Mireene's Story

The flute on her lips pulled away, the beautiful music ceasing to exist. Opening her red gaze, she witnessed a most pleasing and gorgeous sight before her. The small town was burning. Every building was up in flames, nothing was spared. Her lips turned into a very small smile of happiness. Mireene stood and waited for her brother to return. She wanted to know if she'd been of any help to him at all.

"Brother," she called as she spotted the tall man with flowing red hair. His attire was that of deep crimson as were his twin swords that were held in each hand. He looked up, a wicked smile on his lips as he approached her.

"Mireene," he said with a light tone. Shra moved to stand next to his youngest sister and sheathed his swords. Reaching out he patted her head gently.

"Did I help you?"

"What do you think? Look at it. It's burning beautifully. You're the most helpful out of everyone," he told her with a laugh.

"Oh please, I'm helpful to."

Looking behind her, Mireene spotted her other sister, Dimee. The older girl smiled brightly at them as she approached. Shra tilted his head to look at her from over his shoulder.

"Sometimes," he commented in return. Dimee only laughed at the small jest. Mireene smiled shyly between them both. She loved being around her brothers. Especially Shra. There was just something about him that made her feel a little less shy. A rush of air passed between them all and a second later a dark mist formed in one area very quickly. It lasted mere seconds and from it Kharun stepped towards them. His covered eyes betrayed his ability to see everything.

"Kharun," Dimee beamed. Between them all, she favored him the most. Mireene smiled, but didn't say anything. Kharun walked passed all three of them, going a few feet away from them to stand and watch the flames flickering. He was silent the entire time. His black cloak whipped backwards from the super heated wind that blew the inferno all across the town.

"Where's Layien?" Shra asked.

"Almost finished," Kharun answered shortly. Though it wasn't much, all three knew that they were to wait for Layien to join them before doing anything else. Drevair would bring him to them, it was how it worked. Their mother always brought them together, Kharun need only ask of it and she provided.

It wasn't much longer before Layien joined them. He brushed himself off, dirt and grass falling from his shoulders as he'd traveled via Drevair's touch. Kharun turned then to face the four Gods.

"It begins with these. The city that Layien wreaked chaos in. This town that Shra and Mireene have burned and the village that Dimee razed to the ground. You've done well, my brothers and sisters. Our mother is very pleased with the start of things. We need only finish our work," his head tilted to look down towards Mireene. She watched him in silence, a bit of awe in her eyes as she waited for him to speak, "Stay with Shra. Do not leave him."

"Yes," she answered softly.

"You know what to do next," Kharun disappeared into thick black smoke that slowly dispersed into the air. Mireene looked up to Shra who grinned almost crazily.

"Come on little sister. Let's go pay the human's a visit shall we?"

"See you later," Dimee said as she too disappeared via Drevair's power. Layien gave a short bow to them, a bit of a smile and was gone in the next instant too. Mireene watched them go, her eyes sparkling.

"Alright," she answered and took hold of her brothers hand as they were swept away with Drevair.

"Look at them, Mireene. They are but little rats that scurry upon mother's body. They eat at her, they hurt her, they shed poisonous blood into her. Do they not know that they are killing her?" Shra asked, his voice shaking, trembling from his rage.

Mireene looked up at him, her eyes wide as she regarded his demeanor. Her hand tightened around his as she returned her rustic gaze to the town. They did, indeed, scurry. Why was it that the mortals were always in such a rush? It seemed that they had no care for anything except themselves and what they needed. Her heart fell.

Her brother squeezed her hand tightly, "Are you ready, my sister?"

With a smile, she nodded to him, "Yes," she answered softly. He released her hand and drew both his blades. Her flute rose to her lips and she began to play a beautiful tune. The music, at first, only filled the air around them. However, as she continued to play the sound increased and next to her, Shra's power grew immensely. Both swords ignited into flame, bursting forth with a loud booming sound.

Those that were near the archway that lead into the little town in the middle of seemingly nowhere, looked out towards the sound and spotted him standing there. At first nothing, but then screams filled the air as Shra rushed the small town. His fire erupted every which way and the more he swung the blades, the more flames that spurted forth. All the while, Mireene continued to play her beautiful music listlessly. Her eyes were closed and her body swayed from one side to the other. There was no danger around her right then and so she wasn't worried about Shra leaving her side.

Her concentration was on her power only, bringing him strength in burning everything to the ground. As the screaming died down in the town, the crackling of the fires grew in its place. Mireene's magic flooded forth via her flute and she slowly pulled the instrument away from her lips as she listened to the last of the dying people inside the town. It wasn't much longer before Shra came out to her again. He was blooded from head to foot, streaks of it crisscrossing over his tall, muscular frame. His long hair whipped back and forth from the heat of the fires as he walked through them.

Slowly, he sheathed his blades that were still ablaze. The fire went out once they entered the sheathes though and he stretched out a bloodied hand to take hers. Mireene put away her flute and took his warm hand in hers. She smiled up at him.

"Another?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Until there is nothing left."

Drezair swallowed them up in her body right after and it was like they were never there, aside from the burning town.

Layien set crimson eyes upon the single structure before him. It was a large building, a castle from the looks. The only difference was that there were no other homes or towns near it. A curious thing, as Layien had seen a few castles that were surrounded by towns people. This one was far different. Even the feel of it, was different. He unsheathed his sword and slowly walked up to the double doors of the golden building.

It was easy getting in, a slash of his blade cut through the door and it fell inwards. Once inside what he saw was a strange sight indeed. Women, they were all women there. He arched an eyebrow as he set eyes upon them. A frown slowly pulled his lips down and he waved his sword in a slow, small circle before him, the tip curving through the air. As it went, it looked like a ripple started to expand from the tip of the blade. The women, startled by his sudden appearance looked to be unsure of what to do at first.

It took them a moment to gather their wits about them. He could feel the energy flowing between them as some started to weave magic. Layien tilted his head to the side, did they think that they were going to hurt him? Foolish. The air rippled one last time from the tip of his weapon and with a loud sound like the rushing of air, every last drop of oxygen left the room. Suddenly unable to breathe, the woman began to drop to their knees, clutching their throats and clawing at the air in front of them.

Layien watched for a moment before he moved. He was quick, using the wind to help amplify his movements just a bit. Soon, his sword was dripping in their blood as he cut through one after another. It would only take him a short while to get through the entire castle. As he started to rise up the stairs, going to the next level, a rush of hot air filled the entrance way where he had been. Layien didn't need to look to know that Shra had just ignited everything at the bottom of the staircase.

"I don't need your help, brother."

"Oh, I know that, but why let you have all the fun here," Shra commented lightly as he stepped into the room. His blades flipped in his hands as he ran his tongue across his lips, "I find that women like to run, and I do so like a chase."

Layien huffed lightly and continued upwards. As he went, he heard screams from another part of the castle. Shra had started his slaughter. Almost immediately after though, he heard music. The sound was Mireene's flute, her powerful spell came from her beautiful music. The rising notes gave him strength, more strength than usual. Switching tactics, Layien sent the air pulsing down the hall of the second floor of the castle. The women who had come to stop him were thrown backwards. It seemed the closer that he got to the far end of the hall, the more the women tried to stop him.

There was obviously someone, or something there that they didn't want him to get to. He moved through them easily enough though. His blade cut through each of them. He shifted between sending blasts of air to crush each against the wall or using his sword to run them through. By the time he'd made it to the far room, the hall behind him was nothing but a crimson mess with things broken or turned over from the fight.

The door exploded inwards as he pressed his hand against it. The wood shattered under his power and he stepped inside to see a single woman in the center of the room.

"Can I kill her?" Shra asked, suddenly at his side. The man's weapons were flaming and his frame was covered head to toe in splatters of blood. Mireene's music still came to them from her position right outside the double doors of the castle. She was safe, with no one threatening her there, Shra and Layien had nothing to worry about.

Layien sent his brother a lazy stare before he slowly stepped aside and sheathed his sword. Shra grinned broadly. He stalked into the room, the fires from his sword blazing outwards. Layien, with a wave of his hand, further fueled the weapons, making the fire grow even hotter and leap off the blade to catch random pieces of furniture on fire. Shra lifted the blades and in a single motion ran them both through the elder woman who had stood defiantly, glaring at both of them.

Together the brothers left the castle, having destroyed and killed everyone there. As they left the burning building to meet with Mireene outside, a dark shadow began to materialize near their younger sister. Mireene turned, her rustic gaze sparkling as she knew who it was that had come to see them. Kharun's body took solid shape as his magic faded away and he looked between the three of them.

"Seems we have some... heroes intent on finding us. Why don't you make it easier for them."

"With pleasure," Shra answered, sheathing his swords and putting their fire out at the same time. Mireene reached up and took his hand as she too smiled at her eldest brother.

"Shall I go with them?" Layien asked softly, the hood of his clothes tilting forward with his head as he bowed forward just slightly.

"It isn't necessary. It's only a greeting," Kharun's lips smirked ever so slightly before he disappeared once more into darkness. Shra grinned at his brother before Drevair took him into her body. Layien turned to look at the burning castle one last time before he too allowed his mother to take him to the next location.

A snort of laughter cut into the air as Drevair released two people on the edge of the ruined town. They weren't all that far away from the group that stood bickering with one another. Shra tilted his head off to the side, grinning wildly at them. Mireene watched each of them with a curious look on her face.

"Are these the ones that Kharun spoke of?" Shra asked, his voice wavering between full on hysterical laughter and curiosity. Mireene looked up to him and shrugged lightly, her hand still in his.

"I was... expecting more," she commented softly.

Her brother released her hand and drew his swords, his body shook from his laughter as he eyed them all, "It's a pity they're fighting amongst themselves. Perhaps we should let them kill each other instead!"

Mireene smiled lightly as she withdrew her flute. Shra ignited his blades as he turned his gaze to see one of them starting to leave the group.

"Heat it up, sister," he commanded and then left her side to confront the one leaving. He leveled his blade at the fully armored man, reaching him in a matter of seconds, "Where do you think you're going? Leaving the party so soon?" Shra laughed, swiped his other sword through the air and ignited the entire edge of the town, essentially giving the group no where to go, unless they wished to try to run from him. Shra silently hoped that they would, a chase was always invigorating.

"I'm sorry," her sweet voice called out then she put the flute to her lips.

Mireene's flute started playing, the sweet sound filling the air and with it, the heat grew. Taking from the fires and also the already hot day, she twisted it around in her magic and made the area a sweltering, melting pot. Shra swung once at the large, armored man and then darted away from him. His laughter followed his movement. The god darted right into the midst of the larger group and lashed out at each of them.

Then his eyes settled on the woman. The fire curling along his blades grew larger and he lunged at her, marking her as his first target to kill.

"I ain't seekin' t'take ANY lives! M'just tryin' t'scare some SENSE into ya! Most people en't fool enough t'keep on doin' whatever 'tis they're doin' when sumun's got a boomstick poin'ed at em'! I'll lower me gun when y'take the knife away from me friend's thro-"

At that moment, Kalson was interrupted by a sudden commotion as a man with red hair and swords aflame swooped in and began attacking the other group. The Woman and the pale Elf managed to dodge away, and the Knight had turned around and was moving to engage the red-haired man. Kalson stared dumbly for a few moments, before becoming imbued with a fury the likes of which he hadn't known since the day he defied his father and set out into the unknown. He commanded Dyntan to charge the red haired man, and Dyntan set off with considerable speed from something so heavily armored, while Kalson stowed his Pistol and retrieved a few other items from his pack that he'd later regret using. He retrieved a Syringe full of a potent substance he was bringing to a local Pugilist as a favor. But that didn't matter now, as the Pugilist was a charred corpse, strung up by his own innared to a lamppost. He injected himself with the syringe and felt his rage amplify tenfold, allowing him to shrug off the pain caused by his admittedly out-of-shape body very suddenly and violently erupting in dense musculature. Before he was completely consumed with rage, he shrugged off his shirt and overcoat, and retrieved a Hull Opener, a large cutting tool meant to dismantle enormous metal constructions. By this time, Dyntan had begun engaging Shra, and the knight was not far behind. With a howl of anger, he charged at Shra, closing the distance much quicker than his dwarven legs should allow, and began to madly hack and swing at the Red Haired Man.

Kain was already regretting his chosen course of action. Of course, he was regretting his earlier carelessness - when he ignored the two people, assuming they were bandits and of absolutely no interest to him - even more. He should have been the one to confront them, to hold the meeting on his own terms. Instead he allowed himself to be consumed by emotions, mostly frustration, and chose inaction. This was far from the first time he made this mistake, supposedly saving time on a pointless action only to end up in worse circumstances because of it. When was he going to finally learn?

What he said was partially true. The heated words about the Triumvirate and elvenkind were what any sufficiently brave elf would say. That is, provided his people didn't do a face-heel turn sometime during the two or so centuries he avoided all contact with them. Dwellers of the woods, elves did value any life more than humans, especially the brainwashed servants of three 'true' gods. But they valued it differently from said humans, as well, possibly appearing strange or even cruel at times. Nevertheless, they never got to the point of waging 'holy' wars against others.

Except none of that really mattered to Kain, it hadn't for a long time. Unfortunately, he would now have to pretend it did, since he pretended to be a normal elf. Which was, once again, the fault of his carelessness. The knight caught him by surprise, in a way, and he hadn't had the time to think of anything better. Of course, he instantly found another fault with this excuse: he didn't actually have to answer quickly. It was him who rushed with a response where it might have been better to stall for time and devise a different plan. He made some mistakes, but nothing would change from regretting it now. He could always reconsider his decision, but revealing anything about his true self at this point would lead to the worst possible outcome.

"Truly you are a man of virtue, sir knight." Kain smirked. He didn't actually need the knight unharmed to have him 'share' his knowledge. "You threaten to kill an unarmed woman for dressing athwart to your convictions, yet you make merry with an assassin. Who, apparently, talks people to death." He had almost forgotten how annoying mortals could be, with all their self-importance and petty troubles. While he lacked information, the group beside him was completely ignorant of the importance of what happened in Bergstadt. To them, it was just a slaughter of innocents, but he had seen it was much more than that.

The blond considered himself to be a very patient individual. He had to be, or he would have grown tired of life long ago. The question whether he was actually alive or not didn't matter at the time; he moved of his own will and was capable of rational thought, and if that didn't mean he was alive, then nothing would. Of course, he had quite a few interesting things to occupy himself with. He learned everything he could get his hands on. History, languages, other sciences. He lacked the aptitude to succeed in some of them, but he made sure to record everything in his head. What interested him the most were ancient and forbidden magicks. Unfortunately, those were not many.

Even with free access to limitless information, he would have given up on life if he had no patience. He would have fallen into an eternal slumber somewhere he wouldn't be disturbed. But he did no such thing; he tolerated people, the world and his own shortcomings, persevering in his goal. He considered himself very patient, and level-headed. Not fearing death, he was automatically freed of many instincts and emotions that polluted the minds of mortals. Having nobody but himself to care for, he couldn't be pressured. He was not born with a lot of talent, but no mortal could compare to him simply due to his massive experience and knowledge. But even being superior, he could be overwhelmed with sheer numbers. What allowed him to prevail so far were clear judgment and patience.

Then another elf appeared, interfering with arrogance and ignorance that rivaled that of the knight. His boastful gesture was cut short by the assassin, and for a moment Kain thought he would have loved to see the throat of his former kinsman sliced open. But a dwarf interfered, the assassin growled back, someone else started lurking nearby and the walking tin can spouted off some more self-righteous nonsense. The elf considered himself a very patient person, but even he had his limits.

"Enough!" He said, his voice booming and reverberating around the area akin to thunder. "Do you mortals ever cease your senseless bickering?! Here you are, each seeing yourself as this world's future savior, but all of you are completely ignorant of what's really going on here!" He looked around at every other person present. What possible reason could they have to visit this cursed place if not to seek the truth? The alternative was to plunder, but even a blind man could see there was nothing left.

"The creatures responsible for this are completely alien to what we know." He continued in a loud but no longer magically enhanced voice. "Their origin is a mystery, but they defy everything you recognize as natural. Even the laws of magic bend to their will." He made a tiny pause, watching how everyone reacted to his words. "You act so arrogantly when you might not even be capable of understanding just what you are dealing with. You, unthinking zealot, what will you do when a ravine suddenly opens up beneath your feet? And what good will your sniveling do, assassin, when the very air in your lungs turns to flame?" He had intended to point out a glaring fault in Valeria, as well, but so far, she was actually acting rather humbly.

"None of you could hope to slay any of these creatures even if you were to sacrifice yourselves in the process. What if you had to face three at once?" Kain was nearing the end of his speech. He had actually calmed down on the inside soon after he started berating this group, but he was only now lowering his voice to normal. "I loathe to admit it, but even I could only face one of them. Frankly, as it is now, our world is doomed." He decided it was time for a little honesty and despair.

"But it is not exceptional agility, strength or savagery that allowed sentient life to survive and multiply for centuries. Our greatest asset is our ability to adapt. Right now, adapting would be uniting against a common threat that appears set on eradicating all life." Kain said that sentence in a completely calm voice. They needed harsh words and despair to shake them free of their foolishness, and now they needed hope and inspiration in order to do the right thing. "I do not believe us meeting here - all of us - is a mere coincidence. We have all been guided here together, at the same time. Call it divine providence, fate or whatever you want; it matters not. We are all very different, but all of us are rather exceptional." He gave them a few moments to let all that sink in, smiling on the inside. All the talent in the world had nothing on his experience.

"What say you? Will you unite your strength, despite your differences, in hopes of saving all life? Or will you drown in arrogance and die in vain?" Those words, the choice, the final ultimatum was the perfect finishing touch to his previous words. He had gotten their attention, crushed their hopes and lifted their spirits. His words would leave them in a state of confusion, where they wouldn't be able to methodically analyze them all. At that point, were they to be presented with some form of choice, with no hints at a third option, they would be inclined to make it. Kain didn't take any of these people for saints - except maybe Valeria in her childish innocence - but it appeared all of them were driven by good intentions, if misguided. The assassin was the exception, but even he couldn't ignore a threat to his own life.

Almost as soon as he was done talking, the elf's senses alerted him to two new presences in the area. Their appearance was absolutely without warning, much worse than the assassin's. The cloaked man could obscure his position somehow, moving erratically from spot to spot, but his presence was constant. These two simply materialized in that very spot. Ordinary magic was out of the question: even a weak teleportation spell could be felt rather far from the destination, at least by a mage as proficient as himself.

"Make your decisions quickly." He said. "They're here." He saw clearly the red-haired man with twin blades going for the knight first. He didn't look that frightening to a normal person, being neither very tall nor outstandingly muscular. But what Kain felt would throw anyone who still feared death in a stupor. The man's power was enormous, violent, destructive... magnificent. If only he could consume his life, to take this power for himself... then even calling himself a god wouldn't be too arrogant. What if he could consume three of them? Or all of them, if there are more? Three times this much power, coupled with his vast knowledge and experience, and all of Drevair could become his toy to do with as he pleased.

But of course, if he hoped to make this power his own, he could not act carelessly. He needed to watch these beings carefully, learn their abilities, behavior and the best way to dispose of them. And he would certainly need to make use of his potential allies, at least to distract the other creature, if nothing more. His speech earlier may have shaken them up, but it wouldn't earn him their trust. There was only one way to do so, unfortunately, even if it held certain danger. Under different circumstances, he wouldn't permit himself such actions, but in this case, he felt the risk was justified.

As the 'man of crimson' dashed for Valeria, Kain could see him rather clearly. This was no god, only a man imbued with unique power. He was still largely a mystery, but his face betrayed very ordinary, if rather perverse, emotions. And if he was no god, then he could be killed. That was all he needed to know, really. The fake god's main abilities appeared rather straightforward as well; control over fire and martial prowess. He needed no genius strategy to be defeated. The blond stepped forth, conjuring a stream of water to knock back the assailant. Before he could continue, however, the dwarf interfered. It was just as well; the other 'god' appeared more troublesome anyhow.

A magic of different kind caused heat to rise in the area. Kain wouldn't be bothered just as long as it wasn't enough to set him on fire, but he didn't want to reveal his hand just yet. That and he needed to consider the well-being of his 'friends' - it would be pointless to let them die so soon. However, devising a counter-spell for this rather unusual magic would take time he didn't have; someone had to buy some.

"Elf, shoot the other one!" He shouted to the archer, who, during his long introduction, forgot to mention his name. His 'order' would obviously be heard by the red-haired being, and that meant one of four things. He might rush back to protect his comrade; this was unlikely. He might attempt to remove the threat; this was most likely. He might grow angry at the 'leader' and assault Kain himself; this was also likely. Or he could ignore that completely and attack them seemingly at random as before. The blond was prepared to act in the case of the more likely options, while the first was preferable since it would remove the immediate threat for a short time. The last possibility was a bit problematic, but he hoped the people chosen by their respective societies for this mission would be capable enough to not die right away.

The Knight, somewhat made her angry. It is very rare to see herself angry, but this man...He was an exception. He had taken a step forward and yelled, “Accusations! How dare ye! What am I supposed to think, with you dressed as a harlot gallivanting around in the ruins of a town with some wispy Elf! No decent woman would do such a thing! This is all your fault for being so suspicious!” His words were harsh, and cruel. She could tell he wanted to spit on her and her religion, but Sia teaches us to be forgiving towards the weak. She did not blame him for his religion, because it is what he truly believes. If he thought that she was a harlot, then that is his choice to think of such things. She wanted to scream at him, saying that he doesn't know who she is, she wanted to burn his helm into a crumbling mess over his skull. But she didn't, because she knew that would be wrong, she would of gone against Sia's teachings, but also she wouldn't forgive herself for harming someone that did nothing to her. She stood there, silent and with her gaze at the ground. She could still feel the knights eyes, staring down at her in shame.

“What of this Halfer and his tree-hugger friend? Truly an unholy union if ever there was one. Don’t tell me they are the pair who did this?” He had continued, his voice somewhat calmer of how he spoke to her. The assassin answered with a chuckle, probably at the rage of the knight? This made Valeria smile, she lifted her head up and regained herself. "Ah... quaint but no, big man. No I think our late arrivals are others such as ourselves." The assassin had said, eyeing Valeria with those golden eyes again, it may seem stupid but she had gotten used to the man's gaze. Until he spoke again, "Or perhaps traveling rapists come to plunder any bountiful young maidens they may happen across. And you certainly are bountiful aren't you?..." This made her red at her cheeks, just the thought...NO! Stop it Valeria! You musn't think of such things! she had thought to herself. The man had seemed to take joy in telling her such things, this made him more annoying than the knight. So she decided to ignore his honeyed words.

"Gentlemen, you are currently in the aim of one of the greatest archers that graced the earthly plains of Dreivar! This bow I clasp in my very hands is enchanted, and therefore no mere wooden lump for a simple huntsman, and it is not the only thing that is enchanted! I recommend you all step back from the gorgeous young lady who's beauty would make the Triumvirate tosser here reconsider his religious views, before you all suddenly highly resemble a hedgehog." There standing just a distance away was an elf, wielding a bow which was taller than the elf himself and he was ready to shoot. She was flustered, being called 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful' was flattering, but was just something about him that didn't seem right. Something that made her want to run away from the sight of him. In a flash the assassin appeared behind the bowman and held a dagger to his throat saying something which Valeria didn't quite hear. And then a dwarf appeared, he seemed quite clad gizmo's and small trinkets wielding some sort of...weapon? He aimed the device of some sorts to the assassin's head, things were getting quite dangerous and fragile.

Then, the knight started to walk away, saying something before he took a step away, “I am not regretful to announce we shall part ways here. Clearly I overestimated the use you all might’ve posed for my holy quest. The red haired man is even now turning the innocent to ash and, though the idea is tempting, I have no time to stain my blade with your blood. I wish you all… I shall just say I pray for your souls.” Then he started to walk towards the edge of the forest, a lost soul searching for help. Her impression of knights are no longer kept to them being strong, 'defenders of the weak' or chivalrous but sad...

A flaming sword struck at the armour of the knight, he jolted back taken by surprise. Valeria wanted to go and help the knight, but something haunted her from moving. Crimson... she had thought, it was the same man that killed the girl in her vision. But why come back? Then the forest started to light up in flames, and Valeria heard a chilling song in her ears. It was starting to get hot, to hot for her liking. Then the crimson man swiftly made his way into the centre of the group, Valeria quickly regained herself and jumped backwards, barely missing the slashing blade. Red eyes suddenly fixated onto her, she was out into the open, with no one to help her, frozen she stood there as the man came dashing towards her, the look of insanity spread across his face. He was close, then a figure came in front of her, it was the dwarf, but he seemed different, he had abnormal muscles for a dwarf seemed to be full of rage as he began to charge at the man. Valeria was filled with adrenaline and began to run towards the knight, she didn't know why. Maybe she still had feelings for knights, or maybe she just felt safe?

Fear would have been the appropriate response. Fear and terror, either which would have made sense. To stand before such beings, such forces of nature as this any mortal creature, elf, dwarf, man or otherwise should fall to their knees in terror or flee in panic. Yet as Athos stood taken aback at the sight, releasing the elf in his grip as he did so, he witnessed bravery, strength, strategic thinking born of circumstance, even self sacrifice. The dwarf who risked his own body by injecting himself with a syringe that twisted and contorted his body into some sort of hulking brute form. The woman who rushed to the knights side after he abandoned her and everyone else only moments prior. The noble elf who berated the group with an impassioned speech before barking out sound orders like a battlefield general.

The fear that the assassin should have felt was absent, in it's place was something he had not felt in a very, very long time, hope. These few assembled could do this. They could best these false gods, these men and women who thought themselves divine. Initially that was where Athos drew his courage and self reliance from for this task. The idea of killing a god may seem daunting until you realize there is no such thing as gods. No, this is a truth Athos had known for years and years, fitting he had been hired for this task.

As the primary focus seemed to be on the more dangerous of the two, the fire wielder, Athos turned his attention to the music player. The innocent looking girl peacefully playing her death song on her flute as her ally brought fire and steel to bear. That song, the tune seemed to fill ones minds and fill it with dread. Inaction was easy when panic set in, yet to look upon the Crimson Man he seemed full of vigor and vitality. Perhaps it didn't affect him or worse, did the opposite and made him stronger, in which case...

Athos vanished from sight, stepping into the world of the unseen as only he could. The no where man began to move, silently teleporting across the battlefield somewhat erratically to ensure that by chance if these powerful magic users could somehow keep track of him they would not be able to focus on him for long. The assassin moved like a vengeful spirit, a ghost come for blood. Closer now he came, so near the white haired music player he could almost smell her sweet scent. The tiny woman, petite in stature seemed so innocent, so harmless to be contributing to the utter desolation around her. To see her standing in her pristine white dress in the charred ruins of the burnt city playing her sad song was almost beautiful.

Blade poised ready to strike, death loomed over the musician. The golden eyes of the killer fixed on her as her own eyes were closed and almost serene as she played away on her flute. The unseen hand reached out menacingly, fingers almost twitching with killer intent. The other hand gripped a razor sharp dagger, pulled back ready to burrow into it's victim like the fangs of a serpent. He would let her see him before it was done, he would let her see what death looked like. The hand reached its target and grabbed hold and as his fingers wrapped around the flute he allowed his cloak of invisibilty to melt away revealing for her the horrible truth of her circumstance.

Standing before her, shrouded in black with eyes of gold stood the killer of men, the assassin Athos Lorio. His left hand gripping the flute in the young woman's hands ceasing her playing. His other held his dagger poised to plunge it into her skull.

"Your song of death is beautiful, let me play you mine..."

With that he thrust forward.

As Karvilus had a knife against his throat with near to nil chance of escaping the assassin's grasp, the elf mercenary decided he should probably do as the masked man said, and lowered his bow, though not without holding his arrow backwards, pointing at the man's nether regions. If he was going to be killed, it would at least bring a smile to his face the fact he would leave the earthly plain by impaling the assassin's manhood with an arrow in hand. Before he could think of a way to bluff himself out of the situation, Kalson was aiming a pistol at the assassin's head, his construct guardian not far behind, to which he grinned in relief. which melted somewhat as he and the assassin began arguing, the man who had a knife against his throat pointing out the dwarf's 'flaws', to which the elf sighed before adding; "Just shoot this son of a b**ch tiny! I'll make it out of this alright, trust me, been in worse scrapes before and came out on top, just one of my multitude of examples of brilliance I suppose."

Before he could add anything to his comment however he met with the puzzling sight of the Triumivirate knight storming off, complaining he was sick of the present company, causing the nobleman, who upon closer inspection was a fellow elf, went into a furious rant against them all, berating them of their arrogance and foolish behaviour. He explained to them all that those behind the destruction of Kartolheim and Bergstadt were not of anything that was known, and everyone would need to cooperate to stand against this menace, to which Karv partly agreed, and then noted; "Wait, so you lot aren't hassling the poor lass who is a picture of perfect beauty here?"
His words fell on deaf ears as the sudden appearance of the two gods occurred right before their eyes, one with red hair and twin blades as described by the survivor, who just unleashed a fiery fury around the area, accompanied by a beautiful petite woman who played a flute, which oddly also made the heat much more unbearable.

Much to Karv's relief, the assassin decided to let go of him, causing him to be baffled for a few moments, especially at the sudden chaotic events, especially bewildered by the dwarfs sudden change, before quickly grabbing his bow and drawing it with three arrows at the same time, and rushing to atop a pile of debris which gave him somewhat a better vantage point and took aim at the red haired man. He then suddenly heard the firm order of the blonde elf, to which Karv hesitated for a few moments, frowning at the musical beauty, before giving himself a slap in the face and grumbling to himself; "You're a bloody mercenary for Yggdrasil's sake, now act like it! Pity I have to shoot at someone as lovely looking a sher but hey, she's a psychopath 'god'."
He then swerved and fired his three arrows at Mireene with a flinch, unaware at the appearance of Athos behind his target before deciding to bellow down at his new companions; "Just so you sorry bunch know, I am a former healer! I know how to treat a wound or two, anything serious needs fixing give a holler!"
Karv decided he best of let them know about it as soon as possible, a battle against gods was no place for lack of information.

This was impossible. Johannes stood as the heat suddenly surrounded him, wide eyed and confused. He had not yet dared look around be he could hear the chaos caused by the flames. He did not dare look. It was as if he had spoken of the foul dark one and it had appeared, as it so often did in the holy scriptures. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword and squeezed, but he could not bring himself to draw it. He was frozen, all he could do was slowly turn around and face the great evil from the inferno.

But what he saw was no such thing. What he saw was chaos, fire and anger, desperation and most of all, battle. Johannes knew battle and it knew him. The confusion faded from his mind and years of hard training and experience in war settled in its place. He could see clearly now. The elf, arrogantly shouting orders, but they were clearly accurate and well thought trough. Music suddenly reached his ears then, a beautiful song. For a moment, Johannes feared it, but that was soon replaced with a calm he had never felt. Someone was playing the song of war and death and Johannes knew it note for note.

The dwarf charged forward, suddenly much larger than Johannes remembered. Did his clan possess the secrets of the berserker rage? Johannes wondered, but found the dwarf did not draw his eyes. It was the woman and she was rushing towards him. Did she panic and simply run in a random direction? It did not seem like it to Johannes. He couldn't figure it out. All he knew was that he had a chance to redeem his earlier shameful and rash actions.

When she reached him he spoke to her, calmly, yet firmly. “Stand behind me and no harm shall befall you.” He had no time to check whether she followed his directions, the crimson demon was not the kind of opponent that warranted taking your eyes off him. Johannes nodded quietly to himself, before drawing his sword and holding it straight up in front of him, the tip reaching for the heavens and the blade vertically in front of his face. Johannes lowered his head slightly and he could feel the favour of the Triumvirate.

“With sword in hand, I shall cleanse the world of impurity.” Johannes said, his voice calm and of normal strength, even as a faint glow settled on his sword.
“I am the white sword that cuts away at the darkness.” He continued, his voice growing in strength, even as his sword began to glow a pure white.
“I am the black shield, which guards the innocent.” His voice slowly began to take on booming qualities, slowly spreading across the battlefield, even as his shield began to glow, the divine aura spreading beyond the size of the triangular heater shield.
“I am the black cross under which the faithful rest! I am Johannes de Witte and in Their names, I shall smite thee!” His final prayer, his final battlecry carried it with it all the strength that hid within Johannes. Even as his armour began to glow like his sword and shield, all now filled with divine magic. Johannes stood there for a moment, before glancing back at the woman.

“My name is Johannes and you will be safe behind me.” He said, adding an unseen smile from behind his helmet. He didn't know if this woman could protect herself. But if she couldn't, the best way to protect the weak was to slay the wicked. With that in mind Johannes charged, his massive body faster than one might expect, like a charging bull he raced for the crimson demon as both the elf and the dwarf engaged him.

When he came within range he lifted his glowing white sword, its divine magic whistling as he swung it through the air and brought it down upon the crimson demon, for once taking care not to cut down the dwarf along with him.

Valeria had reached the knight, and thankfully he was unharmed by the man in crimsons blow. Valeria sighed in relief, she was relieved to see the knight safe. But she does not know why, caused by some unknown feeling in the bottom of her heart? The knight looked at her and said firmly, “Stand behind me and no harm shall befall you.” She did as he asked quickly and stood behind him, she was suddenly calm hearing his voice. She stood just a few steps behind the knight, trying to pull her ears away from that terrible music, but still she kept her gaze on the knight. He pulled out his gleaming sword, and started to chant something religious. After the first verse his sword started to glow, then the shield and then his armour. He was like a divine light shining through an eternal darkness, he seemed like he was given power by some divine force.

He turned briefly only to say, “My name is Johannes and you will be safe behind me.” She could feel a tone of bravery on his voice, and then he began to charge off towards the crimson demon. Johannes... That is the name of the knight, it turns out that he is like the knights in the story books. Strong, Brave and Defenders of the weak...

She watched helplessly as Johannes was battle locked with the crimson man, she felt like she could do anything, if she would conjure up her magic it may hit one of her comrades. Comrades... thinking of it in that way feels strange, but it would of happened in the end, these people have come here to achieve a shared goal, to find out what is going on, to stop the flowing of the blood of innocents. She wanted to keep herself safe, but she wanted to keep run. Her comrades are going up against the thing that did this... She couldn't bring herself to look at his face, this will truly be something that will haunt her for the rest of her life, the face that inflicted so much horror and death into the minds of the people who called this city home...

Annikar's nose twitched at a new scent and she whirled about to face the new figures. They were even stranger then the others, the way they moved and spoke, brimming with the confidence that only came from sheer strength and power. And then the man with crimson hair swung his sword and the fire blazed up in an eyeblink. That was all the indication Annikar needed.

But she waited for a moment, in order to see how these gods would fight. The man already showed an incredible display of magic, but the girl was still a mystery. She played a flute, as if the battle was not at all important. But then Annikar began to feel the temperature rise, far above even the heat being given off by the flames. She grimaced and shifted about uncomfortably, she was unaccustomed enough to heat without her armor. This would have to be ended quickly. Especially before one of these fools could possibly have the stroke of luck needed to slay one of the god first and steal her glory.

After she saw the crusader distract the crimson man, Annikar unsheathed her sword in one swift motion, hoping that the scraping metal sound would be lost amidst the raucous and flames. She quickly made her way towards the girl with the flute, weaving between the wreckage of burned out homes. When one of the other strangers appeared in an eyeblink behind the girl, Annikar paid him no heed. It was the only distraction she needed as she jumped onto the top of a pile of ash and bricks, then leaped off with inhuman grace, her sword raised over her head to strike down at the mysterious girl as she landed beside her.

"Elf, shoot the other one!"

Shra glanced over at the one who issued the order. A loud sound interfered with his thoughts and as he was about to swing and cut through the woman, a short man with a wicked looking weapon attacked him. Shra glowered at the dwarf who was swinging the grinding weapon at him. Using both blades, he managed to get the weapon away from doing any serious damage. Even so, the blade cut against his side as he shifted it. This infuriated him. The flames around the blades burst, extending outwards as he shoved at the dwarf to knock him over.

The dwarf had been insane, attacking him in such a fashion. The small cut along his side burned slightly and gave him cause to be more than just a little angry. The insolent little thing had cut him. Then to add to it, the knight had returned to the battled and swung his brightened sword, slashing heavily. Shra twisted, slamming his weapon into the sword to knock it off to the side. He moved quickly, nearly a blur for his rage fueled him. He made to slam the other sword through the damned humans armor and cut him down in one single blow.

As he came close, shoving the sword at the knight there was a startling shout from behind him. Shra immediately disengaged from that fight and put enough space between himself and the others to assist his sister. Whirling around, he slashed the blades through the air, working his fire to cut off whoever it was that was attacking his sister. His fire would not hurt her, but anyone near her would certainly be burned. A wall of flame came up between Mireene and her attackers, protecting her and cutting them off from hurting her further.

"Mireene," he called knowing that she would know what he wanted then. The music that had been playing that turned the area into an inferno had stopped. However, once he'd freed her from those that attacked her, the music from her flute played once again. The tune was much different and his power grew immensely. He stood for a moment, drinking in her fueling magic and then faced the two who had attacked her. They were going to pay for that. Shra shifted his body just enough and then burst forward at them, dust and dirt kicking up as he moved via his own magic.

As he got closer, he swung at both of them, aiming for the hooded and cloaked mans' head and aiming for the woman's abdomen as he went. The fires leaped forward, licking outwards at them in a hungry attempt to burn them to nothing but ash.



A barrage of arrows assaulted her, but Mireene's eyes watched them come at her and she nimbly dodged each of them, continuing to play her flute as she did so.

"Your song of death is beautiful, let me play you mine..."

Her heart jumped as a hand clenched her flute and brought it down from her lips. The heat in the area faded away, aside from the already burning flames. Her rustic gaze widened slightly as the man appeared in front of her out of no where. It reminded her a lot of Kharun, except he always faded in and out of black darkness. His knife came at her, shoved right at her face. She twisted away, dodging as best she could from the sudden attack.

Even so, the weapon cut across her high cheek bone and she gave a shout, one of anger and surprise. Then from the side someone else jumped into the fight with her. They leapt down at her, swinging their blade. Mireene's hand tightened around her flute and she swiftly dodged out of the way, the weapon cutting her dress only as she moved. Shra must have heard her shout for a moment after she was wreathed in fire. Part of her hoped that the one who'd cut her face would be burned to nothing as she wrenched her flute free and replaced it to her lips.

Hearing her brothers call, she began to play again, fueling his strength. After several moments of playing to increase his magic and abilities, she added to the song and used the heat of the fires around her to begin heating the area once again. The mixture of notes played softly from her flute, echoing out towards the very edges of the destroyed town.

Barley with enough time to avoid the searing heat that surrounded the Crimson Man Athos fought to stay alive. As the blades of roaring flame came for him they scorched only air. The blades came for his head but in the last moment Athos vanished, reappearing a few paces away. Falling to his knee the super heated air had filled his lungs just before he vanished and he was still choking on the almost volcanic air in his lungs. Sweat beaded down his face as his eyes seemed to lose focus. His mind was struggling with the event as his body fought for cool air to return to him. Athos was replaying the last few seconds, which could have easily been his last few seconds, over again in his head as he quietly muttered to himself.

"Impossible... it's impossible, no one could have avoided that, no one..."

He was in shock. Complete and utter, terrifying shock at the what had just transpired. He had her, he had the woman dead to rights yet somehow she evaded his killing blow. How many times had he slain others in a similar fashion? How many lives had he taken with that same tactic? At that range no one should have been able to dodge that strike yet she had done so. Athos stared out into the dirt as time seemed to stand still for his mind to comprehend the impossible thing that had just transpired. He remembered lunging forward, blade poised to burrow itself in the pretty young womans face. He remembered the surprise in her eyes as she flicked them open. He remembered the rush of wind as his blade missed it's mark. The quiet, the crushing silence before she brought the flute to her lips once more. Then came the heat and the fury, fueled by concern and her other worldly music.

Athos slowly rose his gaze to the fire wielder with wide eyes of disbelief, the blades had swung wide sending torrents of flame arcing out from the epicenter to engulf anything nearby in flame. Such raw, unadulterated power the likes of which he had never witnessed. What could he do against such unbridled strength. What chance could he stand when he couldn't even land a single blow?!

His fist clenched around the dagger still in his hand and it was then he noticed the blood. Still dripping from the tip of his blade the crimson substance ran along the edge of the blade to the point before forming tiny droplets on the tip. A wicked, dark smile etched its way onto the assassin's face as his golden eyes refocused and looked up. The blood of a god stained his blade, a miraculous thing if these things were in fact gods at all. He could cut them, they could bleed after all, they were fallible and he just proved that to himself. They could die and they would, with luck they would go painfully.

Athos slowly rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on the Crimson Man. Ready to finish what he started with the girl he would first need to get some space from the warrior. He'd need to wound him or at least busy him fighting away from the girl so he could hack her damned arms off so she couldn't raise that flute again. Menacingly Athos' hand reached to his back and drew his sword, a rare thing for him to do for there were few that would live long enough that he'd actually have to engage but this was a special circumstance.

The assassin launched his hellish assault. Vanishing from sight only to reappear at the Crimson Man's side Athos slashed viscously before dissappearing in the next instant and reappearing on a different side of him to slash again and a again. Fighting beside this mysterious armored woman the assassin moved with such speed and erratic teleportations his movements could barley be tracked with the naked eye.

It appeared the blood of two gods would stain the assassin's blade this day.

The battlefield was chaos, plain and simple. Kain would have secured himself the role of the leader of this colorful group, but the gods' sudden arrival threw a wrench in that. More importantly, he hadn't had the time to establish some sort of order among his 'comrades', so everyone was off doing their own thing. While all of them were skilled in their own way, no doubt, they hadn't yet learned to work together at all. In fact, they were probably getting in each other's way more than anything.

The dwarf - whose sudden change in appearance was a different matter - jumped in front of him when he was ready to face the 'fire god', while the assassin chose to assault the female 'god' from the front even though he would certainly interfere with the archer's aim by doing so. Valeria had done even better: she ran and hid behind the knight, who was incidentally the only one of the group to actually threaten her so far. That girl had more than a few screws loose, but more importantly, she had no place in a fight. He could have guessed as much with a single glance at her - this was not the case of a misleading appearance. She didn't turn out to be the kind to pull through in a tight spot, either.

While Kain's initial idea to get the male god's attention didn't exactly work out, partly because of the group's uncoordinated actions, the same result was achieved thanks to the assassin and another person, the one who kept herself hidden earlier. The white-haired girl screamed, and the red-haired man came to her rescue. He fended off her two assailants and surrounded her with a wall of flame, probably for protection. The elf watched this rather closely; what may have looked like minor details or coincidences to others were all clear signs for him. He managed to deduce several things from his observation. Some of them could seem obvious, but he knew assumptions were a bad idea when dealing with the unknown.

For one, the 'gods' appeared inclined to help each other in trouble, even when it was likely more rational not to. They appeared not only to possess different abilities, but sharply different skill sets. No normal person could have dodged the assassin's strike, but the girl's response was retreat, not a counter-attack, where the man chose assault. More specifically, the girl had done nothing but use unusual spells with the medium of her flute, while her companion only used manipulation of fire and his twin swords. Both of them had already been harmed - if only lightly - and Kain didn't think either of them was faking their emotions, especially the man with his rage. That raised a question: why had these two, who called themselves gods, not used any different or greater powers against the group yet?

He couldn't be completely certain, but it seemed like they couldn't do anything else. They had certain powers and that was it. This simple fact could significantly tip the scales of this clash, and the whole affair with the gods for that matter. Once you knew the limits of your opponent, defeating them was only a matter of devising a way to exploit said limits. There were times when the difference in power was too great for any strategy to offset, of course, but their situation wasn't like that. The fact they weren't all dead - in fact, none of them were even seriously hurt yet - was proof enough. There was another thing he noticed, but it wasn't going to make a big difference at this point.

The course of action was clear: take out the weak link. What he needed now was a way to bypass the wall of flame. Going through himself was likely a bad idea, considering what happened to Bergstadt. Try to get her with a spell? The gods were arrogant, but he wasn't going to assume they were stupid; the barrier was meant to protect her well, and Kain had displayed use of magic before. He could hardly imagine a wall of fire doing that, but a lot of things about these beings defied what he knew to be true. It guarded her against direct assault and likely magic, but what about something different?

Kain broke into a run toward the two gods and two people. He grabbed a good boulder, about the size of his head, as he moved along. What he was about to do was going to betray his abnormal, especially for his 'wispy' - as the good knight described him - build, strength, but there were more important things at stake than keeping that hidden. Going around the three engaged in combat, he cast his 'weapon' at the white-haired female, aiming for her head. The stone didn't follow the 'lazy' path that one might expect, going up only to fall down later. Instead, it whizzed right towards its target, no slower than a throwing knife.

The flames around her protected her from just about anything, hot enough to turn a human to ash if they so much as touched it. Powerful enough to stop anything else that came at her. She was at ease in her silent sanctuary. All thanks to Shra. She could hear his rage just beyond her barrier of fire, could hear the blades slamming into one another as he fought furiously and her magic fueled him to be far more powerful than he was moments before. He was faster, his fire stronger and he own physical stamina much more than any persons.

She never would have noticed the rock that had been hurled at her, not if Layien hadn't suddenly popped up right in front of her from Drevair's body. His blade unsheathed and in a single flash of silver steel, he sliced the rock in two, the pieces falling away from them. She was slightly startled with his appearance, but she didn't stop playing her flute. At least not until her brother raised his hand and looked at her.

"Kharun calls for us," he ordered, then he looked to Shra, "Cease."

Shra turned a quick glare at him and disregarded his words completely. Layien sighed as he stood in front of Mireene, protecting her from anything else that wished to interfere.

"He's not going to be happy if he has to come get you," Layien muttered with a frown.



That bloody human was really starting to piss him off. Bouncing around as he was, it was making Shra crazy. His blades connected with the others several times, knocking the sword and dagger away from him as the man attempted to cut him. It reminded him so much of how Kharun fought. Pathetic, cowardly. Face him properly! A slash got past his whirling blades, just barely nicking his arm. He ground his teeth as his weapons whirled, seemingly nonstop in movement as he lit the very ground on fire. With a broad grin that steadily took over his angry features, Shra finally decided a different tactic was in need.

The fires from his swords licked up towards his arms and he soon was wreathed in the red hot flames. He moved then, shifting his body from one side to the other, never standing still. The blades slashed outwards in all directions as he twisted them around and around, the fire growing hotter as he went. He was intent on killing that damned human who kept disappearing on him, and he would have blood spill on the ground if it was the last thing he ever did.

"Come here, little human," he growled with pleasure as he whirled around, lighting the ground on fire with each step he took, "Lets see you fight me now."

Rage was a funny thing. Anyone who fancied themselves a skilled warrior found it easy to belittle it, to damn it as the actions of the foolish or careless. To see it as only a savage, wild, haze that blinded the warrior in combat yet this was only to see its faults. Rage, as all things, had its strengths. Rage made you fearless, it made you strong and unflinching. Rage turned a ordinary man into a beast that consumed all in its path. To stand before rage was terrifying and chaotic, fear crept into the hearts of those standing against rage.

Such strength rage provided that as his fiery transformation took hold the swirling blades of hell fire, slashing wildly in all directions ended Athos' lightning fast attacks. In the brief moment when he appeared beside the fire bearer one of the blades struck the assassin. The fire seemed to erupt on impact sending Athos flying backwards, to tumble through the ash of Bergstadt, his armor hissing from the heat. Fortunately for the assassin while the blow was savage it did not strike anything vital. The red hot blade of the Crimson Man, wreathed in flame, sliced cleanly through the assassin's black armor leaving a nasty gash along his chest. While a shallow wound the skin and flesh sizzled with heat. Athos gritted his teeth in pain as his body exploded with the pain that accompanied the wound.

That strength born of rage, while powerful, did blind one. It blinded the Crimson Man to two things. It blinded him to the separation he was putting between himself and his kin. Even as a third "god" appeared calling for an end to the duel the rage in the Crimson Man's heart muted the words and they went unheeded. The second thing it blinded him to was something much more subtle. It blinded him to the body language of the assassin as he rose from the dirt where he fell.

The Crimson Man coated his body in flame, like armor born of fire it covered his body from head to toe. The man on fire stepped forward, igniting the very earth with each step. Wicked glee poured fourth from the maw of the fire deity.

"Come here, little human, lets see you fight me now."

The words were dripping with malicious intent, as if some great predator was speaking to its wounded prey. Yet the predator seemed to not notice that the prey was not running any longer. His evasion had ceased, his erratic blinking had come to an end after the viscous blow. He stood staring down the fire god with eerie calm as his own blood dripped down his dark visage. Beneath that black mask of his Athos Lorio smiled. The grin rivaled the fire gods malice in full.

"As you wish."

Was all he said before he too coated his body in a protective aura of his own. Where the Crimson Man allowed his body to be consumed by flame the assassin's body was consumed by nothingness. His body vanished from the world of the visible and walked now among the unseen. Unlike before he did not reappear elsewhere but remained hidden. The Crimson Man for all his power and rage could burn cities to the ground, scorch the earth with a touch, hack young women in two but could not fight what he could not see.

The blade cut through the air, tip aimed for the base of the fire gods spine. The volcanic heat would no doubt melt the blade once it hits its mark but it mattered not. Once lodge firmly in the back of the Crimson Man's neck it would have served its purpose. Athos put all his strength and silent speed into the unseen thrust as he stood behind the man on fire, ready to kill a god.

Karvilus looked in bafflement as Mireene managed to dodge every single arrow he fired at her, and in greater befuddlement as he saw that not only the assassin, but also a grey skinned woman attacked the flute playing goddess, to which this all caused the elf to simply cry out; "What the flying f**k?", though his expression softened when Mireene gave him a compliment, though admittedly a rather confusing one.

Karv buckled back at the sudden increase of heat and flame, finding the rubble he stood upon had set alight once more due to stray fire. He dived off his vantage point landing on his feet with a thud and forcing himself into a forward role minimize impact, cursing as his arrows fell from his quiver, to which he clambered to reclaim. Once his arrows returned to his quiver, he watched then ongoing battle between his 'companions' and the gods, mesmerized at their staggering skill and ability in battle and quietly whispering to himself; "Looks like this job is going to be the death of me."
He pried his bow for another shot, aiming at Shra, but cursed under his breath when the monstrous swordsman was barely visible blur on the battlefield, and turned his attention at Mireene again firing an arrow only for it to be knocked asunder by a tossed boulder, which Karv reacted with a quick; "Now that is just bulls**t!"
His anger was quickly replaced yet again with surprise as a newcomer casually sliced the boulder in half with his sword! The elf stood stunned for a few moments before speaking out-loud, more to himself than anyone; "Ahhhh what the hell, let's see if the worlds best archer can kill a man with a over-sized butter knife.", and began rapidly firing arrow after arrow towards Layien's direction, applying his abnormal speed into practice has his hands became a flurry. "That stroppy red git of a swordsman and the enticingly beautiful musician there aren't the only one with speed better than the average warrior!" Karv called out with a mischievous grin, giving a wink towards Valeria and Annikar.

He shifted slightly, catching sight of the oncoming projectiles that were aimed at him. He waited for the arrows to get just close enough and then moved his weapon. The blade lifted, fell and moved from side to side. Only the flat of the weapon was used, redirecting the arrows as they came at him in a rush. Layien had to give the one who shot at him some respect. There were very few who were gifted with such speed.

The sound of steel arrow heads hitting his blade was almost a constant as he stood there, protecting Mireene who had raised her flute once more to fuel both men then.

"That stroppy red git of a swordsman and the enticingly beautiful musician there aren't the only one with speed better than the average warrior!"

To this, Layien raised an eyebrow as he continued to defend, never moving far and only moving his sword to deflect the attack, "Seems he likes you, Mireene. Pity we have to kill them."

"I don't like him," she responded shortly, taking the flute from her lips for that mere moment and then playing on again. Layien's lips pulled into a smirk at her response. His magic swirled around him, growing tired of the constant barrage of arrows. The air shifted and he flicked the fingers of his free hand opened over the edge of his blade. A burst of wind expelled from him, going through the arrows and straight for the archer who was attacking him.



He'd lost track of the man, a most annoying thing. However, he didn't really care because no matter what, his body was a burning inferno and the fool would be stupid to think of getting close to him without getting burned. As he stood there, the shadows from the fires all around began to grow quickly and in a near instant everything around Shra was pitch black. He felt rather than saw Kharun right behind him. The man's back just barely brushed his own. Right after Kharun appeared, cold steel cut along the back of his neck.

Startled, Shra shifted, moving off to the side even as the blade was moved. The wound was deep, but not life threatening. Even so, just the thought that the man had nearly killed him was enough to enrage him.

Kharun squeezed tightly around the wrist of the assassin who'd almost made his mark. His lips were pulled into a smile as he gripped the other tightly, having shifted the direction of the attack just in time. His darkness lingered there around them for a long while.

"Cannot attack what you cannot see," Kharun said slowly, "Seems you and I share the same thoughts."

Kharun pulled the assassin closer, just long enough to ask him, "But do your abilities rival mine? We shall see, Athos."

Releasing him, Kharun stepped back and the darkness disappeared along with him and the other three Gods. Once again it was like they'd never been there.

Bergstadt, Hours earlier

Karvilus, cocky grin diminished with each arrow that was deflected by Layien, a sight which dumbstruck the elf, never having seen such skill of the sword before, which admittedly gave him unease. As he continued his barrage of arrows at the 'god' his unease feeling was suddenly replaced with a a sudden strike of being insulted as Mireene casually knocked aside his sweet nothings about her to which he replied mockingly; "Alas, it was not to be nonetheless, fair maiden of musical prowess! For in case you hadn't realised, you and your friends are deeply in the s**t for the massacre of these villages!", but his grin disappeared altogether as saw the very arrows flying true towards Laiyen being sliced in thin air while the sword had not even glanced them. This made Karv pause for a few moments, lowering his bow as he squinted at Laiyen in confusion, before his eyes widened, his mouth forming into an 'O' as he was struck off his feet from the sudden attack of a scything wind, cutting his leather armour as if it was merely parchment, caught off-guard at the air based attack.

"I hate bloody wind magic.", the elf grumbled as he hastily clambered back upon his feet, before immediately sprinting for a better vantage point, atop yet another smouldering pile of rubble. He took the moment to peer round the current ensuing battle, deciding promptly that things weren't exactly favourable to him or the fellow combatants against the gods, but he'd be damned before he let a pair of scantily clad woman met her fate with death and not in his own arms gushing words of affection at him. Besides, i'd seem a bit of heartless move to abandon the decent seeming dwarf he met earlier, though the rest he admittedly had little qualms over their death. He planned on firing arrows in Valeria's defence before he saw that the 'gods' had vanished from sight, causing the mercenary to scratch his scalp in greater befuddlement. He had been through a rather puzzling day. He then noticed out of the corner of his eye there was someone gravely injured, to which he diverted his attention. It was Athos collapsed on the floor with severe wounds. Karv grinned to himself at the sight, chuckling out loud; "Ha, serves the sneaky son of a whore right! Save me the trouble of dealing with the poor wretch myself after this whole gods business!"
His smirk weakened as he kept staring, remembering that the assassin was actually pretty effective when he was combating Shra, to which he sighed to himself in frustration before complaining under his breath; "Why the f**k am I the only healer here?", as he leapt from his vantage point and sprinted towards Athos.

The Present
Now inside the inn along with the others that combated against the powerful beings behind the attack on Bergstadt, Karvilus Leafgrinder, downed his ale as he leaned back in his chair, his expression weary from the recent events, and listened to Kain's Introduction. Oddly, the name seemed familiar to Karv, perhaps he heard of an elven nobleman of the name before? The mercenary shrugged it off as mere case of deja vu, and placed his mug ungracefully atop the table.
"Though I doubt a marksman of my outstanding talent needs an introduction, I will humour our overly dressed friend here. I am Karvilus Leafgrinder, archer for hire who's aim has never faltered, and arrows have always struck true. Well until the run in with those monsters calling themselves gods that is.", the elf introduced himself, his eyes glowering for a few moments as he remembered the 'gods' before continuing.
"I am also a gift to women everywhere, though only awarded to the rare and beautiful few, hopefully with present company included.", to which as he directed his gaze to Valeria with a confident wink, adding a smile before turning his attention to Athos.
"Oh, and I also am able to use healing magic and herbology. Old profession of mine that I found rather dreary and dull. Though you, assassin, definitely owe your life to my emergency treatment. Despite my medical wonders, you will need proper treatment later, emergency treatment isn't exactly proper treatment to wounds after all. You're welcome, you little grim turd."

Karvilus then pestered the innkeeper for more ale, and wondered over to where Valeria was as he obtained it, listening to what Kain had to say about the gods. His interest was obviously lacking however, as he pondered on how to start at gaining the priestess' affection.