Snippet #2144337

Shouts and crashes from the town ahead tipped Argo off to the fact that she was already late. However, the small shapes fleeing from the confusion at the scene of what was evidently a quick skirmish between a full platoon of hunters and two Children of the Sabbaths also told the young spiritualist that she was not too late. Stopping short of the first fleeing youth, Argo instead opted to walk briskly forward, her staff making a quiet sound as it pierced through the rain-softened dirt, accompanying each step she took.

The lead boy's gaze suddenly shifted about upon her, and he, too, stopped in his tracks. Raising his hand, Argo was alerted to the weapon he summoned before it had appeared thanks to the sudden surge of killing intent she percieved from the boy, as well as an inexplicable feeling of wrongness that seemed to emanate from his hand. As the black spear took form, Argo stopped abruptly, just in time to avoid literally walking into the energy polearm now pointed at her, a foolish mistake which would have doubtless been fatal. Raising her staff in an instant, it faintly glowed with light for a split second - a momentary reinforcement spell, meant to protect it from the supernatural properties inherent in the dark lance she faced, although the light it emitted was obscured by the lightning that flashed in the same instant - as she swiped it across her path, turning the lance's tip away from her so that the boy could not simply drive it forward and impale her. The parry, however, seemed to have more of an effect than she originally intended, for the boy, who seemed even more tired than she herself, staggered backward, drawing back his weapon to support himself lest he fall in the mud.

Taking this opportunity to size up her opponent, Argo focused her senses on the tired young lad, hoping to glean some sort of information about what his intentions were by doing so. Although his current actions - drawing a weapon and fully preparing himself to fight her to the bitter end - somewhat obscured his own moral status, the young spiritualist could tell that he was, at the very least, not someone who actively sought conflict and death, although judging by his current killing intent, he wasn't averse to the trade either. That was both good and bad, however. Even with this information that should have reassured her that he would at least listen to reason if it meant saving himself, she couldn't shake the feeling of tremendous opposition that was coming from the boy's dark lance. Even though he shouldn't have perceived the nature of her talent, something about his powers screamed of the utmost desire to end her life at that very instant, as though the black energy he had shaped and commanded to kill her was diametrically opposed to her very existence. She wouldn't go so far as to call the power he wielded evil in nature, but there was one thing for sure: the boy's abilities were her natural enemy, even if he himself might yield, if given an acceptable reason to. If Argo - no, Ariya Celice - had to guess, that could only mean one thing: this boy was the vessel of Thanatos, the death god of olden times, who, moreso than any other, had aimed to end the life of her own initial ancestor. Even if he might not have realized whose powers she wielded - and, in fact, might not have even been sure she held any power at all - there could be no fooling the darkness he possessed. In that case, it would be best to tread lightly rather than provoke an unsightly conflict.

"My name is Argo," She said at last, her voice calm, composed, and quick, sounding at least slightly trustworthy despite the entirely concealing garb she wore and her very suspicious character. "I mean you no harm. You who would save your own life, and the lives of your fellows, even at the greatest cost, have nothing to fear from me. Now, there is little time. We must hurry and gather your comrade, lest the enemy overtake us."