Cornelia will lead us to a new age. Cornelia will avenge our fallen - and the Baron will crush the entirety of Osrona."

"And stay away. From our lands."

There's no reasoning with the man such as this. Here, where the knife is driven across Aranea's flesh a final time to cause her to scream, embedded with the Energy to target her circuitry to even further damage her.. more blood spills. At this point, she could be terribly close to passing out..

"I demand. That you bring this message. To the city."

"Or I will come. Again, and again, and again-- and I will find you, and her- and I will end you."

"Choose. To bring message. Or she dies."

Suddenly, the knife rises upward- where he holds her by the throat, still, the knife's edge is dangerously close to Aranea's neck. A single drive forward, and she would die..

The Impulse awaits Evelyn's answer.
(Impulse)

The Black Knight had arrived onto the scene of the battle. A few calm and decisive movements carries them out of the path of the combatant's magics, and allowed them to gauge the threat of those involved. The first one to fall in the battle was Aranea, someone they could just barely identify. They are lit aflame in shades of blue and cyan, and before long they had crumpled to the floor whilst the star-lit Evelyn continued their battle just a while longer, only to come to a similar end.

These two women were no match for their opponent, and the Knight's own stoic exterior was broken by their pained screams and agonizing cries. The Knight had just seen two women lit ablaze in flames of blue in a moment as fleeting as a blink of the eye. And then the warning was declared-- a ransom, forcing Evelyn to seemingly pull herself from the brink of death to act on behalf of the other.

There was no questioning the gravity of the situation, and that immediate action was needed. These were two souls, two hunters, whos lives were on the line in what could only be described thus far a sinister predator. The Black Knight marches forward, taking both of their hands and with a tight hold of their weapon, they draw it and brandishes the weapon before Impulse.

Had their presence not already been known, it would be with the sudden flare of flame that erupts around them with a veil of black smoke. Their weapon, the Lightsplitter, cleaves through that smoke, revealing the Knight once more in their truest form. Two horns wrenched their way out of the sides of their black-helmet, two wings bursting from the bottom of their trapezius-- or so it seemed beneath the dakr cape. The dark midnight armor and steps of dusk that encased them-- a Nyeshk suit similar to that of Evelyn.

The Black Knight comes without a single word, they smash their weapon into the dirt to ensure they had the attention of Impulse, and then they point their weapon straight at the masked man with a single arm. It may not have been clear, whether the Knight was there to challenge or to protect, but they did not approve of the scene before them.
(Black Knight)

Evelyn was barely able to stand at the moment. She could barely reason, could barely speak or breathe- but she held onto every last shred of sanity she had to hear what Impulse had to say. Bring a message- a message of war. Having nothing to lean on, the blonde huntress was surrounded by gentle winds, who swirled with just enough prowess to keep her standing; to use them for anything more would surely bring the pain back.

If she felt any more pain, she'd pass out for sure. It already took her everything to stand in her current condition.

"This is.. a declaration.. of war..", she repeated Impulse's words, one by one, clinging to the shreds of sanity and to whatever was left of her rational mind amidst the sea of pain to memorize it. "Against Osrona.. against the Order.."

Word by word, the message was repeated to the very end, up until 'And stay away from our lands'. No sign of her previous stammering in here, in thathoarse voice that barely sounded like Evelyn; Impulse might not know much of the difference, with the little contact they had, but Aranea surely would.

A single step was taken towards the madman. While this, under different circumstances, might've been interpreted as a sign of hostility, it was abundantly clear that the Huntress didn't have it in her, physically or mentally, to be hostile at this moment.

"I will deliver.. your message."

Her hands rose. Once more, this could've been interpreted as a sign of hostility- if only she had enough within to do that. Rather, she removed the plates that contained the spikes of nyeshk from her gauntlets, in a move that made it clear her compliance with the madman's demands.

She might've been bordering on insanity from the pain, but saving lives took precedence.

"They will hear.. of it. Let her go."

While the black knight had been approaching, even asthe weapon was smashed to the ground, Evelyn didn't flinch. Her focus was on Aranea being taken as hostage, and that aside - she didn't have much more attention or even sanity to dedicate to anything else. She was bordering on unconsciousness, only keeping herself awake for Aranea's sake, through the cosmic prowess that filled her with drive and pain alike. The one thing currently keeping her afloat.
(Evelyn Stepford)

This is the sign of their faith.
The sign of what's to come.

For where the woman speaks of agreeing to deliver the message, the masked creature stays its hand, despite being so very close to ending Aranea's life; for every word that it listens in, Aranea's life extends by another second.. one in which Impulse allows her to live for a while longer.

Until Evelyn finally finishes acknowledgement and words of her own.

"Know this - Osrona and Order will suffer for what they've done to us. These lands are no longer yours. They are ours. Stay away from them."

"All of you. Or die."

While Evelyn disarms herself and shows no sign of hostility.. as brutal and rough as it is, at the very least, it is exactly what Evelyn wanted- Aranea is launched towards Evelyn's direction whilst she's held by the throat. It would most definitely result in a heavy landing, one that promises even more pain, especially considering her injuries..

But at the very least, she was free now.

"I will observe."

"Fail me, and you will face the consequences of deceiving me."

Just how much does Impulse know? The mask, after all, could be anyone.. and whether Evelyn would decide to risk this 'deal' or not is up to hers - but it's rather clear that azure orbs practically drill into her soul, almost as if to discern if she would lie, and yet..

The gaze of Impulse turns towards Black Knight, if only briefly.

"I have no business with you."

Even if the Black Knight attempted to catch its attention, it seems to steadily pace away into the woods.

All to leave entirely.
(Impulse)