Ess's Story

"I wouldn't if I were you, not yet at least... "

He had espied from afar a peculiar guest, who happened to have a familiar companion with her. Though the illusionist was alien in his mind, Tala was not. Mageria had kept the canine beside her during their battle within Newhaven's walls. Such strange obedience from a wolf kept an impression in the Black Knight's memory. To find the creature here doting with another subject meant that Mageria's reach had extended to the party as well, or at least that is what he believed. That the woman downed in the deep red was a familiar of the Raven's Nest, and that she was here for the same reason as himself. So he opted to catch up to the drifter, and met her by the stair railing.

"If there is something to hide, it is already accounted for or guarded."

The Blade was a tall broad man, great in stature to most, and he moved with militant determination. Each step seemed purposeful and his gaze was offset only by his lack of mirth. Battle hardened in both spirit and presence. Of course even past his reflecting emerald orbs and taut jaw, one could note the marks placed into his skin. If one couldn't guess by the small cut scars that touched his brow and chin, then the rent in his nose would surely betray him. For Grim was a soldier, and misplaced in the world of the socialites.

Of course, the plating that covered his chest already confirmed any suspicions. The metal was obsidian in color and appeared overdo for a reforging, nicks and impressions were wrought into the hide and its edges began to see wear. On its surface though slightly faded was embellished a crescent moon, the mark of the night goddess.

Furthermore the long hilt that jutted out behind his dark hair was just further condemning evidence. Though most were likely armed, it seemed they opted to hide their weaponry. The broadsword that sat against his back was far from subtle. It was a large great weapon, and to those who knew, it was called the Giant's Knife. A sword forged in Newhaven.

Beneath all the weaponry and armor wasn't anything fascinating. An ebony shirt ran down his arms with ebony pants to match. Wrapping dyed black was woven over his hands and forearms, and the boots he brought were typical of Black Knight attire. To say that they had anything like color would be a silly notion indeed, unless one cared to pick out the various shades of night. Grim wasn't here for pleasantries. Although he had no desire to fight, he was only entering the city of Blackpond one way, armed.


Tala was the first to respond to the man’s words, turning towards him she placed herself firmly between Ess and the towering soul. Lowering her head, her lips parted to show her teeth as she stepped one paw forward to sniff curiously at the space between herself and the man’s leg. She was silent for a moment before Tala was rattled by a violent and sudden sneeze, the wolf giving a firm grunt, sitting on her hind quarters to stare up at the figure before her.
Essence quirked a brow, a half smile curling her lips, her gaze the only thing turning away from the stairs. Glancing between the wolf and the stranger she nodded, a quiet chuckle escaping when the wolf sneezed. Ess seemed satisfied by Tala’s reaction and as if they were suddenly having a private conversation, Tala leaned her head back to look at Ess, her massive tongue lolling out the side of her mouth comically.

“Everyone has something to hide and even if they try to hide whatever it is....” Ess snickered. “They get sloppy. Sometimes...even the most detailed individuals leave a clue..”

Pushing off the banister she casually smoothed out her gown and slowly approached the man with a slight nod of her head. Violet eyes flashed with a subtle flicker of silver light while they trailed the figure from head to toe, another chuckle lingering in the air as she noted his blade upon his back. “Guess whoever is throwing this fancy gathering doesn’t care if we come armed.” She paused shaking her head at herself. “Although, I doubt by the looks of you, they’d have much of a chance disarming you.” Clearing her throat, she used the pause to mull over if she would introduce herself or use an alias. Keeping her smile, she winked playfully up at the man, “I’m Essence...” She decided. “Did you get the same invitation as the rest of us?”

Tala huffed a peculiar bark causing Ess to sigh, giving a small curtsy in the wolf’s direction. “And this is Tala.” She sang, the wolf’s tail wagging slightly from where she still sat. Ess let her eyes wander over the figure again before they trailed back up the winding stairwell. It didn’t sit well with her that so far she only saw one way in or out of the room directly; the front entrance. Resting a hand along the small of her back, she relaxed a bit when she felt the familiar blade beneath her gown. It was almost like a safety blanket and between that and Tala, it was what she needed to not feel so naked even beneath the lengths of her gown. Idle fingers still clasped the goblet in her other hand which she rose to her lips as if to take a sip but lowered it, sneering at it’s contents as if it carried a foul odor.


At first he became wary of Tala. Watching the wolf with an intent reserved for the battle-line. Marking each movement, and refusing to stand down. At the surface something like nervousness or fear could be noted. An easy assumption would be that Grim had a fear of the canine before him. Those who truly understood his Enlightenment knew that he feared something far more sinister. A nip could potentially be enough to send him into a full blown rage with how strange his powers were acting. It would be far too unsightly to go berserk at the party. Plus, he would be unable to ascertain what motives Blackpond had for throwing this party if he was blinded by rage.
As it happened a sneeze broke the ice and though Grim found the ordeal unpleasant. He decided it a fair compromise, no one got hurt this way. As Tala eased so too did the Blade, and though the two were not anything like allies, there was peace between them for now.

"I've no doubt there's something to be found. It's just too early to ogle the pathways just yet."

The emerald patterns met the violet orbs. Color was caught within and mirrored idly, both reflective but at the same time searching almost passively they seemed to hunt boring patiently in. If they had discovered anything those pools of malachite would not tell they were deep but almost emotionless. Anything caught before them was analyzed, but not pierced. By look alone he seemed almost able to absorb the world about him, but dared not for losing even the slightest detail.

"Aye', my weapon and my armor without fuss. A precaution for them more then anything. Stranger still that they would allow it."

After the introductions he became hesitant. Mulling the words over his tongue and choosing how best to approach a response. After all he had entered conversation on a feeling and very little else. Yes it was true he had seen Tala before, but this individual could truly be anyone and working for anybody else. Trust was hard to come by, yet the name was familiar. This women had been among the Raven's Nest.

"Pleasure," he nodded toward Tala.
"I am Sir Grim Pondus, the Blade of the Black Knights and many other tittles of ill repute. Your name is not foreign to me, and I am glad at last to give it a face lady Essence. I trust we are working toward the same goal here at any rate. By chance did the Captain send you?"


Staring across her glass, tiny curls danced across its rim. Her gaze went from automatic and calculated to a tantalizing softness, her lips pursing to form a subtle whistle to draw Tala to her side. Ess thought she caught something in the man’s eyes and her body was rigid in a mirrored copy of what she was realizing more and more each day was a perfect illusion of herself. The moment she heard his name, an honest smile broke through. Where many would withdraw or shift uncomfortably, Ess took a respectable step forward, violet eyes glittering like stars as they captured the firelight in such a way, it multiplied infinitely. It just wasn’t in her nature to pull away from the unknown or look at someone with a predefined opinion based on rumors; and she had heard it all. She couldn’t help the curiosity that was stirring inside, her mind toppling with questions and wonders but she held her tongue politely, nodding in acceptance.

“Pondus...I’d be lying if I were to say I have only heard of you in passing. You know me from the camp then.” She determined, remembering how she never saw Grim during his stay at the Nest but was more like a ghost guarding its borders. Something changed in her voice as she continued, “I am here for my own reasons, as well as the Captains’...although..” Ess paused, placing the goblet down upon the railing, balancing it upon its edges perfectly. “..It is not possible to know of course all her reasons. I wouldn’t call it..she sent me...more like she allowed me to come along, but far from alone it seems.” Essence lightly stepped around Grim, so small in comparison to the man she was. She hovered inches from him, giving the impression to those from a distance that she was captivated by him; which wasn’t completely a lie. Yet her intentions were far from a simple burlesque of sorts, even though she fell into it without even noticing. “I have a feeling tonight has something in store for us all. To me...this seems like a pretty good illusion to the opposite of what BlackPond is. Course, that is my opinion some may say.” Ess relaxed her shoulders from perfect posture to a casual slough. “I would say it’s safe to assume we have a similar path, Sir.”


The two seemed more different then Grim cared to guess. Fortune would place them against a common foe, but in their mannerisms it appeared as night and day. Grim was stoic on the surface and a bit reclusive by nature. Essence appeared well fitting among people, the way she moved with such ease around such a being like him.

If she was afraid of the Raging Demon, she hid it well. It brought relief to the Blade, for Essence behaved as Mageria often did giving no special treatment or appearing nervous in their chatter. In fact the reactions were almost completely opposite what they might have been. As Essence drew near, he appeared to fall back. Closeness wasn’t something Grim afforded toward much of anyone. While he didn’t wish to be rude, he couldn’t help but lean away just slightly.

“Y-yes, from the Raven’s Nest…”

He took a step back and found the stair railing to his back. Immediately he froze, and his hands fidgeted at his sides, despite the stony expression on his face. The best of guesses would assume he was flustered, and with the lady’s actions it was believable. Essence wouldn’t know, but the truth was the conversation had steered into bitter subjects.

Loyalty, honor, and the will of Newhaven, he was torn between these ideals. To say he even belonged among the Black Knights was questionable. To say he belonged anywhere above ground was even harder to determine.

The Raven’s Nest was a good home to Mageria, but for Grim it was just what remained of his bitterness. The Captain had migrated from the walls of Newhaven, and for what? So far to sit out in the forests of Valcrest and remain stagnant. Even if she had sent Essence here he couldn’t deny that of all the things one could do to the Black Knight, damaging her reputation was the worse. Though the good Captain would never admit to it, the sting of betrayal still affected her.

“I’m afraid Lady Essence, I was not sent here to aid you. My reasons for being here I confess are entirely selfish. I haven’t spoken with Mageria for some time now.”

Clearing his throat he glanced over his shoulder. Taking note of others just arriving to the party. The noise level was beginning to heighten and the warmth was increasing steadily. When he had finished his quick survey he returned his attention to the violet eyes before him.

“Same path? No…. I’m afraid not. I am eager to see what is truly happening around here.” He paused, and shook his head. He was here for any reason he wanted really, but ultimately he desired answers. Time was going to run out for Grim, and he hoped to set everything on the right path before then.

“… To be honest, I’m not sure what I hope to accomplish here.”


Like all men Ess encountered, habitually she tested them, playing her boundaries and how they reacted. However subtle her actions were, it was enough for her to read into and important enough to leave her with some sort of assumption that could be well justified. Most men she encountered were only after one thing and usually she could draw it out with a simple look or flirtatious mannerism, yet she wasn’t seeing any of the normal reactions or signs she was use to receiving. Grim was polite and appeared a bit hesitant of sorts, which she assumed as she caught him stepping up against the banister. Casually she backed away, her smile fading a bit. Ess couldn’t be sure if it had something to do with the man’s enlightenment she had heard stories about or if it was something deeper. She respected the space and happily pushed more air between the two, leaning in a mirrored position against the opposite railing.

“My apologies, I thought you and the Captain were...close? If I’ve overstepped...” Ess’ eyes shifted a bit awkwardly. “From what I understood is that she thought you were..no longer in this world and now here you are. It’s just.. If someone I cared for suddenly was no longer ‘dead’, I’d be all over them afraid they’d disappear. I assumed you would have spoken with her.” Ess’ gaze dropped, keeping most of her thoughts still to herself. Shaking her head she pulled a few loose curls along her neck, absently twirling her fingers through them and following along their natural shape. Her gaze trailed upwards once again to catch Grim glancing at the other patrons arriving across the room, her eyes catching Ali passing through a crowd. “I’ve come with friends...and apparently meeting up with more, so I was told. Already the best party I’ve ever been to.” She winked, pushing aside stray dark memories from the last time she attended a party in BlackPond. Those had never been by choice and always she was simply something to look at and never to be heard.

Quirking a brow at Grim’s words on what his agenda may be, she nodded. “This city...” Ess scowled, not finishing the thought and continued forward instead. “..Yes, what is apparently happening here...seems like a facade to what I’ve grown accustomed to..to what I was brought up here to endure and promote...so I’m not sure if anything revealed will be all too surprising for me. But then again, I have been known to be wrong before. Many of my reasons are also selfish, so I can understand to a point what you mean. I’m here to...give back, in many ways. Perhaps to chase down those dark shadows that have chased me for so long. See, I am from here. Not originally, mind you, but well..you get the idea.”

A devilish smile formed along crimson lips, her eyes reacting in an almost menacing manner, but still she kept her voice gentle and steady as she spoke. “I only know what I wish to accomplish and I am afraid it may cause some sort of a mess in the end.” Ess let out an exaggerated sigh. “Even..if I did promise to be more of ‘eyes and ears..’ Not sure how long that will last.” She shrugged, reaching along her waist to retrieve a small flask and slowly took a sip, politely offering it to Grim. “I refuse to drink what they are serving us...could be poisoned for all I know.”

Ess hadn’t noticed when Tala began to wander, not until she heard a startled shriek from a servant girl and caught the silver wolf pushing her way through the crowd, disappearing like a ghost. Such independent determination Tala had. It was a wonder she listened to Ess at all some days, but she was her own spirit after all. She knew someone of importance must have caught the wolf’s attention and that she would be lost if she didn’t follow soon. Essence groaned, “Bloody wolf...” Rolling her eyes she moved to follow but not before she politely bowed in Grim’s direction. “I’m sure I’ll bump into you again and if I find out anything, I’ll...be willing to share if you’ll do the same?”


A shadow appeared over his kindly guest, and it saddened his heart to see it. To most it would be as nothing, a subtle flicker in expanses of violet or a twinge just at the corners of pale crimson. Grim and Mageria were among those that knew and could identify. It was the mark of hardships unspeakable, and it was recognized only by others who wore its mark. Like an imperfection on the soul just hidden away. The mind that reeled, the heart that burned, all locked away kept secret to those ignorant of pain. Essence had seen the darkness and it had surely left its impression upon her.

Grim said nothing, what could he hope to accomplish with words anyway? He understood in that moment why she was among Mageria. How his Captain had grown to trust her. She would have made an excellent addition to their ranks, was a shame that the the knights were more or less disbanded. At least they were from his perspective.

Grim remained as kindly as he could, but was off put for much more conversation. Instead of answering he reverted, pulling back his thoughts to collect himself. Slowly gathering together all the pieces he had obtained through their meeting. Placing his own beliefs on just what would be transpiring through the duration of their party. Guessing at what end awaited the day's twilight. Where would he be when night fell, and what will have become of everything within the next dawn's arrival?

"I see..."

Was all the Black Knight muttered back. Even as the vibrant lady gave her partings and ventured among the others he seemed to be hung up on his own personal inquiries. Though many other interesting guests were now making their presence known, he was retreating back to a corner. Ever wary of any secrets that could be spotted before the host showed themselves.

“Oh, hey, look; Apples!”

The mockery of Irv’s excitement managed to match the sincerity of Darren’s as his eyes lit up at the sound of his friend’s discovery. He gave the impression he was distracted since he wasted no time in inspecting the apples for bruises and such but he still managed to keep one eye on Irvin at all times. He casually grabbed a couple apples, one in each hand and stared at them with an uncertain curiosity, sniffing at them in an odd animalistic manner. For a moment an image flashed across his eyes but was quickly disregarded since it was nothing significant, just visions of those picking and loading the apples. Almost like a puppy he followed Jake, muttering to himself about the apples.

Darren was dressed simply in a black, silk shirt, tunic, pants and leather boots, the lacing in his shirt in white. He made sure to trim his goatee and even his curls so they didn’t linger too much in his eyes. Yes it wasn’t anything fancy but it was enough to compliment his physique, the tips of black flames managing to still peek out from his low collar along his neck and collarbone. He had a sweet yet handsome allure to him; a musky scent of pine freshly burned lingered in his hair and clothes. He couldn’t help the looks he was already receiving by a couple lovely ladies, returning their glances with winks and smiles that sent them giggling among themselves. Maybe it was the innocence of the dimples or perhaps the deep blues mixed with violet stirring behind a dim glow of his eyes. There was something he didn’t quite grasp that attracted the attention of those he wasn’t even aiming for; always had been.

“Do you think these are good enough to eat? Would the host poison the food you think?” His brows furrowed in annoyance at his own paranoia as he offered an apple to Jake. Darren’s ears perked up at the sound of soft shrieks of surprise, almost falling over as a wolf pushed its way past him and towards a redheaded woman. He was silent, acting as if he didn’t notice Crys and simply smiled noting the fact that one of Jake’s redheads had arrived, his gaze trailing the crowd around him in awe to see if he would recognize any others.
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Essence was politely slinking between folks, muttering apologies as she tracked her wolf through the crowd. At times she was only catching the tip of her tail wagging only to vanish as Ess turned past a woman with an extravagant yet very puffy dress. Internally she cringed, noting how obnoxious that woman’s gown was and how uncomfortable it must be. ‘What was she thinking?’ She thought. The people parted slinking away from Tala out of instinct and fear, leaving her easy to spot beside a familiar woman giving love and attention to her furry companion.

“There you are, Tal-....Oh,Crys? Wonderful to see you again.” Ess gasped with a gentle smile, pausing to look between Tala, Crys and a man standing not too far behind them. “Ali is probably looking for you; she is...’keeping an eye’ on me.” Ess snickered, playfully winking at the tall gentleman behind Crys. “Apparently, I wasn’t allowed to come here alone...and miss Tala here didn’t think Ali was enough apparently. She bloody followed me all the way here.” She sighed, crossing her arms, still holding the flask between her fingertips. “Spirited this one is...

Jacob was keeping a close eye on the party at first, but his attention was snatched away completely when Crys arrived; his eyes immediately drawn to her the moment she entered the ballroom, a shocked and dazed expression spreading across his features as if it was the first time he had ever seen a woman in his life. Compared to some other party guests, Crys was dressed simple; a long dark brown velvet dress, details and sleeves adorned with a transparent lace of a darker shade of brown mixed with dark red in a pattern, the transparent material extending just a bit past her fingertips. Jake wasn’t used to seeing her dressed up like this, he couldn’t help but stare at her in absolute awe for a few moments; she looked so beautiful it actually hurt.
The little conversation they had the day before was less than friendly, and she made sure to steer it as far away from personal matters as possible; it was tense and awkward and left Jake with a lingering and painful feeling of hopelessness. A great part of him was almost convinced she would never forgive him. Seeing her there hit him harder than he thought it would, especially considering the fact that she was there with Dastan. He stood there, eyes following her movements as if he was in a trance until Darren’s voice caught his attention, and he shook his head, turning to face the boy accepting the apple he was being offered and carelessly taking a bite of the fruit. “Poisoning all the guests would be just too simple, I don’t think that’s how they’d do it. Tastes normal, and I feel fine... Let me know if you start to feel sick though.” He played with a little smirk.

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Crys smiled in response to Ess’ arrival before she even properly reached her; a small chuckle escaping her lips as she was greeted by the woman. “Speak of the devil...” She whispered in amusement. “Hello, Ess, always a pleasure. Ali is keeping an eye on you, huh? And who’s keeping an eye on her?” Crys asked, amusement clear in her tone as she heard Dastan force a small cough to catch her attention. Crys shook her head and turned to the man with a raised eyebrow. “Are you coming down with something, Dastan? I’m sure you’re not expecting me to introduce you since you are a grown man perfectly capable of speaking for himself and all.” She teased. Not giving Dastan the opportunity to reply she gave a playful bow as if to excuse herself. “I should go find Ali before the kid gets herself into some trouble. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted, I’m sure it’ll be interesting.” She smiled gently at Ess as she gave Tala one final scratch behind the ears. “I’m sure we’ll find each other again amongst the guests soon.” As she turn to walk away she added over her shoulder. “You be careful with that one.”
Dastan snickered softly at the comment. “Come on now, don’t scare the lady, I can be good.”
Crys stopped and shook her head, unable to hold back a small giggle. “I wasn’t talking to her, silly.” She told him, still chuckling softly as she moved amongst the small crowd of people.

Dastan scratched his head a bit taken aback by the warning, amusement in his eyes as he stepped forth and took a rather exaggerated and comical bow. “Ello there, miss... I’m Dastan and you are... Lovely.” He said with a playful smirk, standing up straight and offering a handshake. “I have to say, for what Crys says of you I’m intrigued; pretty, interesting and comes with a warning... My type of girl.”

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Luckas was quiet on the way over to the city, Sam had once or twice asked him if he was feeling alright, to which he simply nodded to reassure her, but didn’t exactly answer. His head still ached a little from his little episode. He wondered if Lena knew he would be having these stupid visions... He wouldn’t doubt that she did. That wasn’t exactly what was bothering him though... It was more like an inexplicable annoying sensation in the pit of his stomach.
“Is this about the healer?” Sam asked calmly as they automatically stopped by the entrance of the party, expecting to be searched, but realizing that security in this place just didn’t seem to give much importance to people possibly carrying dangerous items. “I hear the party is for her death.”
“I wasn’t aware.” Luckas mumbled in response. “They should give me a medal if they’re so pleased with my work.”
“Luckas... What’s bothering you?” She insisted.
“I’m not sure.” He replied, with a shrug. “Some weird gut feeling... I’m sure it’ll go away.” He mumbled, eyes wandering around the room immediately spotting and then quickly darting away from the familiar figure of a woman dressed in red; glancing towards Sam to see the woman opening glaring at her. “Oh.” He muttered under his breath. “Right.”
A small chuckle reached his ears and he turned to see Wyatt staring intently at his expression with an amused grin. “Oh yes... This party will be memorable.”
“Shut up, Amb-”
“Hush. It’s Wyatt, remember?”
“What kind of a stupid name is Wyatt?” Luckas muttered.
“Quit your bickering, will you? It’s a party.” Sam interrupted, a calm tone in her voice as she turned to Luckas. “Lukey, no need to be so tense, hm? Everything is fine.” She assured him, reaching out to briefly run her fingers through his hair. “Now, the two of you should go on and explore. I’m sure there are some interesting individuals scattered around here.”
Luckas winced slightly at her affectionate gesture, but didn’t have the courage to pull away from her so openly, instead he nodded his agreement, although a bit unsure. “Are you sure, Sammy?”
“Of course I am.” She confirmed. “Go on.”
Luckas’ eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to see through the woman for a moment before he nodded once again and turned away to wander amongst the crowds, after a few steps he felt he was being followed and sighed as laughter reached his ears. “Do you really believe everything is fine? I mean really, you’re just ridiculously obvious Lukey.”
“Why wouldn’t everything be fine? And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Wyatt chuckled softly, shaking his head, strands of copper colored hair falling over the boy’s blue eyes. “We entered this room, and it took you less than a minute to find her amongst the party guests. If I noticed, be sure that so did Sammy, and you know... You just may learn the hard way that when a woman says ‘it’s fine’, that’s a clear sign that you should be very worried; hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, my friend. And let’s face it, you seem to have a soft spot for crazy. I feel bad for you, honest.” He stated, a short moment passing before the boy exploded into a fit of giggles, playfully skipping around Luckas as he walked. “No, sorry... That was a lie... I’m going to love watching this whole thing blow up in your face. But hey... I’m not judging, she is very pretty. Sure the trouble is worth it.”
“Can we change the subject now? And quit giggling, if you want to be a guy, stop acting so girly.”
“Hey... I’m girly, but I bet I can get any girl in this party to dance with me. How about you, hm?”
“I don’t dance.”
“Booo....” Wyatt chuckled, pushing Luckas away as if he was contagious. “Party pooper...” The redhead boy suddenly stood in a more composed stance and smiled, tilting his head to the side as if in a look of pity. “You seriously need to live a little. Let’s make a deal, hm? Ask one girl, or woman, you seem to like older women, right? Any female in this party for a dance, and if she accepts I will owe you a favor.”
“Hm... Any favor I want?” Luckas asked, a smirk crossing his features.
“Any favor you want.”
“Rules?”
“Can’t be Sammy... Or your Lady, although I’m sure you wouldn’t have the balls to ask her either way. You can’t mention the bet, and you only have one chance. So... Deal?”
“Hmph... Okay deal.”
Wyatt nodded in acceptance a playful grin. “Oh, but if you can’t get a dance... You’ll owe me a favor.”
“Seems fair.” Luckas nodded in acceptance, following the boy’s blue eyes as they searched the ballroom. “Are you looking for someone?”
“Hm, well, he’s not here... That’s such a pity.”
“Who...?” Luckas cut himself off as he caught a familiar grin cross the redhead boy’s expression. “Ugh, not the Beast Boy... Gross. And you’re a boy, remember?.”
“Hey, it’s always flattering to have an admirer!” Wyatt protested with a playful frown.
Luckas shook his head. “I’m almost thinking it is a shame he’s not here. That would have been amusing, but then... So would stabbing him in the eyes with a fork. And I prefer the latter.”
“Noo... Not the eyes. He’s got such pretty eyes.” The boy whined, stomping his foot and pouting.
“Let’s compromise; you let me yank them out and I let you keep them. How’s that?”
“Hm... Does that apply to any other bits or just the eyes?”
“Wha-... Oh... Okay, we’re done talking now.” Luckas muttered, turning away and starting to walk in the opposite direction. “You heard Sammy... Explore.”
“Lovely... Exploring is my second favorite thing!”

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Sam’s eyes were scanning the room for any interesting activity, registering a few people here and there she thought it would be interesting to meet, but most of her attention was divided between Luckas and the redhead woman from the Raven’s encampment, small flickers of yellow light sparkling beneath the green of her irises. It was barely noticeable, but it was there; a spark of anger. She began to move along the ballroom, politely nodding to some other guests whose glances she caught along the way, a pleasant smile crossing her expression but not really reaching her eyes. She avoided the woman for the moment, giving herself time to observe as she spoke to a man who Sam imagined was a mercenary from the desert, judging by his attire and casual demeanor. There she stood for a few moments, listening to idle chat by other party guests and examining the woman’s behavior as she interacted with the man.

Darren snickered, shaking his head in amusement as Jacob took the apple and instantly bit into it. He stared at the man, as if unsure if the effects would indeed be instantaneous or slow and after a few more moments he shrugged, turning to glance back at where he left Irvin. He was about to bite into the apple when he noticed a familiar face he’d seen in passing back at the Nest, engage in brief conversation with his friend. Darren’s eyes sparkled as he watched to see how Irv reacted to the attention of a pretty girl, smiling when he seemed to make it through without violence or offense. He wasn’t sure though, as the woman did end up moving on, but it seemed like he did alright. Turning back towards Jake he glanced past him to get a better look at the wolf. “Hey...do you know who brought the wolf? I’ve seen her in camp hanging around some of the guard.”
~~~
Ess’ eyes flickered in a few shades of purple before settling back to their dull violet, a warm smile following Crys as she left her alone with the man who had introduced himself as Dastan. Tala had started to follow the woman until Ess cleared her throat rather loudly causing the wolf to turn to look up at her. “Taaala...Stand at attention.” She commanded in a gentle request of sorts, the wolf turning to sniff at the mercenary before sitting on her haunches beside Essence, releasing an exasperated huff. Tala yawned, a high pitched whine lazily escalating into a bark as she fidgeted and stared off into the crowd, ignoring both Ess and Dastan. Something caught her attention, causing the hairs to rise along her neck, yet she fell silent and remained still at her friend’s request.

“Well...since I seem to be in an honest mood today...” Ess began, extending her hand to firmly grip Dastan’s in a handshake. “..Talon actually...not Lovely.” She snickered. “..Essence Talon...or Ess if you like” Even though the bruises were barely noticeable along her neck, Ess had used her enlightenment to hide the fact she had been in any sort of brawl. It wasn't enough to drain her of any strength, but simple, something she didn't even need focus to hold. Still, she knew they were there and her fingers lingered along her collarbone as if to hide what was already hidden. Still holding the flask in her hand she took another sip before politely offering the liquor to her new acquaintance. “Your kind of girl, huh? How many fall into that category, hmm? How can you be so quick to assume anything with someone you’ve only just met? Appearances are very deceiving you know...” Ess couldn’t help a playful smirk as she looked over the man slowly, her eyes drinking in the details so it appeared she couldn’t take her eyes off him when she was putting the details to memory for her own reasons. Not that she didn’t find him attractive, she just had other intentions behind her stares. “You should listen to Crys though. Most men who get that kind of warning regret not listening.” She teased, biting at her bottom lip. Absently she began to sway at a stringed melody from across the room, unaware that she was hypnotized by the beat. “Dastan....” She whispered, liking the way his name rolled off her tongue. “Are you here for the pretty faces or did you have another agenda for complying to the voices in your head?”

Ess’ smile faltered for a mere second as she thought she caught a familiar figure out from the corner of her eye. Casually she glanced around the room, not seeing what she could have sworn she saw slinking behind the crowd that was accumulating more and more. Some were even now beginning to dance; extravagant and obnoxious dresses twirling about so carelessly she thought the men would get lost in the folds of material that dragged along the floor. Not wanting to appear distracted she pushed her attention back to Dastan, again catching a trail of familiar dark eyes. Now she felt like she was dreaming; like she was reading a page straight from her own journal as the feeling of being watched started to creep as shivers along her bare skin. Her smile grew in unison with a biting, twisty ache growing in her belly. ‘Perfect..’ Ess thought. ‘Just bloody perfect. Who else is going to show up at this damn party...'

Dastan smiled gently, bowing in a nearly sarcastic act of politeness as Ess shook his hand. “Very nice to meet you miss Talon.” He spoke softly, his smile changing slightly into a smirk as she offered him her flask. “What is there no booze in this party or are you just picky with you liquor?” He asked with amusement in his tone, accepting the flask and curiously sniffing it’s contents before taking a sip and returning it. “How many fall into that category, I suppose depends on context... I tend to be picky, but only for certain things... And while I have only just met you, Miss Essence, I’ve known Crys for about ten years and I have only heard her refer to anyone as ‘interesting’ exactly twice before. And she tends to be right, sooo.... I guess I’ll take my chances with you. I may regret it later, but then... We have a saying in my clan, you know... A man without regrets... Needs to drink a lot more.” He said, winking playfully. “Aye... We all have our own little reason to do things, but me I have a reputation to keep. Twins forbid people start saying that I’ve declined invitation to a party... I can’t have that. No.” Casually the mercenary followed the woman’s gaze as she glanced around the room, his eyes catching Jake staring at them with a rather odd expression on his face, the man looking away almost immediately. It was rather strange, and Dastan wondered what that was about. Shrugging it off, he turned his attention back to his new acquaintance. “What about you, Miss Essence... What is your agenda?”

.....................

Jake had lost Crys in the crowd the moment he turned his attention to Darren, his eyes glancing around the room here and there in a casual search for the woman as he chewed on the apple he’d been given. He wasn’t sure why exactly he felt the need to keep her under his watch, when he knew she probably wouldn’t want to speak to him. Of all the places and moments to pressure her for a talk, ‘here and now’ were not the most suited ones; Jake knew that well, but for some reason he continued to seek her out regardless. After scanning the ballroom a few times, Jake stopped to follow Darren’s gaze as he asked about the wolf, his eyes widening momentarily as he spotted the animal in the company of Dastan and yet another redhead who he immediately recognized. Holding back a wince Jake looked away, running one hand through his hair and scratching at the back of his head. “I don’t know...” He mumbled, forcing a shrug and avoiding the general direction of the woman and the wolf. His eyes catching a familiar figure enter the party, he realized he would possibly have more trouble getting Irvin to behave than he imagine once the boy realized the Alpha had attended.

.................

“I still say this is a mistake.” Ryan muttered out, unable to keep silent any longer.
“Well, then you shouldn’t have come, should you?” Sean replied calmly.
“I shouldn’t, but I promi-...” Ryan cut himself off as he realized he talked a bit too much.
“You promised what?” Sean asked, stopping at castle doors and offering his sword to one of the guards, his eyes however watching the guilty expression on the other man’s face. “What did you promise?”
“Katie cornered me and made me promise to, you know... Protect you.” Ryan mumbled, a look of pure embarrassment in his eyes as he held the Alpha’s gaze. “Your sister can be.... Very persuasive, Sean.”
Sean snorted, turning as he realize the soldier would not take his weapon, indicating that giving it up would not be necessary. Sean attached his sheathed sword back to his belt and gave a dismissive shrug to the oddity of it all as they proceeded into the ballroom. Sean immediately noticed a few glances from some young ladies as he walked past, a smile slowly spreading across his features at the attention. A familiar voice lured his attention away however as it sounded in his ears, a calm and disdainful tone.
“Funny. Just moments ago the guards told a friend of mine that no pets are allowed in this function, and yet... The King invited his. Now, that’s just not fair, is it?”
“Allison...” Sean greeted, reaching for Ryan’s arm as the man instinctively gripped his sword. “Not here.” He scolded. “Every faction known to Valcrest is represented here tonight, do we really want it to be remembered that we were the firsts to draw a weapon?” Ryan groaned still gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, Sean glared at him severely. “Go get something to drink, enjoy the fact that tonight you can... Just don’t murder anyone. I’ll be fine, won’t I?” He turned to Ali questioningly.
“Perfectly fine.” She replied, a fake innocent smile crossing her lips. “If I planned on hurting the Alpha, believe me, I wouldn’t have bothered announcing myself.”
Ryan released his sword, green eyes glaring at the blond woman as if he meant to burn a hole right through her. “Fine.” He muttered, moving towards the foods and drinks. “Traitor.” He muttered in Ali’s direction as he passed.
“He’s delightful, isn’t he?” Ali chuckled. “Are you making him your next Second?”
“The current Second is very much alive and well, thank you very much. So I don’t think I have any need to consider a new one.”
“Give it time.” Ali smirked. “How many have you gone through so far? That has to be a record, huh?”
Sean smirked. “Maybe, but enough about me... How’s your hand? Any better?”
“I was lucky, if the hand wielding the blade that slashed me was just a bit more skilled, I’d probably be unable to fire a bow ever again. As is though, I should be fully recovered soon enough.” She retorted.
“Oh well... Win some lose some, right? I guess I should do better next time.” He replied with a slight shrug, casually nodding towards a young girl who smiled at him as she walked past. The girl didn’t seem to be older than eighteen, about his sister’s age, and it made him momentarily question what he would do if he ever caught Katie smiling that way at someone like him. He’d probably have to kill the guy just in case. “It’s impressive how looks can be deceiving, isn’t it?” He mumbled. “No one would guess just from looking at either one of us... The things we’ve done, and are yet to do. Any man in this room who doesn’t know you too well may be foolish to take you for an innocent young lady, isn’t it so?”
“Just as much as any young lady in this room who doesn’t know you might take you for a charming and respectable young man, Sean... The difference between us, and the sadness of it all, is that even those closest to you won’t actually know you well enough to know who you really, truly are. And then I wonder... Is there anyone left you haven’t lied to or betrayed?” Ali shook her head, giving a slight bow, not bothering to conceal the mockery and contempt burning in her eyes as she turned away from the Alpha. “Enjoy the party while you can. The other people you backstabbed may not be as civil as me.”

.............................

Chaos. Absolute and complete chaos. That was what the White Shadows' encampment was turning into, and in an astonishingly rapid progression. Apparently it wasn't just the enlightened within the clan; a considerable number of people had been experiencing odd and sometimes even dangerous symptoms for weeks now, a sudden and inexplicable increase in the severity of those symptoms causing them to turn to the healers for help, or answers. Answers were something the Shadows didn't have to give this time around. Like many ailments, it was important to know where this was coming from, what could be causing it, and the healers had failed to find anything that was common to all of those affected, except the fact they all possessed a magical gift. The possibility that magic in itself was making those people ill read to Annie like a horrible end of the world prophecy, and her mind was constantly and hopelessly searching for any indication, anything, that showed it couldn't be true.

With all that was happening, the simple task of walking from her tent to where she had originally planned on going took hours longer than usual, and by the time she reached her intended destination she was hoping the person she had gone to see hadn't just up and left as people quite frequently did once they felt it was safe to stand. Gladly, it didn't seem to be this case with this particular patient; as Annie peeked into the tent where she had last seen the man the night before, she found him sitting there. Slowly stepping inside she looked around the tent and noted signs of a recently cleaned up mess consistent with what she had been told of the man's awakening. "Grim Pondus..." She called, taking a seat on a small wooden stool that had been left there by a previous healer. "My mother had nice things to say about you." She stated, a gentle smile crossing her features. "However, I don't believe we have ever met. My name is Annie Turner, I am... In charge of the White Shadows, currently. Considering what you have gone through, I'll understand if you prefer to be left alone, but may we speak?" She asked, her dark brown eyes examining the man with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Have you been offered any water? Or tea maybe?"

It was difficult to look his small visitor in the eyes, it was trying to escape the brooding nature that clung to the corners of the tent hiding where the flicker of candlelight couldn’t reach. There was less comfort even with the company of the White Shadows, and Annie’s kindness did little more then get a mild reaction from the Blade. He seemed to be lost, his eyes glassy and far from the little room where he idled. When at last he opted to respond he couldn’t meet her gaze fully, his tone drawn back into his throat.

“… You must be very brave young Turner, and the White Rose is generous in her words.”

His head lifted from its lull catching the Shadow with his full attention. A frown had worked its way into face and though it remained constant his watchfulness seemed shaky. Often he would glance aside or pull back to consider, thinking. Minutes were spent in silence while he pulled back into the conversation.

“Your formality is wasted. I hold no office, it’s just myself. It is entirely unnecessary we both know what I am.”

Quietly he looked to see if the doorway held any additional forms. He found himself curious to see Annie had entered alone. Especially after the ruckus he had already caused.

“Speak healer, but do not hope.”

Annie was patient with letting the man answer in his own time, her eyes persistently fixed on him despite his reluctance to look at her, a small sigh leaving her as she nodded in response to his words, pulling the bag she carried across her shoulder and fetching a flask of water inside of it. "Please drink, Pondus." The girl asked in a gentle tone, simply placing the flask on the ground before the man as she continued speaking. "Unfortunately I am obligated to go through some formalities before I speak of the more... Particular, reasons that brought me here in person. Since the healers who were in charge of your care didn’t quite get around to it.” She heaved a small sigh and paused for a few moments, fiddling with a loose thread hanging from the sleeves of her robes before speaking further. “First of all, I am required to inform you that anything you tell any healer in this camp is protected by the laws of the clan and will never be disclosed. Second, I must ask about your friend; the young woman you were brought here with. There was nothing we could do for her, as you probably already have been informed, and I would like to know if it is alright to bury her in our grounds... You can see her, if you would like to, of course.” The girl offered as an afterthought.

Once another silent moment had passed, Annie’s expression shifted to one of concern and a bit of weariness as she leaned into her knees, her voice lowering as if by instinct. “As for why I said I’ve come in person... I need to know something, and this is really, really, important... I need to know if your enlightenment has been manifesting itself differently in any way in the past months, or if you have been experiencing other odd symptoms... headaches, insomnia, and bleeds have been the most common as of late.”

Greedily he snatched the flask devouring its contents without restrain. Droplets of liquid began rolling down his chin, and he gasped after draining the flask. The water seemed to help steady the Blade, returning him to some sort of solidity. He appeared more alert, and sat up straighter once his breathing steadied.

“Nothing you could…”
He echoed the White Shadow’s words carefully. It appeared he was the only one who made it. Twice he averted death, and twice someone had paid in his stead. For a moment pain wracked his face but was forced under control.

“I… I couldn’t see her now.. And yes, please. Put that poor soul to rest. She has more than earned the right to peace.”

The silence appeared for the moment. Closing about them like a shroud, the Blade was to his thoughts and if he had to guess so was Annie. There was much to consider, things were in motion now that were irrevocable. So much more was pressing in both their lives, greater threats and purposes. Yet here they sat, Grim in his self-pity, and Annie in her caring nature. Grim wasn’t sure what to make of her honestly, he hardly knew the White Rose, how could he even guess what her daughter was like.

Then there was a question. Like lightning it struck, and his head snapped to attention. His eyes boring down the healer who pulled tighter to herself. He was almost panicked at how to reply, indeed his powers had been acting strange but he had always believed it to be merely part of a change within him. If others were suffering odd effects from their enlightenment, then perhaps there was hope after all. He spoke somewhat excitedly, losing his courage from pressing the words through his lips. Almost wheezing the syllables as though hushing some scandal between his teeth, yet quick to speak as though the gossip were irresistible.

“I had heard that Enlightenments can grow or modify, but that it was rare. Three years before, I began to lose control. In my time away I attempted to find a solution to no avail. Here within my homeland my rage boils over, and I lose my restraints. It has become amplified, and sensitive, reacting outside of its former boundaries. I feel the anger taking over, and in time it will spiral out of my control. It won’t be a year before I’m no longer Grim Pondus…”

“It shall be done.” Annie stated simply in response to Grim’s words on his friend, not lingering on the subject any further than it was necessary as to not to intrude on the man’s grief; her head lowering for a moment in a whispered prayer, her voice soft enough not to reach the man sitting right before her or really disturb the lingering silence in any significant way. Once the last of her inaudible words was cast into the winds Annie lifted her head, her focus now on Grim’s description of how his enlightenment had been manifesting itself, her expression shutting down into a preoccupied frown as she listened. She was silent still for a few moments, contemplating on what to say, on what was safe to say in a moment when she was so unsure of everything. In the end, she settled for being as honest in voicing her concerns as possible. In the end the news of this would spread way sooner than anyone would like, no matter how cautious she decided to be, and she knew she needed people to be conscious of what was happening.

“Three years ago, the very same day you and your men fought Blackpond in these grounds, my mother answered the call of a young healer who had the gift of seeing into the future... She had visions at random moments in time, and that day she had a vision that greatly disturbed her. She spoke to my mother alone and showed what she had seen. Whatever it was, it was not spoken of again once they left that tent, no one knows what happened between the two, but the woman fell ill that night and less than a week from having the vision, she died. My mother left us, with no explanation, days after being rescued from the dungeons. About a month ago she returned, she was... Clearly not in the best of states, but when asked about she would brush it off blaming it on the poor living conditions she endured while away... The past month she traveled across the land, meeting with people here and there... While she was here, she was incessantly seeking something in our archives. Two nights ago... She... died, due to the side effects of her enlightenment. Ever since, more and more enlightened have come to us; some with generic symptoms such as headaches and nosebleeds that have been gradually increasing over the past few months to critical levels... Others are experiencing dangerous changes in their enlightenment. One of our healers, Isaac, has been kept under sedation since last night because if he is as much as barely conscious everything around him starts to catch fire. Alistair, an empath, claims that his ability to sense others is completely gone. I have myself been experiencing severe migraines, they haven’t yet become debilitating, but with the nature of my ability I can guess that eventually this will prevent me from helping others. This... Ailment... Whatever it is... It seems to be getting worse and spreading fast. There haven’t many deaths yet, but I am safe to say that, however it manifests, it will eventually become fatal for those afflicted.”

She stopped speaking to take a long breath. As if on command the aching in her head abruptly returned, the burning pain spreading to her eyes and turning the sight of the man before her into a shapeless smudge before fading; just as quickly as it came it ended, the only indication that it had actually occurred was the lingering blurriness that caused the young healer to quietly rub her eyes and blink a few times to put everything back in focus. “Unfortunately, we are short on answers at the moment, and I am almost certain panic will spread before we have a chance to obtain them. With all our studies... How magic functions in itself is still an uncertainty, something that affects magical abilities this way... It’s unheard of, and we are greatly unprepared. There are herbs that have been helpful with some of the symptoms, but in time they cease to work. I assume you have tried those already, no?” She inquired.

If the Blade was shocked or surprised he hid it well. His face was stone, and he seemed more concerned with reading Annie’s expressions then he did listening. Of course, he heard everything and in short it caused much confusion and even more questions. Valcrest was a beautiful land, but it was a land that seemed to be made of secrets.
He couldn’t help but feel the workings of some unforeseen hand. A power or force that hid itself beyond their sight working against them, always preparing the next nasty step of their plans. Perhaps that kind of thought brought all the complexities to simple terms. If there was someone to blame then it made their course of action easy, and Grim decided he could believe such, if it meant staying steady for a while longer.
“I’ve tried any number of herbs, but you already guess their success. It strikes me as impossible to impact Enlightenments on such a large scale. If I recall there is little in the natural world that can even influence our gifts. Hmmm…”
He paused and found he possessed no answers for the young healer, at least not ones that made any sense. To what end would killing the Enlightened served? In terms of battle he believed one could weaken an opponent’s capabilities. Controlling the spread of such a curse would be next to impossible though or at least to his knowledge. It nagged on him, to what end could such a curse serve?
“Have any from Blackpond been noted with this problem? Such a thing would be a powerful weapon beyond a doubt. The Wolves are far too proud to abandon their traditions, and the desert folk I doubt have the capability. So that leaves only Blackpond or Newhaven with such a power unless….”
Grim cleared his thoughts on the matter and remembered the events of the past four years or so. The strange happenings within Newhaven, and its doppelganger lord that ruled. The events transpired that remained unanswered or unconcluded.
“Do you suppose another artifact was uncovered? The whereabouts of the dagger was never discovered. Yet there are certainly other artifacts, I’ve personally encountered a scythe with some kind of enchantment upon it.”
He stopped all his wondering now expired. There would be nothing concrete shared between them and he knew this. Everything he offered was conjecture, and he doubted Annie would leave anything out that was of importance. It was then he realized his own rudeness.
“I.. I am truly sorry lady Turner. I didn’t know about the White Rose, but… She was truly very brave. The world is poorer for her absence. If there is anything I can do, please count me among your humble servants.”

“Blackpond... Mother was to speak to their King, but... something changed her mind and she returned without having seen him. We have kept distance from the city ever since their soldiers attacked us three years ago, some... Some of the city folk were led to believe we had allied with Newhaven and our relations became less than friendly for a while then non-existent ever since. I do know that the people in charge of the city are mostly enlightened themselves and surely their lives as just as much at risk. Some amongst my people have been whispering that the Gods have been angered by the war and this is their punishment, I have no doubts they won’t be the only ones to think so...” She smiled a bit shaken by the thought. “I read somewhere when I was a child, that the end of times begins in the hearts of men, with the death of hope... And I thought to myself, that even with everything it has endured, Valcrest had never lost an ounce of hope. Lately though, whenever I look around I see it falter and I think, with all I have seen in my short years of life, I've finally found a sight I can refer to as ‘frightening’.”

Annie fell into a short silence, her expression giving away the fact she was making a small effort to collect her thoughts and maintain her usual calm exterior. At the end of that silence her voice came out a bit more steady. “Jake had been trying to get a hold of that dagger. If I’m not mistaken, he tracked it to the hands of the Blackpond king, the news came to me through Mageria before Jake visited, so it was some time ago. For what I understood, the man didn't know what he had, and I can’t say for sure that he still has it, but I know Jake hasn't given up the search for it. He can be quite stubborn that one.” The girl smiled, a hint of amusement crossing her dark eyes as she looked at the man. “I appreciate your kindness, sir. I am sure not all would see my mother’s death as a loss, in fact I've been told the party about to be held in Blackpond is in celebration of her death. I’m sure some would question my sanity for attending, but then... They were so nice to invite me, it would be insulting not to accept. Don’t you agree?” The girl asked, her tone soft as ever although a tone of bitterness was noticeable underneath if one was observant enough. “In light of current events, there is one thing I would like to ask of you, Pondus...” Annie once again reached into her bag, from it she pulled the book Sean had left her and offered it to the man. “I don’t know if you are aware of what exactly this is. I can’t honestly say that I am, entirely, but it seems as some extensive rule breaking has brought it to my hands. Ella Page, for some reason, believed it was fitting to let the Alpha of the Wolfpack have this, he in turn passed it along to me... And I would like you to have it. If there is one thing we seem to agree on, Sean and I, is that the ones writing the history of this Land were never the ones truly living it. I don’t know where this book will end up, if in a hundred or a thousand years it will be discovered and read by someone who only knows the facts that were chosen as real, but I feel it is fitting that we at least attempt to show Valcrest as we see it, from the inside. And you are one of the people I know have seen things most people can’t imagine, and I believe that people would greatly benefit from knowing the realities of the world, even if reality is often not as pretty as history would tell us."

"I see..."
He carefully to the book into his hands. Wistfully looking over its cover touching it with care. It was strange for a simple thing to hold so great a presence but it felt somewhat mystic. It was nothing more then a glorified journal, but it held the contents of three important figures within. He looked to it with curiosity and saw in its bindings great potential. To think that perhaps one day this book would be marked with the ancient histories of the land, or more importantly the truth. Looking up to Annie he found a sense of dread emerge from all the promise.

Such important pieces of knowledge were to be stored away for safekeeping. For Grim this meant there was a threat of losing such things. Could it be that dread had indeed found its way into the heart of Valcrest, that for the sake of preservation they were to fill this book. Perhaps it was nothing but a fleeting childish fear. Yet he couldn't shake the importance of it.

"Ella to the Wolves? Surely this book must be blessed to defy such boundaries. I will take it with care, and see that it is passed as it was given. Who knows, perhaps it will at last shed some light in the minds of Valcrest."

He took a moment to consider how to approach his next question. It was true that he trusted the White Shadows, and had found himself indebted to them. The news of Blackpond's party was fairly widespread, but as a Black Knight he couldn't help but feel distrust in their actions. At the same time he understood the neutrality that the healers had to keep, and to act hostile even if it is toward Blackpond could set some distrust between himself and the White Shadows. Still, he had to take action even if his loyalty could be questioned, Newhaven was still his home.

"A party in Blackpond for the White Rose? M'lady it doesn't require a keen mind to see such a facade. They have held no love as you said for the White Shadows. Why would they go to such troubles now?"

For Grim to be skeptical should come as no surprise. Blackpond has been his enemy for as long as he wore armor. Twice he has repelled them from his home, and drove them from the city of Newhaven. They were his opposition, and though he vied for peace, he couldn't help but feel hate for its people. A contradiction but what was to be expected? He was part of the wars.

“What are you thinking about?” Alistair’s voice pierced through Annie’s thinking as they crossed the gates of Blackpond. “You have been very quiet for the entire trip here.
“I’ve been thinking... About the future and what it may bring. And that is a very distracting subject, isn’t it? I’m sorry if I haven’t been the best of companies so far.”
“No need to apologize, I’m just worried that your brain will overheat or something like that, you’ve been acting introspective and concerned for quite a while.”
“And you have been acting twitchy and nervous because of it, I assume, since you can’t tell what I’m feeling anymore.” Annie smiled kindly at her friend. “I know how that must be frustrating for you, but I’m fine. At least for now.” She assured him.

Heads turned and eyes followed the young healer and her friend as they roamed the city streets, it was clearly a shock to see a White Shadow in Blackpond when they hadn't dared enter the city in the past three years. Ever since the city army made its attack on the healers’ encampment. Annie couldn't help but think of how strange it was to be there now after everything. As they reached the castle and joined the crowds heading for the party Annie noticed that they didn't blend in any more than in the city, the girl’s robes standing out amongst the fancy and colorful dresses. Spotting someone familiar Annie opened a smile and made her way amongst the guest until she reached the dark clad figure, both of the standing out much more while standing next to each other; the girl dressed all in white and the boy in full black. “Luckas.” She whispered, startling the young man. “What’re you staring at?” She asked, following the boy’s gaze to the leader of the Crimson Shadows and the woman he was speaking to.
Luckas winced as Annie called his name, the girl catching him off guard as his attention was caught up in staying out of sight. Reluctantly he let his attention be drawn away from the scene he had been watching and fall on the young healer. “Are you stalking me now?” He asked, raising an eyebrow playfully, his eye moving past Annie to catch Alistair’s disapproving gaze. “I see you brought a bodyguard, that’s clever of you, the city is dangerous after all. Me? You know me, I always find something interesting to stare at.” He snickered.

“What is there no booze in this party or are you just picky with you liquor?”

Ess accepted the flask back, casually tucking it back at her side, a sly grin on her lips. “Maybe it was just a test. I wonder...how many people would drink from a strangers flask? Never the less, I’m glad I didn’t spike it.” Slowly she winked at him, taking a few steps closer but suddenly turning to kneel beside Tala. Mumbling a few commands into the wolf’s ear, she barked and took off in what seemed like a random direction, Ess discreetly letting her gaze follow as she forced her smile wider. Standing back to her feet she was now standing inches from the mercenary. “Clan..?” Ess asked with a sweet yet fake look of ignorance. “Don’t think I really have an agenda...yet. Well, except that I will try to enjoy myself a little bit. All things considered.” Lifting both eyebrows she let her smile fade, her gaze lingering across the man’s chest and trailing down his arms. Ever so slightly, she let her fingertips trail up along to the man’s shoulder before she let her lavender stare reach his deep browns. “Do you dance, Dastan?” She whispered with a tantalizing grace, casually her eyes passed along his neck and a genuine smile returned when she noticed a discolored imperfection along his throat. “I like your scar...adds a certain kind of ….charm.”

Essence hid her internal hammerings very well, noting the familiar dark figure in the crowd and even though her blood boiled in annoyance, many ideas of violence crossing her eyes, she still smiled and appeared carefree. She would ignore him. Pretend he wasn’t even there, yet all the while keeping tabs. It was true though, she needed to let herself have some fun and she didn’t think it would hurt to be a little extra friendly towards her new acquaintance. Little by little she was picking up little hints and details to what kind of man he was. It was something new to her, this making friends thing, but she figured at the very least whatever alliances she could gain she was the better for it.

Dastan chuckled softly, his dark eyes sparkling in amusement as Essence mentioned not having spiked the contents of the flask. “Well, now you know my secret... I’m a very, very, trusty man... It would be extremely easy for a pretty lady such as yourself to take advantage of me... Crys herself has said I should not be left unattended.” He said in a not very convincing innocent tone. “If you do ever feel like poisoning me in the future though, sweetness... At least grant me one last request, hm? I’d like to assure that I die a happy man.” He stated, giving the woman a playful wink. “Aye, my clan... I am the proud leader of the Crimson Shadows, and the last living member of the royal family of Brightvale, but don’t let the title fool you into thinking I am in any way a responsible man.” He said, a slightly mischievous grin crossing his features. “Although the fact that I’ve come here tonight should speak for itself.” The man snickered softly, amusement still in his eyes.

Although Dastan was his usually casual self, playful and relaxed in his demeanor, he was ever so observant of his company. While nearly everything about Essence was alluring, there was also something about the woman that kept the man respectful, at least as much as he was capable of. It was somewhat clear to him, despite all subtlety, that the woman already knew this game all too well. “Do I dance? Hm, well... I guess you could say that I do, although where I’m from we tend to do it in a less.... uh... orderly fashion than what I’m seeing around here.” Dastan said, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he took a moment to watch some of the dancing couples, the mention of his scar drawing his focus back to Ess as he seemed to flinch for just a moment before nodding. “It is a good reminder to watch out for jealous boyfriends.” He spoke with a smile that made it unclear whether he was joking or not. “Hopefully that’s not something I need to worry about at the moment, or is it?”

--------------------------------------------------------

Irvin caught up with Jake and Darren still chewing on some apple, a playful smile crossing his expression as he nudged Jake. “Spotted any interesting redheads, Killer? You do look like you need to... Unwind, if you know what I mean.”
“Anyone older than five years old would know what you mean, Irvin.” Jake replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced off into the crowd. “And yes, one or two. I think my chances of... unwinding are around zero or less though. I do have great chances of being punched in the face, but then.... Considering where we are, I say we all do.”
Irvin chuckled softly. “Hey, I wouldn’t mind if a pretty woman punched me in the face. Which reminds me, speaking of face punching... Is that Rita lady around here? I should chat her up. She was pretty.”
Jake chuckled, shaking his head in amusement at the boy. “I haven’t seen her, Irv, but you shouldn’t assume that just because a woman sleeps on your bed and then hits you in the face you have any chance with her. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake once.”
The boy chuckled. “Well, maybe you’re not as charming as I am.” He played, still laughing for a few moments until his eyes caught someone in the crowd and sparkled with rage. “He’s here. You didn’t tell me he was going to be here!” The boy muttered out.
Jake flinched for a second at Irvin’s reaction, but immediately caught him by the arm as he tried to move in Sean’s direction. “No. Not yet and certainly not here! We have a deal. Getting yourself killed is not a part of it.”
Irvin groaned, trying to struggle for a moment against Jake’s hold, but eventually settling down. “You didn’t say he was going to be here.”
“I didn’t know.” Jake sighed. “And could you please stop freezing my hand? See, I’m rather attached to it.”
Irvin frowned, glancing down to notice that Jake’s fingers were turning to a blue-ish tone around his wrist. “Sorry.” He snorted.
Jake sighed, releasing the boy’s arm. “I get it that you really want him dead. I do. But you just have to set it aside for now so we can maybe make it through this party alive. Starting something here and now would just be suicidal, way too suicidal even for my standards."
"I'll try... I can't promise." Irvin mumbled in response.

“Well, now you know my secret... I’m a very, very, trusty man...

“Now...that doesn’t seem fair, does it? For me to know a secret about you but you don’t get to learn any of mine?” Essence shrugged. “Sadly, I don’t trust men easily. Although, I’m sure if you were to keep a close eye on me, I’d reveal one or two tonight.” She giggled, her smile fading slightly when he addressed her as ‘Pretty Lady’, a flash of light passing over her pupils in a thoughtful pose. The words caused that internal wave of anger and spite to roll down her neck and along her shoulders in an intensity so fierce yet so brief she still reached for the muscle as if it truly ached. The term ’Sweetness just brought the smile back, her soul pulling from tensed to composed at the familiar nickname. Only one other person had ever called her that, and even though it was something she used often and carelessly in comparison to now, it stirred something she didn’t understand in her when it was spoken. It was just a nickname and Dastan seemed to use it as freely as she had once. A few months ago, if a man had addressed her as such, she may have reacted violently. She wouldn’t have cared if it was insane and made no sense, because simply it meant something different to her than it may to most. For a moment she stared before snapping out of deep thought, yet still she caught every word as Dastan spoke. “Responsibility is overrated but a necessary evil.” She joked, her eyes catching an entertainer of sorts off towards the stairwell appear, holding what appeared to be bucket of hot embers and coals in one hand and a staff in the other. He stood tall and oddly still as if waiting for something and that was when she heard the commotion.

“Ella!”

The amount of time it took Ess’ thought process to accept the very idea of the NewHaven Queen attending a party at Blackpond and how this could end badly, was the exact amount of time it took for the display of fire and ice to begin. Ess was in awe, her attention naturally drawn to the fire in an innocent, childlike delight and then her expression suddenly shut by a chilling wind that forced her eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them she realized that any other possible exit she had internally noted was now sealed like a tomb. Her discomfort was noted by how she had to suddenly keep busy, starting with adjusting her gown and hair as if to put every strand back in place. “...Well...I guess there are worse people to be trapped inside a room with..” She half heartily joked, glancing at Dastan. “And to think you were worried about jealous boyfriends...”

Clearing her throat, she began to walk back towards the stairwell; the ‘entertainer’ still standing idle and surprisingly calm before he dipped the ends of the staff into the bucket so that they lit up in bright flames. “Not boyfriends, Dastan...” Blowing a kiss towards the man she muttered something about going off to dance, heels clicking and skipping beats as she quickened her pace towards the figure who began spinning the staff before him so fast that the flames blurred into a fiery circle that seemed to melt together. That was when he paused and by slight of hand, the staff became two. Alternating staffs into the air in a weightless fashion, the man would casually catch them, rotating them along his wrists in a large figure eight. The skill level seemed boundless as the tricks increased in speed and complexity that caused Ess to bounce in excitement as she watched. A small crowd had encircled herself and the performer, as she was closer than most, unwary by the flames.

“I can do that...” She stated boldly, catching what appeared to be two morning-stars hanging lazily out of the bucket, unfinished chain links touching the floor.

“So you think?” The man laughed, eyeing Ess’ long dress in disbelief but stepped back, not losing pace as he nodded towards the bucket of fire. “I will never object to a lovely woman wanting to embarrass herself...adds a certain beauty to the shame..”

Ess’ eyes narrowed, but she kept smiling as her fingers fumbled along the lace of her gown, slowly peeling off the outer layer of her dress like a jacket to reveal bare arms, mini daggers along her sides, and her relic favorite along the small of her back. Without really looking she asked the closest person to her in a sweet tone, draping the piece of her gown over the individual’s arm, “Excuse me...please hold this for me...” Now she was free to move her arms and torso a bit more comfortably, her gown still just touching the floor but lighter and less confined to move now. It wasn’t long before she had the man’s speed matched, yet her approach differed much from his as the fiery morning-stars disappeared into an orange blaze in shapes and flowers. Her entire body flowed with the barrel like tricks, arching far backwards so that the flames did not touch her face, still mere inches from her curls. Spinning in gradual circles around the man as he continued as well, they toyed with one another in their fiery play, threatening to burn the other but never losing control. Now, she was dancing.

Ess was light on her feet, her movements fluid so that it appeared effortless as she managed to avoid the flames. Still, she pondered over how the chains weren’t long nor light enough so her control was not as extensive as she would have liked. There was just so much more she could do and she began to create images in her mind of what the ideal pieces to use, in defense or for simple amusement, would look like and how to improve on the simple mechanics. Essence was, by no means a blacksmith, nor did she have any idea of how to go about the ideas in her head but it was something that temporarily cleared her mind of all other ailments and for a moment she forgot her dark stalker in the shadows. For a moment. Although, she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t an accident from the fire wielder’s cocky attitude that had burned him and not by some other ‘means’. Either way, she couldn’t hide the amused smile that stretched to her violet orbs. Even when she almost clocked the man in the side of the head with one of the flaming spikes and was given somewhat shocked and accusing glances from the patrons that rushed to put out the flames; still she smiled.

It had been a long time since she partook in any fire dancing, especially for her own amusement. The last time had been here in Blackpond, but as a tool in her attempt to cheer up her childhood friend. Ess had managed to sneak out many times to be with Blue Eyes, especially after his father had passed away. She understood, like many, what loss of family was like and made sure to be there to support him in the harsh reality of it all. Every smile she managed to steal from him made her appreciate the skill even if she kept it to herself mostly. For whatever reason, she didn’t care who saw her tonight and yet she purposely wanted a certain pair of eyes to see. She wondered if she could be truly seen or simply distracted in the facade. Beautiful and disheartening all at the same time. Just like she had mentioned to Dastan earlier, if someone were to pay enough attention, they may indeed discover a secret or two about her.

Ess didn’t pause more than a second until the music ended and in that time she spun so that flames, gown, and curls trailed in unison a scale of red shades that collided into what appeared to be one giant flame. Still she saw the man grumble at her side as he was doused in water, his pant leg shredded and burnt up to his knee and minor burns puffing to a head as the blisters were quick to form. Those who were not watching the flames appeared to be collecting themselves towards the center of the room where most were finding dance partners and trying to flow along to the melody. Many seemed stiff and fake; no feeling behind the dance. It wasn’t suppose to be so emotionless, the steps. They were meant to be a guide, no more, and the rest was left up to their story teller how it would play out. At least, that was how Ess was taught. It had been one of the few things she appreciated from her captivity as a child.

When Ess spotted Crys dancing with a figure not familiar to her, she didn’t pay it much mind. Then there were the whispers and murmurs that she only caught bits and pieces of but it was enough to slow her pace so she could get a better look. Did they realize their movements alone were enough to tell their story? Drawn together yet pushing to be apart with a curious tension that seemed to linger over their shoulders like a fog. It seemed familiar but distant. Heavy and light. Hands did not stray by either partner, but she couldn’t tell if it was respect or distaste. Maybe a hint of both? She saw something hidden behind the sparkle in their eyes but she wasn’t sure what it was until she heard the man’s name whispered. Fletcher.. Quirking a brows she knew she recognized the name but it all came clear as the murmurs continued. Alpha..
Her brows narrowed, her entertained smile fading to a cold yet curious ambitious sneer.

‘Interesting play....’ She thought, suddenly noticing the Captain out of of the corner of her eye off in the corner chatting with Pondus. It was a bit of a relief to see the Captain had made it to the party. The more allies the better. Where was she, but locked together with friends and foes in some sort of parlay waiting to erupt. What could the hostess she merely caught glimpses of, be planning? It seemed like neither Crys nor the current Alpha would make a move to initiate violence and even parted ways without so much as a scratch. Ess was sure Mageria had noticed the Alpha as well and wondered if she could show such restraint with someone disliked immensely to the point that all one could see was red. She figured it would be like acting; nothing she didn’t already know. Maybe they were trained to cool their anger when appropriate but who was to really say when it would be? It was an interesting gathering thus far, to say the least and this was just frosting on the cake. Captain guard, royalty, clan leaders of assassins and their members; it was a wonder who else of note was there.

Ess released a small sigh, dropping the morning-stars back into the bucket and approached a young man she had draped that piece of her gown upon, giving him her sweetest smile. “Thanks kid...er, Young Sir.” She corrected a bit awkwardly as she stared up into his blue eyes, smiling at the loose curls he shook from out his stare. Casually she took the jacket of her gown back, her fingers innocently brushing past his as she hung the material in folds over her forearm. Her smile dwindled some as she quirked a brow at the boy curiously. “Uh...you ok, hun?”

Darren had wandered away from Jake and Irvin, partially trying to find where the wolf suddenly bolted off to and partially after the redheaded woman who seemed to be it’s ‘companion’. Or maybe it was the other way around; it was a bit confusing the way they interacted and it was fascinating to see something so wild and yet that tame. It was a total surprise to have her suddenly turn about and hand him a piece of random clothing, his eyes widening in a bit of shock and embarrassment as if he should turn away. His shock could also be attributed to the lack of visions he received from the garment, bringing him to conclude it was something new to the woman since the fragments were pretty useless and didn’t make much sense. At least, more so than usual. As he watched her though he couldn’t take his eyes off her but it wasn’t in any way provocative to him, more in a way certain things just stood out as if he’d seen her before. The deep red curls of her hair were mostly responsible, but then again, there were many women out there with red curly hair. Then, there was also the scar that trailed down from her left eye and down her cheek. He was silent, absently glancing about for his companions that he’d left behind, his mind shifting back to the images from his father’s journal.

“Yea...fine..” Darren smiled with a confirmed nod, still staring a bit. Whatever pieces of his puzzle he was trying to piece together in his mind, he kept to himself...for the most part. “You didn’t seem comfortable with what you were doing...I mean...you made that...” He paused, motioning towards the grumbling fool on the ground behind her to gesture what had just taken place. “...look easy, but still you seemed like you had to improvise. Too heavy for you?” He asked quirking a brow. “Maybe the chains should be longer..give you more leeway.” He suggested with a shrug, running his fingers through his hair. “You from around here? Just haven’t...seen you in the city before...well not that it’s a small place per se..” Darren stated curiously as he thought knowingly, ‘Another...redhead...’

Essence chuckled, nodding up at the man. “Good eye....I was thinking of ways to improve the model but...” She shrugged as if pushing the thought aside. “That wasn’t the point of it all.” She stated, a puzzled expression crossing her features. “I...lived here for a time, but no...not from here.” Ess answered simply, rolling her shoulders to stretch her muscles a bit. Quickly back tracking on the subject to avoid the current she asked, “Are you a blacksmith? Or do you play? Just curious to how you know what I was concerned about over there..Mr...?”

“Darren...” He cleared his throat, purposely leaving out his last name, especially while in the city. Darren couldn’t be sure who knew his father and with his luck he was pretty sure most were either patrons or allies with the man. He did pay attention to the woman saying she was not from these parts, but merely a visitor of sorts maybe. “No, not a blacksmith...but yes I have played with fire here and there. How many times have you been burned before you got the hang of it...Miss...?”

Ess smiled as she began to walk in the direction of where she saw the Wolf pack Alpha meld into the crowd. It wasn’t that she was trying to be rude when she didn’t give her name but more that her mind was a bit preoccupied with following her current target of interest even if this boy before her seemed somewhat intriguing. Ess caught herself double taking the figure, staring back longer than she meant to as if she just noticed a detail she had previously missed. The blue of his eyes seemed to emanate a subtle purple hue; something she was not use to seeing which she chalked up to the kid probably having some sort of enlightenment. Raising her hand up slowly she let it hover before the man’s eyes and sighed, making sure he could see the blister forming on her fingertips before she retracted her hand. “I still get burned. We can’t play with fire and expect anything different, right? Things won’t always go as expected, so we improvise. Even if it’s something we don’t expect because if it’s expected or not, I think it hurts all the same. It’ll heal....just like the others and at least this one won’t leave a scar. But in the meantime, just like all the rest, we hide the wound...” Ess winked, triggering her ‘Mirage’ so that the blister suddenly disappeared as if it were never there.

As she walked away, Darren’s expression melted to one of pure confusion. He was dumbfounded. “Why do I have the feeling that was some cryptic woman chatter that I probably don’t want to even know about..?” He muttered to himself with a shiver, thinking she sounded a bit bitter and matter of fact like. He knew that sign well, feeling it was best to not pursue and question the woman further. Darren had been on the receiving line of that before. Turning to find Irv watching him with a curious expression, Darren snickered. “Now there my friend...is an example of the unpredictability of a redhead. A ticking time bomb. One second she appears ok, a smile on her face and the next she’s metaphorical and sounding like she’ll bite someone’s head off. Don’t even think about it man.”

~~~~
Tala had been slinking underneath chairs, tables; lurking behind tapestries and even trotted beneath one woman’s dress that was so wide she looked like a barrel that had exploded. The woman cursed the wolf with an annoyed shriek, complaining aloud, “Who let this animal in here?! Should be kept under control.” She snorted. Tala ignored her, nose stuck to the ground as she searched, catching sight of her ‘prey’ just as he seemed to walk away from another guest. Trotting forward, the wolf meandered past a few patrons, finagling her furry form in twists and turns trying not to bump into anything but it was difficult with the dancing figures. As she weaved out of the center of the room, she brushed by a woman in white. Tala slowed her pace into patient and calculated steps, head low to the floor and hackles raised before she froze, ears perking to attention as she stood behind Luckas. Casually sniffing the back of his pant leg she sneezed, a subtle whine mingled with a deep, throaty growl slowly growing louder before silencing again when her body suddenly lurched forward in some sort of gag like reflex. Sitting back on her haunches the wolf seemed to fall into a small fit of dry heaves, as if she were trying to wretch a hairball but nothing ever came. After a moment it passed and still the man’s back was turned to her in which she responded with a growl like bark that came and went in short bursts. It could almost be mistaken for words, if the wolf could talk. Tala then proceeded to walk through the man’s legs practically tipping him over as she pushed herself past to sit in front of him and stare defiantly up at Luckas, waiting to be acknowledged.

Balls were not all they had been made out to be. There were loud eruptions and the occasional Oooh and Ahh over someone who entered with a name or rank, the low growl of people’s private conversations and of course the music and dancing. The room was a whirl of colorful dresses and men leading ladies across the floor to the beat of the music, and everyone seemed to be getting along perfectly well. Sweet, comforting, and yet boring as hell. Why Ella would even want to come to one of these was beyond her reasoning. Orders were orders and Ari had followed in secret for the time being to keep an eye on her. Ari stifled another yawn as she rose from her place on the wall, her ball gown swaying over legs as she made her way across the hall. It, like the one she had worn for her induction into the Pack, was also white. The dress was constricting to her hips before flaring out across a floral pattern that split the dress into two parts. The gap was pushed out by white chiffon, the edges of the silk cloth embroidered with silver threads that swirled out. White flowers wound into her hair and draped off her shoulder and a small silver circlet dipped between her brows in a twisted leaf pattern. Unlike most, Ari had also chosen small touch of paint to circle her eyes in a silver mask that was painted on and left her golden hair free to dip back along her waist. This wasn’t exactly her idea of a gown but if Sean had left it for her to wear, then she would. She figured that he would have perhaps the greatest expertise in these situations after all. The Wolf she had gotten it from was pretty adamant that she wear it too.

Absently she rubbed the palms of her hands, little pieces of earth still stuck to them. Ari had no clue that Ella was actually going to the ball and her little run had placed Ella out of eye sight and out of earshot. Ari did the only thing she could think of. It was back into the white wolf, running along the shadows and earth to get to Blackpond as fast as she could. Of course she had forgotten the gown so it was a miracle that one of the Wolves had been waiting outside of the palace gates to greet her with one. Surprisingly the guards had no questions when he escorted her inside, only to vanish once she was safely inside the ball room. Her hands and feet still ached from the mad sprint against time and somehow she was managing to catch her breath underneath the sweltering heat of the dress, and it didn’t help that she was trying to move freely about. The dress was big.

Her green eyes sparkled as she passed by and through the general chatter that came with the whole dancing thing, catching bits and pieces of it. Most of it was general and proper greetings, however, she occasionally stumbled upon the hushed, yet heated conversations of people who would have preferred to have nothing to do with other. These were the conversations that caught her ears, and sometimes even drew her eyes. Her body stopped, the graceful movement of her procession stopped as she caught sight of a women she knew. Dressed from head to toe in black, Ari was damn sure that it had been the woman who was there for the archery competition, who had set up. Ari licked her lips nervously, unable to pull her eyes from the women as she struggled to put a name to the face.

“Staring is rude,” a voice whispered behind her as a hand gently touched her elbow. Ari drew her gaze away to the face she had hoped to never see again. Kirsten smiled down at her gently; his black coat and pants gave his eyes a special glint as he took a small step back.

“Well, I will give you this, you do dress up nice,” he smirked as his eyes roamed up and down the length of the dress.

“Kirsten? What are you doing here?” she hissed quietly, trying to take a step back as well. He was having none of it and he pulled her forward to him as he took her arm forcefully and led her across the hall.

“I’ll explain later,” he growled, pulling her with him.

“I’ll scream.”

“Lower your voice Ari, people are staring.”

It wasn’t until then that she realized that his words rung true and she quietly let him lead her across the floor. Ari bit her lip nervously, her green eyes tingeing gold as Kirsten came to a stop and gently turned towards her.

“Do you trust me?”

“Trust you?!” Ari wanted to laugh, but all that came was a strangled squeak.

“Tonight I am neither your enemy nor a Hunter,” Kirsten soothed quietly, genuine concern flickering over his handsome features, his brow furrowing. Ari realized that he had taken her question as a sign of fear but before she could protest he again took her hand, his eyes burning red as a wall rose between them and the crowd. A moment later the wall was gone as well as the odd couple that had stood there only moments before. Only a few guests saw it fizzle, most of them coming to the conclusion that they really had had too much to drink that night and politely placed their glasses down.

Kirsten felt Ari shiver behind him the moment they vanished behind the tapestry. He couldn’t tell if it was because she hadn’t realized what was going on yet or if it was because he had dipped into her childhood memories to make the wall appear. It left most victims shaken; after all, he had to flip through her memories to locate the fear. It was an invasion, and according to Eric it was like having a dark presence make you watch the memories you hated most while flipping through them like cards. To him however, memories ran like a silver thread through his fingers; fragile when put through too much but strong and smooth though a gentle touch. He smiled as he couldn’t help but compare himself to a seamstress. Thread was easy to work with if you knew how, as were the memories and fears of people.

“Kirsten,” Ari whispered behind him in the dark.

“Hush, were almost there.”

He wasn’t lying, for a few moments later his hands closed onto a door knob and gave it a small twist. A door creaked open and he quickly pulled her inside. The Night Hunters rose, Eric being the first to move forward to pull the girl to her feet. Ari carefully stood, brushing down the wrinkles in the dress as she looked from Kirsten to Eric and then even to Lichen.

“Took you long enough,” Eric grinned, looking towards Kirsten with amusement as Kirsten laughed.

“She was so pretty I didn’t know what I was looking for. It was only the wolf in her threads that gave her away, that and the description of the dress” he motioned to the silver threads on the dress and he watched as she blushed, “Anyways, I do believe, however, that it’s time for you to change.”

“Wha—”

“The person who got you all this was not a Wolf, in fact Sean has no idea that you are here. It was one of the younger recruit’s ideas.”

Kirsten smiled softly as she shook her head gently, nodding toward Lichen who carefully laid a different dress on the table. Ari was resisting, he could see a bead of sweat on Eric’s forehead as he tried to work with the suspicion they placed there. It was very true that Sean did have no idea she was here, but the dress was from a Wolf. Finally she blinked and nodded. Her hands scooped up the dress and ran off to change out of it, leaving them alone as Kirsten grinned. It was no longer the smile of a concerned man, but the triumphant grin of a wolf who knows he’s got the rabbit trapped at the end of a ravine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When next Ari found herself immersed in the swirl of colors she was hanging onto the arm of Eric. They were caught in the middle of the dance, her face washed fresh and her eyes bright with laughter as he spun her. The new dress moved like water across her skin and the corset let her breathe with ease. The white material fell loosely around her hips and flared as she spun, the golden accents of the string lacing across her chest drawing the gaze of a few people. Her golden hair was spiraled and braided atop her head, her slender neck and collarbone shimmering slightly as Eric pulled her from the dance floor, his own eyes bright as he bowed.

“That was truly magnificent,” he smiled, taking her hand into his before bending to press his lips to the back of it. Her cheeks were hot from dancing and her breath was short as he thanked her again and moved off. Ari smiled and moved to press her back against the coolness of the wall, her fingers moving to touch her heart. She became a wall flower again; content to watch the dancers as she caught a glimpse of Sean out on the floor dancing, Ella talking to the women she still couldn’t name, and she could have sworn that for a moment she had seen Essence out there too. Ari smiled and shook her head gently, obviously she needed air. Carefully pushing herself away from the wall, she began walking toward one of the many windows, turning her back on the whirl of color and organized confusion.

Essence knew the general direction of where she’d last seen the Alpha in the ever moving crowd, yet she found herself momentarily distracted as she caught the distant barks of her furry companion from the other side of the dance floor. Coming to a halt she clicked her heels in thought, not even paying attention to the small crowd of people that passed briskly past her, her image appearing small and almost insignificant until it parted again and left her momentarily alone. Her expression was empty, violet orbs darting furiously through the many forms as she tried to pinpoint Tala. In a way, she appeared ‘lost’ in the manner she stood idle and as the thought of moving forward crossed her mind she didn’t even get a chance to turn before someone rammed into her with such purpose she indeed almost lost her balance if not for the firm grip on her arm. The coat of her gown had slipped to the floor at the small collision, her hand instantly covering the man’s and gripping over his fingers, her instincts at the ready. Yet, as her eyes reached his, a sweet smile took over, hiding her delighted surprise and the devilish idea of breaking his hand for touching her but she wasn’t stupid; it was just a natural thought that she quickly brushed aside.

“Oh...nice reflexes...” Ess giggled, shrugging off the apology. “No harm done. Hm, good grip too.” She winked, letting her fingers loosen and trace his fingers along her arm. “How...fortuitous...” Ess sang, shyly pulling her gaze from his. “You’re the Wolfpack Alpha...” She quickly stated, something in her tone that was a mix of interest and distaste, but she remained polite, honestly more curious than anything as it was clearly not her place to say or do anything in Mageria’s name. Again, she was here as a set of eyes and ears, not to pick fights with another’s foe especially when she knew next to nothing about the individual. “I’m sorry, how rude of me...My name is Essence. What is a good looking man like yourself doing here without a lovely woman on your arm? Maybe that’s what had you in such haste? It’s...usually a woman that sends a man in earnest in the opposite direction... ” Quirking a brow she stared at him, the violet of her orbs intensifying into a myst like glow passing across her irises like a fog. “I doubt it was Miss Rivers that sent you this way.” She added, matter of factly. “I just mean, you don’t seem like the type to run, even if it is something you fear.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darren watched Jake wander off from the corner of his eye, noting he went in the same direction as the redhead and chuckled, leaning over towards Irvin. “Hey...I thought you liked girls...” He teased, nodding towards the Alpha. “You keep staring...hey, come now, lets get your mind off whatever that is and onto something more pleasant..” Casually he rested one hand on Irv’s shoulder and slowly turned him towards a group of girls chatting away over their wine glasses, catching one or two pairs of eyes and flashing a debonair smile. “Smile Irv...see that cute, blond one? She keeps looking at you...why don’t you go say hi? I’ll be right behind ya.” Darren gave Irvin a little shove and then crossed his arms to watch, turning abruptly when he thought he caught the wolf he had been searching for following a dark haired individual. He didn’t seen the man’s face as both disappeared in the crowd causing Darren to snort in annoyance. It was then Darren saw a group of men following an older looking woman around in an awkward circular wall-like shield. The scene caught him as odd because although the room was filled with many people who most likely disliked each other and were well armed, none had an entourage at their heels.

“Ah, young Hearst...not surprised to see you here...” A woman’s voice came from behind the men who slowly parted to the sides, backs to the older woman as they watched the perimeter. “Where’s your father? Still in prison? Pity....him and I have some old ‘business’ to discuss.”

Darren cringed when the woman came into view, making it hard to force a smile when she smiled a decaying smile. Even more so when she called out to him by name and asked for his father. Darren bowed in a polite fashion but really it was to avoid looking at the crone, the idea coming to mind that she looked like a walking corpse, especially with the eyepatch that smelled of rot. “I don’t know how my father is doing..” He answered simply. “Anything I can help with?” Darren asked curiously as he stood up straight, towering over the decrepit, hag before him.

Ebony snorted. “You have no authority in your father’s line of work...which I hear he runs pretty well from the prisons within this very city. Word....gets around.”

Darren shrugged, “Maybe I don’t have any direct authority, no.” His brows narrowed as his smile suddenly faded away, his gaze curious with a hint of disgust. “His business dealings never interested or sat well with me. Who are you to know of my father?”

“I know plenty of your father. We were longtime business partners, him and I. I was there the day you were born Darren. I was there when all of them were born.”

Darren’s eyes flashed a sharp blue, a subtle groan escaping him. “Who the hell are you and what the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh, you mean you don’t recognize me, Darren? It’s Aunty Ebony...don’t you remember?” The woman spat. “I remember you. One of the many screaming hells I had to do away with. Lucky for you, you were one of the few who got to live past the afterbirth. Which brings me back to this business deal of mine and Ashers’. You. Usually I send the little harlots off to the dumpster if not to their usual interested parties, but for some reason your father wanted to keep you.” Ebony rolled her eyes, shrugging as if truly confuse to why Asher would do such a thing. “Maybe because you were the first son he ever had..”

Darren’s eyes went wide, a swirling, nauseated sensation filling his stomach. Darren wasn’t one to get angry and not easily, but what concerned him more in that instant was why this woman he couldn’t remember acted as if she knew him. There was no rhyme or reason to her mocking and cruel words except that she was deliberately trying to get a rise out of him. His first instinct was to reach out to her. To hell with her riddle chatter, he could use his enlightenment and find out whatever it was she was going on about. Stepping forward, two of the mercenaries instantly blocked his path, not giving Darren an inch towards Ebony. “You....are not human...” Darren whispered, staring past the men in utter awe as Ebony spoke. “I have....sisters? My own father...sold his own blood? I was bought?”

Ebony chuckled a condescending choking sound that emanated from her haggard appearance. “Say hi to your father for me when you see him again...” The woman whispered, her smile somewhat innocent yet causing shivers to travel down Darren’s back. “Tell him he should remember what happens when he tries to screw me over. I promised I’d start with him, and destroy him from the bottom up.” Ebony sneered, motioning for some of the men to follow as she turned to leave, a feeling accomplishment making her cocky but not foolish. She pointed to two of the men who stayed behind to continue to block the boy as he began to sweat. “Make sure he doesn’t follow..”

The lights, the drinks, the sound of the music unable to calm the rapid beating of hearts couldn’t distract from the tight tension that had her on edge. Ari itched. It wasn’t the fabric of the dress or the hot humid climate that her body had decided to take, it was her enlightenment. Something seemed wrong, out of place and it made her jumpy. Her green eyes were streaked with silver, her nose crinkled at the smell of the alcohol in her hands, her ears catching the soft whispers of those across the hall, her eyes scanning the windows, the doors, the dresses. Everything screamed threat and Ari shifted uncomfortably. Wolf was begging to be let out, to rip, tear, and defend and she had half a mind to do so. After all, she might have been the only one unarmed on the entire premises. However that wouldn’t have been pleasant. Somehow she managed to hold the wolf in check; perhaps it was the image of a girl running across the floor only to tear into a black wolf, or maybe it was the horror of being naked in front of everyone after the fact. Either way, it would have been funny in a couple hundred years to everyone else except her.

Ari took a sip of the drink, her fingers trembling as she then set the glass down. It was supposed to be calming, yet all it did was set her teeth on edge. Something smelled wrong. Ari turned her eyes back onto the crowd, locating her two targets quickly. Ella looked relatively safe; she did have a guard with her. Sean was talking to some girl and he seemed pretty safe too. Keeping an eye out was making her head hurt. Her first duty was toward the Alpha, she would lay her life down to protect him, and it wasn’t just because he had adopted a snot-nosed brat and turned her into this. He had become someone she considered a friend. Ella, on the other hand, was her new charge. If anything happened to her, Ari considered it a failure on her first mission, and wouldn’t Sean just love to gloat over that. And yet, Ella had been so open with someone she saw as just a maid, had listened. Most people didn’t listen to her. Then there were the other’s Ari had to keep an eye on. Dastan, Crys, Ali, Ess, Luckas; any one of them could blow her cover and expose her secrecy to those she didn’t want to know who, or where she was.

Her tongue ran over her lips and she let her hand fall to her side only to be pushed up by a wet nose and onto a head. She felt it rest on fur. Tala whined, her paw tugging into the hem of Ari’s dress and carefully, Ari knelt to the ground. Her eyes became level with that of the wolf and Ari smiled as Tala appeared to do the same, her knowing eyes bright but curious. They remembered each other, even outside wolf form, which was clear in the way that Ari could gently press her face into the shoulder, her face hidden in the musky scent of the wilderness.

“Tala girl. You remember,” she breathed, her fingers gently combing through the fur. The wolf seemed to let her pull everything back together and the anxiety slowly withdrew. As Ari pulled away Tala wagged once and then made her way back into the horde, her nose working the air in front of her as she scampered off, leaving Ari once again alone in the big room. Ari sighed and stood again, her dress moving like water across her knees. It was time to go, let someone else watch for awhile.

Ari cut her way through the crowd, passing many other people, her eyes locked on the way she came in.

“Ari!”

Ari groaned and turned her head, her eyes locking onto the face of Sesh. He waved and gently took her arm, pulling her back away from the doors and into the mob. His snow colored hair caught the light, his eyes dark as he smiled.

“I never thought I would see you here,” he grinned like a puppy, his entire ensemble black again, including the dagger he toyed with at his hip.

“I never thought you would go back to Kirsten,” she mused, her fingers picking at the grapes he had offered her from the food table.

“He is a devil to break from. You know the strength of Blood Moon.”

“Yes, but I really need to get out of here,” she sighed, shifting uncomfortably at the fact that now all of Kirsten’s men knew her attachments and abilities.

“You can’t, not yet anyway,” he smiled as she groaned his eyes bright with mischief, “Perhaps you could try sneaking out the windows up there. But you’d have use your enlightenment.”

“Excellent, then I will.”
He watched as she dropped under the table, a moment later, a small bird fluttering up from under it. It chirped and then flew up and as he looked around no one seemed to be any the wiser.

Ari was airborne. The tips of her wings glowed the same silver as her eyes and her small body drifted up above the palace, her wings tipping and tilting along the air. Her sharp eyes scanned the roofs, her beak clacking as her suspicion was proven wrong. She then dove down toward the ball. The windows above the dance floor, higher than anyone could climb, were slightly open to let in air and Ari had no problem swooping into the ball room. She landed on the grandest chandelier, her wings flapping as her head cocked. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, just bright flowers swaying on the ground and the chatter of those she couldn’t understand. Her talons closed and flexed, watching as some of the glitter balls fell from the light and shattered against the ground. Her body hopped and fluttered, the lamp swinging as the hanging strained and groaned with the extra weight. A couple of people had looked up and were pointing. Ari leapt to another side, her head cocking as she looked toward Sesh. He had his eyes closed and was leaning in a corner, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in concentration and worry. She laughed. As only a bird could, the laughter rose as a small chirping and flapping of wings. The lamp fell and Ari with it.


People dove out of the way, the music stopping as it came shattering on the ground. Glitter balls flew and popped loose, rolling under heels and along the ground as the candles on the lamp broke or went out and fell onto a small falcon. Sesh opened his eyes, moving away from the wall as his connection broke with the guard. People were screaming, whispering, some even had actually touched their weapons and he shook his head as he looked upon the mess that lay before him. He shook his head, wondering what could have caused the fall when he caught sight of a small flash of silver. He casually moved over towards the mass of brownish feathers, his body bending to gently scoop the bird up. Its head lolled in his hands and his thumbs gently stroked its breast, watching as the wings fluttered in response.

“It’s okay!” someone called but Sesh didn’t need to turn back to know that he was talking about the situation and not the bird. He moved away from the open pit, moving past people he didn’t care much about now, his attention was fixated on the bird. He looked up apologetically at a redhead and what he thought might be the Alpha, having walked between them. He carried the bird away, reaching the other end of the hall where there was water. He dropped a palm full on top of the bird’s beak, watching as it fluttered up to life in his hands, making a strangled chirping noise. Silver eyes stared at him, and Sesh smiled.

“Ari, you little devil,” he whispered, his grin reaching his eyes. His fingers stroked over her feathers, pulling his fingers away as she snapped at them.

“Getting you dressed is going to be hard now, you know that?” he smirked as she stared at him, cocking her head as her body began to melt. “Now? Ari, my dear, you are full of surprises.”

He carefully placed her on the ground watching as she chose, at the last moment to become a black wolf. She shook out her pelt, nudging him in his leg as she sniffed him with a small whine. Her tongue lolled from her mouth as she sat.

“Your dress is currently in the arms of a very confused guard. Don’t worry I will get it back and come up with something, but for now, you better just stay.”


Ari growled, the pun obviously intended as Sesh smirked and left her alone in the corner. She clacked her teeth and stood, walking forward along the crowd to see the extent of her little adventure. It wasn’t pretty, that was sure and Ari’s nose wrinkled as she caught a very good whiff of Sean. She sneezed and turned her head back over her shoulder to catch sight of him, his eyes appearing to glower at her. Just in case she shrugged, turned away, and melted back into the mass of people, all whispering and whining. She hadn’t meant to, but at least this had given her a chance to escape the itchy vulnerable human form. Her tail wagged as she cut her way around, crawling between the red head, Ess, and Sean. There she lay, her eyes looking up at him for a moment and then at the girl. Neither one took notice of her nor neither smelled like anything but suspicion. Well, that was good. They were not in imamate danger, not in the slightest. She wormed her way out of view, some people stepping back as she made her way to try and find Ella, drawn on by the smell of flowers and pink.

It wasn’t long until she saw the queen, her Black Knight and her clearly in conversation. Their whispers hushed and rushed. Ari scented the air around the two, back on her belly against the wall. When she was sure there was no danger to either of them, well, except random falling candles, she smiled. Good. Everything seemed to be alright and she no longer felt anxious. It was interesting how her fears had come to rest with the chaos that was happening around her. Ari smiled, being a small black wolf was cunning and relaxing. Slowly Ari dropped to her stomach, backing away as she caught sight of Sesh waving towards her, a white dress in his arms. The mess was already being taken care of, a speaker quickly answering questions and explaining what could have happened. Ari was honestly quite amazed with how well they were handling the fear and suspicion, almost as if—

“Get under the table and pull this back on, then tie it once you get back up, hurry. People are starting to mill about again,” he warned, as Ari grabbed the dress in her teeth, pulling it with her under the table and sliding into it still in wolf form. Granted it was awkward and tight, but it was better than trying to slide it on under the table. The shift was quick and she rolled from under the table. As she stood and quickly tied the knot in her dress, she whirled, her body colliding against someone as her bare feet tripped on the hem of the dress. Her hand caught herself on his build, his arm gripping hers as she slowly straightened herself out.

“Sorry!” she whispered, her green eyes locking onto a pair of dark brown ones. Her hand was pale in comparison to his tan skin, and her face blanched as she recognized the desert man and it was truly the last person she wanted to see here.

“Dancing with Sean... What are you trying to do to me, hm?”
Crys stopped in her tracks at the familiar whisper behind her back, her body tensing entirely and gradually relaxing as she held back her first instinctive reaction and calmly turned to face Jake. “What, if I may ask, would I be doing to you... Jacob?” She asked, her tone cold with a fake tone of curiosity. “Or rather, what could I possibly do to you that you don’t absolutely deserve?”
Jake flinched at her words, a sigh escaping him, his voice faltering. “Fair point... I just...”
“Don’t. Whatever this is, we’re not getting into it here.” Crys cut him off with a severe look in her eyes. “This is not the time or the place.”
“You do realize this hurts me, don’t you? He asked in a whisper.
“Yes. Yes, Jake... I do. This... Isn’t about you and me though. It’s just a matter of, trying to keep the peace... So find a way to deal. I know I have.”
“Trying to keep the peace... You know, I don’t think that phrase was ever uttered during peaceful times. The lengths we're all willing to go to fool ourselves...” Jake chuckled bitterly, raising his hands in a defensive manner. “I know... Not here. Not now. I won’t make a scene or anything don’t worry.” He played, heaving a deep sigh. “I just... Wanted to see you... I always want to see you.”
Crys closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head and falling into silence for a few seconds, once her eyes opened again, her tone changed to one of warning. “Go back to your friends, Jakey.”

Jake frowned slightly at Crys’ words, eyes darting around the room looking for Darren and Irvin. He spotted Irv first, awkwardly approaching a group of girls, not too far from him he saw Darren, a woman walking away from him leaving two men who were obviously hired mercenaries behind with the boy. He didn’t have to look to know that Crys had walked away the moment he put his focus on Darren, so he didn’t bother looking back and simply started to calmly make his way to him and his... ‘companions’. Things didn’t look friendly between them and if someone was planning on messing with the boy, they’d be messing with him too. Moving around so that he reached the two mercenaries from behind Jake addressed the man in a calm yet firm tone of voice, right hand resting upon the hilt of his sword. “Gentlemen... Do you have some sort of... Issue... With my friend here?”

---------------------------------------------

Irvin wasn’t all too sure about going to talk to the girl Darren pointed out to him, but before he could say a word of protest the older boy had sent him on his way. Irvin wasn’t going to admit it, but he wasn’t too good in talking to girls around his age. There weren’t many of them around in the prisons and before that he was far too concerned with survival to think about socializing. Now that he was thinking about it, he has no idea how to go about actually doing it. The girl Darren had showed was in fact watching his approach with discreet glances and shy, yet welcoming, smiles. The boy was trying hard to keep his focus on what he wanted to do, he’d gone over it again and again in his head: ’Smile, say hi, don’t be weird.’, it seemed simple enough, but for some reason actually following through with the plan was a whole other story. Suddenly Irvin felt as if he had forgotten basic human behavior and he simply stood before the girl in silence, looking a bit as if he was about to throw up. The girl smile at him sweetly, amusement clear in her expression as her friends started to giggle around her. After a few seconds of patiently waiting for the boy to speak the girl let out a chuckle and greeted. “Hi.”
Irvin winced slightly, realizing his brain had momentarily shut down on him, forcing a small cough he tried unsuccessfully to swallow down the knot caught in his throat, his voice sounding a bit weak. “Hey... I... Uh... Hi... I’m Irvin.”
“Irvin, nice to meet you, I’m Joslin.” She said, sounding pleased that he was finally speaking, even if barely.
Irvin smiled back nervously, discreetly wiping his sweaty palms at the hem of his shirt. In his awkwardness the boy began to look around, eyes searching his surroundings for his friends, Darren wasn’t far, but Irv didn’t like the looks of his company and for what he could tell, neither did Jake. The girl was still talking, it seemed, but the boy’s attention was momentarily caught up in whatever was happening with his friends and he began to slowly wander off mumbling an apology.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re the Wolfpack Alpha...”

Never, to Sean’s experience, had that sentence been followed by a pleasant exchange of any sort and he was momentarily taken by surprise at the fact that this woman, whom he had nearly ran over, not only knew who he was, but was acting so pleasant. She mentioned Crys’ name, and yet there was no hostility in her tone... He would have been more comfortable if she slapped him in the face. It would just spare him the trouble of trying to figure out what her deal was exactly. His little flinch prevented him from paying full attention to the woman’s introduction, but as soon as he composed himself he realized why her name seemed so familiar... He’d read it twice before. He didn’t think the name was common enough for this to be a coincidence. “Essence? Are you the same Essence whose name is carved on a table in the Newhaven Inn? You know, I should make you pay me for vandalizing my establishment, Essence... But then it would probably ungentlemanly of me to demand compensation from a lady for such a small act, even if said act inflicted damage to my property.” Sean’s tone made it unclear whether or not he was joking about the table, his eyes playful although his voice was undeniably serious. Opening an amused smile the Alpha shook his head slightly. “Maybe I’m not interested in the type of woman who would find it acceptable to cling to a man’s arm for an entire evening pretending not to be incredibly bored. Or maybe I just can’t find a lady who won’t refer to me as ‘the Wolfpack’s Alpha’.” He stated, his smile growing more amused as he added. “It’s Sean by the way, miss Talon, in case that little detail is not a part of the many things being gossiped about my person. It’s been nice meeting you so far, let’s see how long that lasts, shall we?”

------------------------------------------

Luckas didn’t need to look too long to find the king, the man looked perfectly normal and respectable from a distance... They all did... but Luckas could see something else, something familiar in the man’s eyes; something that made him momentarily forget the nature of his task. He didn’t need to get to close, just wait for a moment where the he could see the man’s eyes, moving to a more quiet corner, where he was unlikely to be bothered he looked into the eyes of King Rick, and waited for the world around him to melt away.

"Do you smell that?" Lamya asked Simon, who had already noticed what was going on.
"Of course I do. Don't take me for a fool."
"I only take you for what-" Lamya said before Simon cut her completely out of the conversation along with the rest of the assassins.
All but Rick and Simon were now connected through mind. There was an extra visitor, however. He was so well hidden that only Simon and, surprisingly, Lamya were able to detect. Not even Rick, who seemed to be the person who was under attack could tell. There was a person within the chaos that was after the King's mind. Simon wouldn't let this happen.
Simon was still thrown off a little. The mental barriers that he had created to protect the people within his mind were top notch. No one should have been able to break through them from the time that he made it into the party. Regardless, before he even tried to evict this invader from Rick's mind, he was going to have to put up some mental barriers for his own safety. His mind was going to be like the mountains in the south of Valcrest. He created a huge wall protecting his mind from the attacker and then he went it.
"Leave now, or forever wish you had."

Luckas was surprised, that to say the least. He didn't expect to find anything interesting in the King, he only wanted a peek into the man's memories for the hell of it; he wasn't expecting to find someone else already there, he certainly wasn't expecting to find a link with several other people, and it made him wonder if there was in fact something interesting enough in this guy's mind that he needed someone to protect it. Luckas wandered from where he was standing until he could feel himself leaning against something solid; a wall or pillar, he wasn't quite certain. The other telepath's presence was sensed at first as a slight pressure against his attempts, it had now gotten a bit more forceful to the point where he could feel it physically as if someone was holding his head and slowly squeezing. It was a challenge though, and it was one interesting enough to take on. The fact that using his ability this way made it impossible to see his surroundings was slightly troubling if it were discovered he was the one trying to prey on the King's mind, but it was a risk worth taking; if anything turned out too badly he trusted Sammy to have his back. Having heard the guy's warning Luckas didn't answer in any way for a few moments, breathing slowly to keep his focus as he tried to assess the situation; the guy was good and it was somewhat intriguing how he managed to maintain such secure links with more than one person at a time, when Luckas had been repeatedly taught it was dangerous and nearly impossible to pull of successfully. This was going to be fun.

"Do you know what they say, mate, that when you run into a wild predator you try and make yourself as insignificant as possible and hope it goes away? You should have done that. I was going to be in and out pretty quick, but now you made this into a good challenge, so why not? Make me regret my intrusion."

Luckas dared the guy to push him out, waiting to see what his move would be, slowly looking for a crack in the armor, a vulnerable spot he could exploit. It could take him time, but if it was there he would find it and once he did, this would be over quite quickly.

People always seemed to think that the mind was a safe place. The only safe place. It was a place that the user only had control of. They thought that if there was something wrong with their mind, it was only their fault. Anyone with that dogma was completely wrong. Simon looked at the mind as something he could make impressions on. He could seep his way deep into the psyche and just put thoughts there. In the place where people feel safe, he could bring them into a whole new world. He could bring them somewhere where they feel completely vulnerable. Vulnerable... that was his first step.
"Call me arrogant, but now that Lena's dead, I'm probably one of the strongest enlightened Mind out there. If you think of yourself as such a predator, prove to me that there is something to be afraid of?"
With his last warning, he started attacking the intruder's mind. The first thing he looked for was a name. The next were a few of the simple images, the ones that he didn't protect. These were images that didn't matter too much for him. When it came to the chain of command of memories, these were at the bottom rung. Mostly full of dead bodies or him toying around with people's minds. Nothing too special.
"You're name's Luckas, now, is it? Interesting life you've lead Luckas." He said, attempting to distract Luke while he tried to creep deeper into his mind.


Weak, this was weak... Sure this guy could do better than this if he was bold enough to compare himself to Lena. The woman had tortured him in ways no one else had ever managed, even in death she still tortured him in the back of his mind... That kind of respect was hard to obtain. "Oh, I don't want to scare you off, friend... Where's the fun in that, hm? So you know my name and you've seen some of my playthings... There's nothing there I'm particularly secretive about. You haven't done better than the healer's dead carcass, oh Great mind!" Luckas mocked the man openly, always keeping his defenses just one step ahead of his advances while he was still only grazing the surface. Either way, Luckas had very little to protect anyway; and most of what could actually hurt him was so deeply buried he could barely reach it himself. "Talk is cheap Simon... I'm sure you can do better now... I feel sorry for you and your king if you can't." He provoked, the pressure building in his temples, but this time he pushed back, making sure the man didn't go any further even though there was nothing particularly meaningful at his reach just yet; simply to show that he could. "You don't want to be going there friend... That's bad for your health." He warned playfully, challenging Simon to push him further. If there was something he'd learned from the healer was that his mind was the one place he could control completely if he concentrated... Maybe not to the point of trapping someone inside, but surely enough to drive them to confusion if they wandered deep enough. He hadn't actually tried that before aside from training and he knew it would take its toll on him, but it was well worth the effort if it worked.

The man had some audacity to think that he could push Simon completely out of his mind that easily. In fact, it was rather pathetic to think that. He knew, however that if you push someone, you better be prepared to get pushed back ten times harder. He hoped Luckas didn't discover this little piece of life experience. With a little amount of thought, he pinpointed exactly where he wanted to attack this person's mind from. He focused his thought into the sharpness of a needle and then quickly trusted himself into Luckas' mind for his second round of attack. With, again, little thought, he focused his thought as big as he could, so it would expand as far out as possible through the mind of Luckas.
"Get out of our head!"
With just that thought, he brought Luckas back into reality. He was back on the wall he was standing on. The people around him were interacting and the music was playing. Everything would seem to be normal.


Luckas frowned slightly as he looked at his surroundings, for a split second he almost believed the man had succeeded to push him out, but then he realized that something felt off... Or rather, what was off was what he didn't feel. There was no pain, no blurriness in his sight, he didn't feel faint... Everything was absolutely normal, as it should be, and that was wrong. So Luckas smiled, an overly sweet smile, as he began to pace around the ballroom... His eyes wandering around and noticing a few more known faces amongst the crowd, but some people he knew to be there were missing from the scene, probably because Simon wouldn't know to place them. Still, it was impressive that he could so easily create and illusion inside Luke's mind when he was usually immune to such things. He took his time to appreciate the small details of the scene, before slowly starting to tweak it here and there... Some notes of the music failing as if the people playing occasionally forgot what they were doing, people's faces blurring beyond recognition as Luke passed them, color beginning to fade as if the room was turning into a black and white portrait... Until all the faces were blank, and the bright and beautiful colors had faded, and everything was blank noise in the background... The only thing standing out in the room being the site of a man with brown hair and brown eyes. A face Luckas didn't know until then, but now he could link to a name. "The was nicely played, mate... I almost bought it... Maybe if I wasn't so inclined to doubt reality as it is..." As he spoke everything else disappeared in the room, but the man and himself. He had let Simon in just enough to play with what the man was seeing. "I said this wasn't a place you'd like to be friend... One last chance to yield? Hm... No, I don't think so. I should teach you something instead..." At those words fire lit up the once darkened room, just a small circle around Simon so that he could see something, but not the whole room, Luke standing in the dark, just beyond the reach of the light. In the darkness there was movement, followed by growls and snarls as if hungry animals were lurking just a step beyond the fire; eyes would appear here and there, sparkling in the dark, the growls occasionally becoming louder and more vicious as if whatever creatures lurking there were growing impatient and unleashing violent attacks on one another. "For an illusion to have the proper effect, you should consider all the little details that make it believable... Not just plant an image and wait for the victim's mind to fill in the blanks with what should be there, as most telepaths tend to do... Control the environment... The sounds and smells... The feels... Like this fire; you can smell it... You can feel its warmth... And if I hadn't been here speaking I bet you would eventually believe that putting it out would lead to a terrible fate, hm? Who knows, maybe you will, but I'd like to think you are better than that... Shall we try it?" Luckas asked, a slight giggle echoing through the empty room as the fire suddenly faded and everything fell dark.

Simon didn't need a lot of time, he just needed deeper. That was all he was after from the illusion that he made. He didn't want to take the time or energy to create complete realism. In that split second that Luke believed he was back into reality as he perceived it, Simon had managed to get deeper into Luke's mind than even Luke knew about. Being this deep, it allowed him to almost guarantee that he will believe almost anything that he wanted Luke to believe. All he needed to do was create a couple of thoughts and plant a few more seeds.
During this entire time, Luke had been playing his own set of mind games. The room had grown dark and now there was a fire. He was about to walk out of the ring of fire surrounding him when Luke started talking to him. He went along his rant about how weak my illusions were, despite the fact that his illusion of a fire was far less complex than an entire room filled with people and things, with music playing and everything else going. Making a fire was far less complex, especially when there was the possibility of a distraction by the noises being made from beyond the darkness.
When the light went out, that was when he was attacked. The noises that came from the darkness came and surrounded him. Nothing was all too painful, he just had an uncomfortable feeling as if someone had shoved him in a cramped broom closet with no possibility for escape. What this Luckas had planned out was working to some degree, but not as he had planned it to. Simon closed his eyes and gave into the monsters, giving Luckas what he wanted. Quickly, he was ripped apart, limb from limb, until the monsters grew tired and left. They then turned their attention to Luckas on the other end of the darkness. Behind him was a wall of fire, so he couldn't move away from the monsters coming towards him. With the light behind him, Luckas would be able to see every detail of each monsters he had created. Each one disappeared one after another until only one was left. This one wasn't one that Luke had created.
It had a long white and slimy body, with enormous blue veins. There were tons of scars around what was supposed to be a face, but nothing was there. There was only one large mouth. It held itself up with two long and lanky legs, which only had enough strength to hold up it's middle. It's lack of head and tail dragged across the floor. It's center was the most interesting part. This is what made the creature look so peculiar. It had muscles that all lead to the legs which would contract and flex after every movement. This made it appear as if the creature was in fact inside out.
When it got close enough, it towered over Luke; it's body spewing out clear sticky liquids strait from the skin. It didn't do anything. It just stood right over him like it was knew he was there despite not having any eyes. Slowly, Luke's skin peeled from his body as if he were an orange getting picked away at from a guy who bites their fingernails often. When it had all fallen off, the monster opened in wide mouth and regurgitated Simon's skin onto Luke's body. It folded nicely over top and seemed to seal in as if it were air tight.
"Reality is only how your mind interprets the world around it. Right now, this is your reality."


Luckas was remarkably calm and still considering what he was faced with... This monster Simon had created was in no way as frightening as the thing he ran into in the woods not too long ago, however, and that thought alone made Luke simply stand looking up at the beast towering over him with mild curiosity, seemingly unfazed but what seemed to going on with his own body, simply staring at the monster as if questioning what it was supposed to be doing. Through the whole thing he was so motionless and still one could certainly question whether he even understood what was going on around it, maybe he was in some sort of shock, it surely did seem that way. "This... Is... MY... Reality..." He mumbled softly, the words were the only thing that seemed to cause a reaction as he slowly looked down at his hands. "Hmph..." He scoffed, spreading his arms wide open and slowly pacing back into the warmth of the flames until they swallowed him whole, the smell of burning skin and flesh filling the air, his sight blinded by bright red-orange flames as he felt the agonizing pain of burning alive; it was intense pain, but it felt somewhat comforting to Luckas, even familiar for some odd reason, it made him feel at peace. "Reality... Is only one figment of our imagination... But not just any illusion can be real. For it to be real, it has to be something my mind is capable of accepting. Let's be honest now... You will not make me accept any form of 'reality', no matter how many you try, and in the end, we are nothing but a couple of fools trying to make eachother laugh at old jokes. You can keep digging deeper, and deeper, and deeper into my mind if you like... I welcome you to... Go for it... But the last person who tried didn't live to tell any secrets, and I didn't have to put in an effort, but... Hey you're welcome, now you get to call yourself the strongest enlightened mind or whatever; although it would sound a lot more impressive if you had been the one to beat the healer instead of just sitting on your ass and waiting for her to drop... As is, I believe that at most you could drag me with you when you finally exhaust yourself from all the fun we're having, but what do I care? Sooner, later... What does it matter?" As he spoke the fire expanded to such extent that all it could be seen was flame and nothing more, as if the world itself was burning to the ground and there would be absolutely nothing left when the fire died.

The fire burned for what seemed like full hours, when it vanished both men were standing in the middle of the ballroom, completely unharmed and back to the ridiculously normal scenario Simon had first created, exactly as he had created it in the first place. "Now tell me, are you in my mind or am I in yours? Maybe we're now playing in your King's head; if so, how much of this do you think he can bear before becoming... Irreversibly damaged? Oh well... Maybe we're dead and this is hell: Fated to play stupid tricks for each other through all eternity..." Luckas laughed at the idea. "Can you honestly still tell one from the other without a doubt at this point friend? Because I tell you... Sooner or later lines begin to blur." Admittedly, Luckas was in no way done playing yet, but he wasn't going to be stupid about it either and he had, in his little fiery trick, pushed the fight back to the King, not dwelling too deep into the man's mind but just enough to maybe get something out of this little game.

Simon knew it. Luckas' plan was to take the battle into the Rick's mind. There really wasn't an option for Simon, he had to oblige, but he was happy to oblige. He would much rather exhaust Rick's mind rather than his own. He also knew Rick's mind better than Luckas did and it meant that he had a home advantage of sorts. He didn't care much for Rick anyways. So what if he went crazy in the process? He wasn't going to survive for much longer anyways, not if everything went as planned and they most likely were. With an entire city against him, things wouldn't look to good.
"You want to take the battle to the King? Fine. He will go insane and we will bring Blackpond to a new low together. Hey, maybe the people will finally decide to do something about it too. Maybe Blackpond will be brought back to its former glory. Maybe you'll be doing Blackpond a service. I'm willing to take the risk if it means I can have some more fun with you."
In this moment, he started walking around the crowd, as if he was supposed to blend in. It was nearly impossible to blend into someone's mind as they could easily change their point of view to wherever they wanted in order to find what they are looking for, regardless, he wanted a moment where he couldn't be seen. From there, he changed his appearance and just acted like the rest of the people. He then changed half of the people in the ballroom into replicas of Simon. The other half into replicas of Luckas. Along with that, there were about ten people who were both Simon and Luckas at the same time. Simon chose to be himself, the easier option.
"So Luckas." Simon's voice echoed through the room as if he were some omnipotent being. "From digging through your mind, I see something very interesting." Slowly, the appearance of every single body in the room started changing. "You knew someone very important to Valcrest. It looks like this person actually tried to help you... what a failure that was." The faces flashed to become recognizable. "Too bad Lena isn't around anymore to help you out with your problem. I take it, from what you said earlier that you were at least partially responsible for her death. That's no surprised; you are one sick fuck."
The Lena's walked around the room, just as if they were regular people, talking to one another in different, mindless conversation. Only the ten, that were once the Simon and Luckas combination stopped what they were doing to look directly at Luckas.
Simon's voice again boomed through the room "Too bad she will never be able to help you with whatever it was that she was helping you with."


Luckas watched with mild amusement in his expression as the figures around the ballroom changed their appearance as if the party was suddenly constituted of far less irritating Ambers. He snorted a laugh at Simon's little speech about Lena his dark eyes scanning the 'Lena clones' as if considering all the fun and violent ways he could tear them apart. "Yes, that's such a pity. I'll never be a functioning member of society. Aaaw..." He snickered, pacing around the room and noting with amusement that woman's copies were still watching him at all times. "Just like in real life!" He giggled softly. "Oh, what fun. You know... Funny of you to call me sick, considering where we are... Considering where you've been all your life mate, and who you hang around with... The King, the psychotic redhead I had some stabby fun with the other day... That dude that likes to play with dead things... Do you ever wonder just how fond of corpses that dude really is? I mean, how do you suppose he plays when no one's watching, or at least he assumes no one's watching, because you never know... You can't ever know, can you?" He whispered the last words, a grin spreading across his features. "You're all a cheery little group, huh? In other circumstances I almost think I'd like the lot of you, but... Nah... You are, as a group, too hypocritical and stupid for my liking, and the redhead's talk of chaos alone almost bored me for a life time. I was almost relieved when she stabbed me, really. I guess some women are better with their mouths shut, are they not?" He smiled, staring at the Lena clones as if asking them the question. "Stupid, stupid, stupid little words and promises... and lies..." He sighed. "They're all just full of it, ain't that right? So tell me friend, what's the point of the King anyway? Or you? You're all just little puppets are you not? Dancing to some random tune... just like the rest... Just like everyone else... And acting as if your existence makes a difference... As if the pathetic little town matters... Fuck Blackpond... Fuck the king... Fuck you and your Gods..." He muttered, putting a firm grip on the throat of one of the clones, squeezing, nails sinking into flesh as the figure's face changed from Lena's to his own, to Simon's, to several other guests of the party, until the figure turned to Sam, and then back to Lena as it dropped lifeless to the ground. Luckas laughed loudly spreading his arms wide, to face the remaining clones. "Who's next now?" He asked, more and more laughter escaping him growing louder and louder to a point where he was almost certain he wasn't only laughing in his head anymore. Slowly he composed himself, still chuckling here and there as he spoke. "You are all dead, you just don't know it yet... And it's freaking hilarious."

"You talk of my friends being boring or freaks, but then look at yourself. I've been standing here, pretty much begging you to play along, but all you can bother to do is stand here and act like you are so much more interesting than anyone else in this world. I bet you are as interesting as the typical person, with the same old problems and same feelings as every other human being. You love, you hate, you try to relive past experiences. You can be convinced to do or not do things by people you deemed important in your life. Then there's the fact that you probably feel alone. Are you really alone? No man's alone. The very fact of life is that human's are social creatures and crave some sort of social attention. That is the reason solitary confinement in dungeons can be enough to drive men insane."
"The only thing that makes you different is that you've killed a whole lot of people whom you don't find particularly interesting. What does that gain you? Does that gain you anything more than I gain from doing what I do or anyone else does for that matter? No, you are a pretty boring guy as well, with a pretty boring imagination. I mean... wow... you can imagine a fire and some monsters which can only be seen and heard and nothing more. Then you go around and kill people just for the sake of killing people. How imaginative and creative of you. You know there are more people in Blackpond prison for what you do than there are people at this party? Than on top of that, there is probably three times more who still haven't been caught. That is in Blackpond alone."
"What you have done bores me. Why you do it bores me even more. You are just an angsty young man who hates something about themselves or about others and loves to take it out on the world. I believe most intellectuals would call it an existential crisis and believe me everyone goes through it. You are boring."
He stopped talking, letting the ideas sink in. Honestly however, Simon knew that these ideas would not sink in at all. Luke didn't want to listen. He just wanted to continue on with what he was continuing on in.
In the mean time, while Simon was killing time shooting the shit with Luke, he was tapping into the memories that he knew Luke couldn't help but share. The things that have happened to him recently that he couldn't help but think about. There were two things. One thing that popped out more than anything was a conversation with Lena. She looked very terrible, probably very close to her death. He couldn't hear anything going on in the conversation, but it went on until Luckas freaked out and next thing he saw was Lena... dead.
The other memory was a recent conversation that he had with a woman who had red hair like Lamya. The woman had a lot of interesting things to say. It was something that he would keep with him to talk with Lamya about later. He knew that Lamya would find something interesting to do with it. So he kept the fact that he found it a secret.
What he wasn't going to keep a secret was the one with Lena. He recreated the memory, but what he did was make sure that Luckas could see it from the outside. He wanted to make sure that Luckas could see every single emotion that both him and Lena had. He wanted to make sure that he could see Lena's dead body so far away, but be sure that he wouldn't be able to go over to touch it. Then, when the whole thing was over, he'd let it happen again. He'd let the entire conversation go. The conversation could not be heard, just like when Simon had first seen it. To make it a little more believable, however, he would let only a murmur be heard by the two of them.
With each repetition, the memory became more clear as well. Things would be a little sharper and each time, Luckas would seem to remember a little more about how he had killed the old hag until he saw the whole murder take place as Simon imagined that it happened.


Luckas snickered softly. He had heard Simon's whole speech at least fifty times before, and hey, maybe it was true and he was just like all the others, but really what would ever change for him if he chose to believe that? Nothing. It was just a waste of energy. "You know, out of all the nonsense you just spat out at me... 'Friends' is the most nonsensical word of all. You have no friends, no one gives a shit if you die, you are expendable, replaceable, the only reason you lived past age 12 is because you proved useful, isn't that a fact? If you stop being useful tomorrow I'm pretty sure your... heh... 'Friends' will stab you in the back, probably just because why not." His tone was calm and casual, and almost bored even. He was starting to care less and less for playing with Simon now... But of course he wasn't going to just leave, even if he just sat there until the King completely lost what little sanity he had, he wasn't going to be the one to cave, it just wasn't in him to do such a thing. "I think this is one of the most amusing things about human behavior though, isn't it? We all think we matter so damn much. Like you right now saying I bore you as if somehow that mattered to me. As if the fact that I failed to make you interested would keep me up at night forever. It's like I said... Everything you and I are doing here is pointless. It doesn't matter. Because you are as meaningless to me as I am to you. I don't disagree with that, I do the things I do for myself... I do what I do because I enjoy it, and I kill who I kill because that's what satisfies me the most. That's what I gain; gratification. Why else would I bother killing for?Money? Power? That's just useless, I don't need it. I'm just an ordinary guy after all."

When the Lena memory began forming itself, Luckas blinked, seeming a bit confused at first, but then understanding what he was watching himself do. His only reaction was a slightly annoyed snort, deciding to turn his attention to Rick for a little while, choosing to ignore Simon and his silly little attempts to affect him, because he knew that the longer they played in there, the weaker the man's mind would get. He got some flashes of what the King liked to do in his spare time, which actually started to make him seem a bit more interesting to him than Simon... Maybe not someone he would bother playing with either, but just someone he'd enjoy seeing gone. He was probably not the only one, but then he wasn't concerned with Blackpond and its people and whatever consequences there may be. That wouldn't matter for long anyway. And then something odd happened; Luckas saw another flash of the ballroom, but this time all the faces had changed to someone else who wasn't him, or Simon, or Lena... It was the blind girl he often saw on Jake's mind; Crys. When the flash faded, the Lena memory was still repeating itself. Luckas shook his head, amusement spreading across his face. "Entertaining..." He mumbled under his breath. "Are you done?" He asked simply. "You know, I read that when Time's daughter went to hell, her punishment was to relive the same moment in time indefinitely, supposedly so that she would learn the importance of all the time she took from others... Are you trying to create some form of hell for me now? Hm? You're doing a poor job of it, if that's the case." He stated simply, with a mild shrug. "You talk plenty, but you still haven't made me leave, or wish I had, like you said you would. So either I don't bore you as much as you claim, or you simply can't do it."

Simon was through with the silly little games. It was very obvious to him that Luckas wanted to take this to the next level. He wanted to see some of the serious stuff. Luckas only really knew the blackness of the world. Luckas would look at the rose with his frigged black eyes and see the distorted blur of a bleeding heart.
"You kill for something better than anyone else does? For no reason at all? If it was for no reason, you wouldn't kill only the low lives of society who cheat and are dishonest. You would kill the honest priest, the innocent child and even the homeless man who is after nothing else but a bit of change to make it to the next day. You'd kill the noble nobleman, who would like nothing more than to just live his life and no one else's. No, from the memories I've seen from you, you only go after the low lives... and Lena, but those were for selfish reasons I'm sure."
Simon then did it. He pulled the trigger on the crossbow. He quickly siphoned through all the memories that Rick had. It didn't take long for him to figure out what he wanted to keep and what he wanted to get rid of. The only memories he chose to keep were those of Rick's sexual desires and also those of anything related to the Shadow's Conflict. In reality, if he wanted to create the perfect weapon in any of the Shadow's Conflict, the members were so comfortable with him looking through their brain that he would be able to remove all memories from them except those related to the Conflict. Their only desire would be to serve the conflict and they would be almost superhuman. What was the fun in that? Someone with a personality to pick through was always far more interesting.
"I don't know about you, but my friends will find usefulness in me until I'm dead. There is no way that they will ever kill me, so I have nothing to fear. Even if I was to betray them, the redhead whom you'd met the other day would find use enough in me. She would defiantly never kill me directly. I have nothing to worry about."
With that, he let all of Rick's sexual memories and fantasies all come to fruition within the scope of the ballroom. Now that this was all Rick could think of, a vision of the real ballroom as seen by Rick could be seen. All the real people in the ballroom could all also be seen. Soon, the scene of the ballroom changed to accompass Rick's real desires. A version of him instantly started to violate every single person in the room. Man, woman or animal in every imaginable way possible. "This is what you wanted to see?"


Luckas sighed softly, a tone of impatience breaking through his tone. "You are what, five, six years older than me, Simon? Don't tell me you are so... um... naive, as to believe there are such things as unselfish reasons to do anything. Regardless, I never said I kill for no reason. I said I kill for me. For my own reasons. That these particular people give me the most satisfaction... If you were as good in what you do as you say... You would be able to say exactly why after all the time we've spent together, but your reading of my..." Luckas paused, releasing his next word amongst a chuckle. "...Emotions... Is just as superficial as your view on human nature seems to be. Nonetheless... I've killed my share of innocents, you have to diversify to find the most suited prey, I've killed good men, women, children, and a bunny rabbit or two, but the low lives... The scum... They are more satisfying to break, because they are usually as arrogant as they are weak. It's a pretty fun combination for me... I like to watch them struggle even when there's no hope. It is as much a personal preference as it is a service to society in a way, even if society doesn't seem to agree with me most times." Luckas paced calmly through the ballroom as the scene began to shift again, a bothered expression crossing his features at what it portrayed, he snorted an shook his head in aggravation. This was actually exactly what Luckas wanted to see, although he didn't feel he needed to see much of it. Still, it served the same purpose. "Hmph, yes, that is in fact all I needed to see. I much appreciate it." He muttered, continuing his constant pacing through the scene, a mild look of annoyance in his eyes. "Now are you done?" He added.

Simon looked around the room, truly disgusted by what he was seeing. It was just... deplorable, but knowing Rick, he understood. It wasn't like he didn't know what would happen behind closed doors in the castle. If anyone knew, better than anyone, it would be him. Simon just ignored what he was looking at and focused on Luke. Luke's gaze made him appear unaffected. "You are really sick, you know that?" Simon said. "But I understand. It all has to do with your past; your brother; the 'special' therapy that Lena would give you. Oh, but you are nothing like your brother though. Am I right? You only go after the ones like him." Pointing to the Rick that was sitting at his throne, cherishing all these moments he was having in his mind. "Too bad you couldn't maintain any humanity while you were at it. Instead, you look at the memories that have affected your life and suppress them until they became nothing to you. That is why you can't remember anything Luke and that is why Lena could never help you. You didn't have any humanity left for her to dig into. You only kept the things that made you less human. If you wanted to become an individual, then you did it pretty well. I bet your brother wasn't even as twisted as you were. Hard to think isn't it? Well, enjoy killing Rick now." With that, Simon cut his connection to Rick's and Luke's minds and fell back into reality.

Ess quirked a brow, playfully biting her lip as the Alpha mentioned her having left her named carved into the table back at the Inn; the night of the Xypher incident. “Hmm, my apologies...it was an act...simply done subconsciously while I had been preoccupied with thoughts elsewhere. I wouldn’t want you to have some sort of notion of me, because of something so small, so..” Essence dipped her head slightly, her fingers sliding along her waist as if checking for a coin purse, pausing in a momentary daze appearing as if she forgot what she was looking for. A teasing smile confirmed quite the opposite when she reached into her corset to retrieve a small pouch jingling with coin. “..This should cover it..” She whispered, dropping the pouch in his hand. “I can assure you, if I was the one on your arm, I doubt I’d be bored, but if I was you’d know by the amount of trouble I may start.” Ess giggled, drawing in a sharp breath when the Alpha mentioned her last name. “Alright..Sean. Funny how rumors are, they tend to be correct but lacking detail which is just another reason I like to meet the subject of said rumors and decide for myself. Tell me...If you know my name from your table at the Inn, tell me how you know my last name. I only carved Ess into the wood. Why would someone so insignificant like myself be known to you? Unless...” Ess was cut off, speaking to downplay herself as much as possible as she was momentarily distracted by a balled up handkerchief lightly bouncing off the Alpha’s shoulder. Glancing around to see if she could find the source of the flying object, something brushed between herself and Sean but when she looked to see what it had been, assuming Tala, a black blur simply disappeared into the crowd. That was when she noticed a dark-haired woman’s gaze upon her. Ess froze a moment, startled to realize she was being watched by the woman from Luckas’ memory; the one she drew for him and who had visited the camp. To say Ess was intrigued was an understatement. It was more like a trance which her curiosity had taken a firm hold of her so that she politely excused herself from Sean with a promise to return shortly and began to walk in the direction of the woman.

Sam had been watching, waiting. If there was one thing she believed was truly valuable it was an opportunity; a chance, because in life there were only so many of those to go around and she wouldn’t dare waste a single one. Especially not one that presented itself to her this way... So willingly. Almost like a gift. It was difficult to keep a politely curious expression as the woman she’d been watching from a small distance caught sight of her and excused herself from the Wolfpack’s Alpha. The man was another of the few people who peaked Sam’s interest, but the right opportunity to approach him hadn’t presented itself yet, unlike his female companion.

Once it was absolutely clear that the woman’s intention was to approach her, Sam moved from where she was standing and started calmly pacing in the redhead’s direction giving her a friendly nod as if greeting a long time acquaintance. “It was just about time... You know, I’ve been meaning to have a word with you.” She said to the woman in a tone of curiosity, her green eyes examining the woman standing before her in a more thorough assessment, her amusement fading momentarily from her features, quickly replaced by a polite smile. “Lukey has a point, you really are a pretty lady.”

The idea of being watched was no longer a paranoia but more of a validation when the familiar woman who caught Ess’ gaze moved to meet her. Ess had been relying on that little bit of time that it took to reach the figure, to ponder what she was going to exactly say to the woman from Luckas’ memory. It worked out when she spoke first while at the same time catching Essence off guard at the woman’s knowledge of her. “I take it, Luckas discovered I wasn’t lying when I told him I had heard of you searching for him.” She stated simply with a sigh, bowing her head slightly. “I’m surprised he mentioned me at all, honestly. You are quite gracious with the pleasantries but I fear I don’t compare much to you, now that we are side by side.” Ess’ eyes glossed over, violet hues burying any trace of their silver decor. She smiled sweetly to push aside any uncomfortable feelings that may have been lingering at the idea of this stranger knowing much of anything about her. It was an awkward disadvantage but this was also something Essence was use to and considering the past couple days, she braced herself, awaiting whatever else would lay in wait. “Luckas..” She quickly rushed over the name as she continued, “..he must be thrilled to know you are alive. I’m happy for him..”

Sam let out a small chuckle at the mention of Luckas being told about her, she wasn’t sure he would get the message, but she wasn’t surprised to know he didn’t believe it. “Oh, good, so he was told about me. I was wondering if he would get the message, not all were pleasant in your camp. Although, can’t blame your Captain for my troubles... She was actually quite nice... Not what I expected I’ll admit.” Sam let her gaze wander from her company to quietly scan the room as if searching for something before she snickered. “Oh, well... Truth be told... Luckas didn’t mention you to me. No. He has been as of late trying to pretend you don’t exist, and even if he is lousy as it... He hasn’t mentioned you once, not directly. I have been, as you know, looking for him for a very long time though... I’ve learned some things about his life in the process. More so in the past couple of days than in the last few years combined.” Sam’s green eyes once again scanned the woman standing before her and she nodded dismissively. “I’m not one for comparisons, miss... I’m sorry, I am yet to learn your name... Or should I just call you Lady?” She paused for a second as if the idea of using the nickname made her awkward. “I guess not... but either way... I would say beauty is in the eye of beholder, so I’m not inclined to disagree with Luckas if that is what he sees. Besides, I know him more than well enough to know he doesn’t usually take an interest on anyone unless they are... Special... Somehow.” The woman’s eyes darkened momentarily at the word ‘special’, but otherwise her tone remained friendly, and curious... If anything she was genuinely curious. “I wouldn’t describe Luckas as thrilled at the moment... Confused surely, angry I would guess, but not exactly thrilled, at least not yet. I can’t blame him, our... Separation... Was a rather traumatic event for us both. Nice that you are happy for him. I’m glad he has such a good friend.”

Ess nodded attentively as she half listened while the woman spoke. “Funny thing with expectations...were you disappointed? I admit, the boys mean well but they can be a bit extreme when strangers come strolling into a camp unexpectedly.” She shrugged off Sam’s comment on not being mentioned, her eyes narrowing briefly as her smile grew wider. “I wish him luck in wherever his path leads him.” Essence purposely didn’t respond at the insinuation of Sam knowing as much as she did without Luckas’ knowledge. ‘The Stalker has a Stalker..’ She thought in amusement to herself. “...Sam.... correct? Essence...”

“My fellow subjects, guests, figurehead… welcome—”

Ess crossed her arms lazily and glanced over Sam’s shoulder, pursing her lips she let out a shrill whistle that resonated in a quick tune. Letting her gaze fall back to the dark haired woman before her, she continued as if she hadn’t paused, acting as if she didn’t hear a distant series of barks and a small crash amidst the the clammer of people. Ess didn't even pay attention to the source of the crash, which was the chandelier that had momentarily interrupted the King's speech. “ Special is an interesting choice of words, but I don’t find it quite fitting for myself. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to matter much as Luckas made it quite clear that he doesn’t want me around. However, I am not one to break my word or lie so when I say I am his friend, that hasn’t and won’t change even with what traumatic experience he may be dealing with. Times like these, we need to hold onto what opportunities present themselves; twisted and serene alike.” Clearing her throat she quirked a brow, a curious and slightly condescending tone creeping into her sweet tone briefly before dissipating back to her gentle allure. “So, I assume it’s safe to believe you’ll help Luckas through whatever ails him, especially since you had been searching for him for so long.”

“Disappointed? Not quite the term I’d use. I mean, I do understand... I can be very, very, territorial, in my own way. I didn’t mind the way I was halted on my way in, and like I said, your Captain was quite nice, considering her history with... Matt...” Sam stopped to clear her throat, a small, very faint, spark of anger crossing her eyes. “I was bothered by one person in particular though, who was very hostile, not only towards me, but also towards Luckas, and that bothered me very much. I’m not, in any way easily angered, but I do hope I never see this man again. I don’t like people who talk too much of things they know nothing of.” The woman took a deep breath to push back the annoyance that had reached her voice as she spoke, shaking her head as if trying to physically push it all aside. “Doesn’t sound much like Luckas... To make anything clear. He’s rarely sure of anything, that boy... I’m sure, sooner or later he’ll turn up again. I’m curious though, Essence... What interest you have in Lukey? Don’t get me wrong, just... I’m sure you are well aware of that fact people don’t tend to warm up to him, and he’s a complicated boy. He sees something in you, and that’s why he comes back, if it’s still there he’ll keep coming back... That’s in his nature, but you... What do you see?” Sam went silent, leaving the question in the air for a few seconds before running her fingers through the strands of her hair, and letting out a small chuckle. “Hey, maybe it’s none of my business anymore after all this time, but I always have been... Insanely protective of my boys... And Lukey is still quite innocent in some ways. I worry for what messes he may get himself into.” Raising an eyebrow as if honestly confused by the question of whether she would help Luckas, Sam replied; her stance changing slightly to a more serious one. “Of course I’ll help him... With anything he needs.”

“Matt...” Ess whispered with a hint of sympathy. She only knew bits and pieces from what Luckas had mentioned of his brother to her, it didn’t seem like his brother’s end was unjustified or that Luckas held any ill will towards the Captain for taking Matthew’s life. Yet, she couldn’t imagine how difficult a situation like that must be for someone to still care and love someone that many only knew as a monster. “I can’t imagine how you could be so resolved around the person responsible for his death, no matter the reasoning. Please accept my.... sincere...condolences..” Ess didn’t know if she could understand, which was more the reasoning behind her inability to imagine how this woman felt. While she did honestly mean what she said, a subtle, sickening feeling was crawling from her stomach and up her throat. Swallowing hard, she tilted her head in curiosity. “I’m sure Luckas’ curiosity will bring him around again, but I just may not realize it. I understand and accept your protective nature over him as you do have somewhat of a claim upon him, which I respect.” Ess’ body shifted, unfolding her arms so that she appeared to be in more of defensive stance, yet her fingers were well away from any of her blades. “You’re right though, what I ‘See’ in him, if you don’t already know yourself, is not your business,...respectively. However, I will say this. Anyone who has the primal urge to do what he does and go against that instinct, has more to them than they let on. Even to himself, it seems. That and I enjoyed..his company...not that it really matters now.” Waving her hand dismissively she took a step back. “I feel you want to know if I am a threat to him. A natural thing to wonder. Have you come to any conclusions yet?”

“Responsibility has many levels, Essence... If I was to start blaming people for Matty, then I’d probably have a huge list on my hands, that would at some point include myself as well, it’s best to just leave it alone.” Sam stated, simply nodding and not addressing the offer of condolences, her gaze lowering for a brief moment before finding Ess’ eyes again. “I have to appreciate your Captain for her honesty, however brutal it may have been at that particular moment... Not many would look someone in the eyes and admit to killing someone they cared for... I certainly would not.” A smile crossed the woman’s expression again at Ess’ replies to her questioning, amusement crossing her eyes in the form of a faint yellow spark of light. “I apologize if this is considered... an intrusion of sorts... I don’t mean to pry, exactly.” The woman’s eyes once again scanned the room, and her smile changed slightly as she seemed to have spotted a familiar face, but she made no mention of it and continued to speak. “Threat is not the term, I think. I do have my concerns for Luckas though. He is young and rather impressionable still... If I have my facts straight, and if not please do say so, but Lukey was still a boy when the two of you met, no? Fourteen or fifteen, if my math is correct... About as long ago as he’s known that healer... The one who died... The one who used his faulty memories as an excuse to run experiments on him... I’m sure you see my point in asking these things. I know he has killed for you at least once before.... I just wonder what kind of influence you may be on him.”

“I apologize if this is considered... an intrusion of sorts... I don’t mean to pry, exactly.”

Essence brushed a stray curl behind her ear, holding back a snicker at Sam’s polite tip toeing as she pushed her questioning further. Ess looked away as if pretending to ponder the answer before focusing back on the woman’s green eyes. “No..I bet you don’t mean to intrude..” She stated with a bit of sarcasm. Listening as the woman continued, she straightened and shifted her stance once again as if she was uncomfortable at the sudden facts of herself that the woman was regurgitating. The reality of it was more annoyance than anything which she hide away, an innocent look of wonder taking over her expression instead. “Funny...for someone who seems to know so much about me, you didn’t even know my name. I find it quite interesting that you know so much as if you been keeping an eye on Luckas, especially if he hasn’t mentioned me to you. I wonder though, if that was the case, what makes now of all times the opportune moment to make yourself known to him?” Pausing to let the rhetorical question linger in the air, she let out a tired sigh. Essence didn’t feel she needed to answer the woman’s questions, especially since she didn’t talk about that encounter with anyone besides Luckas himself. It was definitely not common knowledge. Instead she focused on a detail Sam mentioned about Luckas’ faulty memories, a devilish sneer crossing her lips as her eyes darkened before flickering with a silverish glow. “Fake memories.....and since you are here before me, does that happen to include the one of your death? Huh...No...that didn’t come up around Lena..” Ess trailed off as if she was just remembering something important yet she neglected to revisit the conversation. “Lena, I only met briefly so I am actually ignorant to what you speak of. That’s quite alright though, especially since Luckas and I hadn’t known each other that long, I don’t expect to know everything. Luckas is a bright, young man. I’m sure he came make his own decisions and come to his own conclusions so if anything or anyone makes an impression upon him, that’s his choice...”

Ess’ attention was momentarily distracted as she heard another crash and a series of short barks. She couldn’t hold back her amusement, yet she knew she needed to restrain her furry friend from causing a scene. Bringing her fingers to her lips, in one single breath, she released a lower whistle, calling Tala back to her. Essence didn’t see Tala, but instead felt her as she appeared by her side, a wet nose brushing against her hand. The wolf’s growl was low enough to be heard only as a rumble, yet she could feel the severity of it with the vibrations along her fingertips. Glancing down she smiled at her, gently patting her head. “Shhh...easy, be polite now.” She whispered towards the wolf before pulling her attention back to Sam. “So...you seem to know plenty about me, at least where Luckas is concerned, so why ask questions you already know the answer to?”

"Welcome!" The king continued on with his speech, a faded buzzing of background noise since her attention was more focused with the woman before her.

Sam arched an eyebrow, an intrigued expression on her face as she repeated Ess’ words. “Fake... Memories...? Who told you that now? I guess that explains though, how you knew my face... My death... Did he show you? Not all of it was fake, no... But if you want details, ask him when you see him. I have nothing to say about that... To you. I will say this... I wasn’t really planning to just show up, I wanted him to come find me, ask questions first, because I didn’t want to shock him that way, but instead he showed up completely out of his mind so I had to change my plans. See... Something... Really upset him.” Sam’s tone was losing its gentleness along the conversation, not that it mattered anyway, she was well aware that it wasn’t really convincing anyone. At the wolf’s arrival Sam tensed, only slightly, a look of annoyance crossing her green eyes and fading as she continued on as if she hadn’t noticed the animal at all. “Why do people ask questions, Essence? Usually because there is something they are looking to learn from another, no? If I wanted facts, which yes, I know plenty about... I could simply ask Lukey about them, but what I’m looking to learn here is something a bit more subjective than that. I am... Taking my conclusions. As I’m sure you’ve drawn your own by now.”

“Did I misunderstand you? Only a few moments ago you mentioned Lena and..” Ess scratched the base of her neck as she quoted Sam’s words, as if unsure of herself but knowing what had been said. “...The one who used his faulty memories as an excuse to run experiments on him..” Even if I took that out of context, you confirmed seconds ago that there were false memories, as well when you asked who told me this, when it was you; twice now. How I found out, was simply...unintentional on either our parts.” Ess shrugged, stifling a fake yawn as she kept the details of how exactly she saw the false memory of Sam’s death, to herself. “I tried to ask him questions when I saw him clearly distraught but since he refused to answer them, guess I may never know.” Falling silent she simply nodded, quietly scratching Tala behind the ears, a bit of her smile returning. Ess was indeed drawing some conclusions of her own but they were still far from complete. The reasoning behind Luckas’ outburst and attempt at pushing Ess away from him was starting to make a bit more sense as she began gathering a couple theories in her mind. Either direction her mind went when contemplating the woman before her just ended in that sickening feeling that continued to creep up on her. It really seemed to her that this woman’s true motive of questioning was indeed far from what she was presenting and it was a tactic Ess knew more than most; a game she felt hell bent on not losing.

“Well, unless there’s something else of ernest that interests you, if you’ll excuse me, I have other acquaintances to visit with. I don’t wish to be rude, but there are some matters that need.. attending to...” ..Like a stiff drink... Ess thought to herself. Casually she slid her hand along her lower back, nail tapping gently along the hilt of her dagger as if to verify it was still there before she moved to turn from the woman, giving a polite nod. Tala didn’t move to follow at first, simply sitting on her haunches to stare at Sam, intent on not losing sight of her it seemed. Ess heard the wolf’s growl echo from behind her into a snarl causing her to snap her attention back, snapping her fingers for Tala to fall in at her side. Tala ignored Ess at first before slowly standing and taking careful steps around Sam to follow without taking her sapphire blues off the figure.

Essence tensed with each step, her eyes catching the King of Blackpond continuing with his speech, still only catching bits and pieces. 'Definitely need a drink...' She thought, making her way back towards Sean. On the way she passed by Dastan but after a few steps she turned around, not caring that he appeared to be engaged in conversation with a woman, and reached around him to snatch away a glass he was holding and down the liquor with a surprising haste. Handing back the empty glass she winked, muttering an apology for her rudeness. "...Don't look at me like that...I'll owe you something vintage and worth the impolite intrusion.." Continuing on she took a double take at the woman who had been talking to Dastan, pretty sure she recognized the blond from the distressed encounter the night of the Xypher encounter but she didn't say a word, only smiled, not thinking anything of it as she nodded and continued on.

"My apologies again, Sean, something came up.." Ess began, gently reaching out to lightly tap the man on his shoulder, just as she heard a raspy voice mutter cold and condescendingly behind her.

"Now I think I understand....Looks like you are still very good at what you do, Pigeon." Ebony began behind her. "All dressed up, still trying to be something you're not. No matter. You can try to scrub shit clean but it's still...shit. Once a whore...always a whore.."
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Darren was confused and deeply sickened by the Ebony's words as he tried to piece the puzzle together. He kept thinking of the journal and how badly he wished he could read it. The boy really had no idea what he was getting into as he tried to walk around the two men blocking his path.

“Nice try, Pal...but you aren’t going anywhere...”

“Awe, come now, Guy...I don’t have any issues with you....I doubt the woman is paying you enough to receive a beating for her pathetic troubles, so why not just skip the brutish attempt and let me pass..” Darren stated, crossing her arms nonchalantly.

“Gentlemen... Do you have some sort of... Issue... With my friend here?”
Darren smirked at the sound of Jake’s voice, announcing his presence behind the men, distracting one of them enough so he turned around to answer Jacob. “Hey, Buddie, this really isn’t any of your busin-”

”For Blackpond!”

Darren didn’t delay at the sudden cry followed by the clamor of armor and the metal of swords ringing out as a blockade of men held a line by the stairwell. Now with only one pair of eyes directly on him, the other mercenary left at the attention of Jake, he leapt forward, kicking out at the man’s knee cap with a sharp crack. It caught Darren as odd for mercenaries on the job to not be wearing much of anything for armor even if they were trying to fit in with the party decor. Nevertheless, the man only groaned at the pain, moving to swing his fists immediately at Darren’s face which he bounced in and out of range comically, avoiding every attempt with ease and amusement. Darren hadn’t carried in any weapons and wasn’t the least bit intimidated when he was cursed at, his opponent unsheathing his sword and releasing a flurry of lunges and attacks. Darren sidestepped, spinning so he was beside the man’s extended arms where they fought for control of the sword. Back and forth they tugged and twisted to gain control before finally Darren let go, the sword slicing through his shirt to just miss his torso and deliver a punch to the face followed by a series of snapping motions along the mercenary’s neck. Pinching off blood supply at the nape of his neck to his brain caused the man to stumble, dropping his sword before falling to his knees to receive a roundhouse to the side of his head.

“Man...I never get to have anything nice...” He muttered, complaining about his now ruined dress shirt.

Adam had left Lizzy to play with her new toy. Even though he was less than pleased with her for dragging the boy this far, he knew it would be completely pointless to try and argue about it. So he wandered around the ballroom by himself idly observing the dancing couples and chatting groups, registering some suspicious behavior here and there, but not really making much of it; unless he had direct orders, he couldn’t care less for what other did with their time. In the middle of his quiet observation, the man was beyond startled by a rather forceful hand firmly gripping his... Behind... and an unknown voice speaking out in amusement. “Hello there, pretty, wanna dance?”
Adam responded by immediately turning on this stranger and pinning him against the nearest wall, his eyes meeting a familiar blue gaze as the redhead teenager who had ‘assaulted’ him snickered. “I love it when you play rough, Addy.” The man didn’t need anything else to recognize the assailant and he released the boy, snorting angrily and turning as if to walk away. “Wait, wait, wait... Adam, wait uuuup.” The boy called with laughter in his tone, literally skipping after Adam as he tried to get away. “I have a message for you... Hey... Stop... Hey... Adam... She’s here.”
The words halted Adam immediately and he turned around frantically looking about as if he even knew who it was he was searching for.
“Heh, thought that’d get your attention. Now you know very well Lizzy shouldn’t be bringing souvenirs from Newhaven. I already passed that message on to her. So your orders are to lose the kid... And do it discreetly... Nod if you understand me hun.”
Adam nodded giving up the search for the unfamiliar face of his Mistress and turning to face the boy. “Fine.” He muttered, leading the way to where he had last seen his sister and her new acquaintance.

----------------------------------------------

“That’s not fair...”
“I’m just passing the message along, Lizzy, do you want to disobey? Be my guest.”
“Fine, I’ll keep tabs on the boy, you go find Addy for me, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.”

Ali opened her eyes, blue specks of light still flickering along her irises as she let her gaze fall to the teenage boy in guard’s uniform. Sean didn’t know his brother was there, that much she knew, and for what the boy’s companions were whispering, it seemed like no one else would either if they went through with what they were planning. She hoped that kid knew how to fend for himself, because those people didn’t seem like they were kidding around. Almost as if on cue at that thought a familiar and unfriendly voice spoke beside her, sounding a bit tipsy. “Don’t think we finished our talk.”
“I don’t think we ever started talking, Ryan, and I also think you are a bit drunk, but hopefully not drunk enough to be stupid... As much as it would be entertaining to watch people’s faces if I pushed you down from this balcony... That would draw a bit of unwanted attention to us both.”
“You think you’re so great because Dani trusted you... Pfft...”
“Dani took a long time to trust me, I’ll have you know, and I earned whatever amount of trust it was...” Ali stated calmly, leaning against the edge of the balcony where she had settled to watch the people below, not turning to face the man. “Don’t try to repeat Sean’s bullshit as if you knew me or what I’ve been through to get here, Ryan... Actually the best part of being exiled is that I don’t have to give a shit about Sean’s opinions anymore... Or move a finger to help that idiot brother of his.” She stated pointing Donovan out on the crowd. “You, on the other hand, better move... I have a feeling the kid’s disappearance would make the Alpha rather pissy.”

Ali waited for the Wolf to rush down to the lower level before moving herself; sure she didn’t have to help, but she had nothing against Donovan and finding who were those people he was with could be a good idea. While Ryan was making his way to snatch Donovan away from the woman that seemed to be dragging him around somewhere more quiet, Ali found the blond man that had been keeping them company just moments ago. She noticed that both of them, as well as the redhead boy that had later joined them, were wearing fully black clothing and it gave the impression they were on uniform; even though the clothes themselves were not the same, and she remembered AJ wearing similarly black clothes. Maybe it was unrelated; a lot of people wore black clothing, but something just didn’t seem right with those people, and Ali felt that regardless of whether they had anything to do with her former friend, it was important to know a bit more. Slowly she made her way after the two men, more trying to see how long it would take for them to notice the fact she was stalking them and not simply trying to cross the crowded ballroom.

The redhead boy didn’t seem to notice her, or maybe he didn’t care, but the blond man tensed slightly as he walked, and she was absolutely sure he was keeping track of her movements as well. She acted as though she didn’t notice the change however and keep following; the distance between them getting shorter every couple of steps until she reached them and grabbed the blond by his wrist, calling out to him as if he were a friend. “Hey, stranger!”
The man reacted extremely fast to the contact spinning around to push Ali away, lunging at her as if he wanted to rip her head right off. It took Ali all of her restraint to not react the way she was trained to and shrink down as if trying to take cover from a blow that never came; presumably because the redhead boy quickly stepped in between the two. “Easy now, Adam... That’s no way to treat a lady.” The kid half-scolded slowly pushing the taller man back a step. “I think he likes you, you two know each other?” he asked, making sure his friend was calm and turning to face Ali with a childish curiosity in his eyes.
Ali shook her head, a very convincing freaked out look in her eyes. “No, I... Mistook your friend for somebody else... I apologize.” She explained, raising her eyes to the man who was openly glaring at her over the boy’s head and directing her apology at him before turning back to his friend. “And I surely don’t want to find out how your friend acts with people he doesn’t like then.”
“I’m sorry if Adam startled you miss... He’s a little bit jumpy right now, that’s all.” He smiled a bit reassuringly. “It’s my fault, I like to play tricks on him and I might have overdone it.” Taking a polite bow the young man extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Wyatt, by the way.”
Ali was listening to the younger man, but her attention was mostly on his companion as the man had not stopped staring at her in annoyance as if she had spat in his face instead of simply trying to draw his attention and she was rather amused by the overreaction. “Wyatt... What a lovely name. I’m Allison.”
“Allison, that... Is a pretty pendant you have...” Wyatt asked, reaching for the wooden bird hanging from a string necklace over the woman’s chest, his index finger lightly grazing her skin in the process. “Did you make this?”
Ali wasn’t unaware of this boy was doing, and in other circumstances some fingers would be broken at this point, but she only reacted by quietly retreating a step and smiling politely. “Yes, I made it myself. It is quite simple, but I think it serves its purpose. Do you... Like birds?”

As she spoke those words a small commotion took place as a chandelier dropped down, Ali could see that the object had fallen, ironically, under the weight of a bird that had perched itself on it. Ali followed with the corner of her eyes as man rescued the animal, and she continued to observe long enough to watch the bird change into a wolf and the man walk away. Ali smirked at the scene and wondered if the Alpha knew what his new pups were off doing. Donovan, she was sure, was not meant to be here, what about the girl? Sean was biting off more than he could chew with that one.

Wyatt’s answer came as soon as Ali’s attention was back on him, which made it very clear he had been watching to see what she was so interested in. “I like many things... Maybe one day we’ll discuss them in detail somewhere more private.”
“You... Are very forward, sir.” Ali stated, her tone lingering somewhere between annoyance and amusement.
“I’ve been told.” Wyatt chuckled. “Is that a bad thing? Would it be preferable to hide my intentions, whatever they may be, behind mindless chatter? I feel that’s a bit dishonest.”
“You can learn quite a bit from mindless chatter, perhaps that intimidates you in some way?” Ali asked curiously. “Honesty now seems like a very subjective term. Personally I think that if attempt to control how people perceive you, you are not truly being honest, but that’s just my opinion.”
The boy snickered, amused by her words. “And now who is being forward, huh?”
“Perhaps I’m only being honest, Wyatt... It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“Perhaps, but then... I don’t know what your intentions are yet... Miss Blake.”
Ali’s eyes narrowed slightly although she made sure to keep a curious demeanor as she noted. “I don’t recall mentioning my family name... So perhaps you are less honest about your intentions that you say you are.”
“Perhaps we’re both being dishonest in some ways, or maybe... I’m just trying to keep you interested. Mystery is always a good thing.” Wyatt replied with a playful smirk. “It’s been nice, but we should be moving along before my friend here gets too antsy... We’ll meet again, I bet.”
“Oh, I look forward to it, sir... And your friend too.” She extended her gaze to Adam and gave the man a friendly nod, holding back amusement as he simply snorted in response and started to walk away. Ali wasn’t as good at reading people as some were, not like Bastian once was or like Jake could be at times, but... She could just tell... Something about her had bothered this Adam guy; bothered him in some deeper level for some reason. She wondered what it could be, and she wondered who they were. The younger boy had a slightly psychotic note to his speech, he hid it fairly well, but it was still there, and how did he know her last name? No one, aside from people she considered friends, was ever given her family name. She was curious, confused, and very suspicious of these people, but there was little time to dwell on it however... Bigger things were being set motion as she distracted herself with her new acquaintances and it all became very clear when a man shouted launching a strike against the king.

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“Hey, Buddie, this really isn’t any of your busin-”

“For Blackpond!”

Jake stood with arms crossed, unfazed by the commotion started by Alexander and his little group and just as unmoved by Darren’s attack on the other mercenary, the man standing right before him turned his attention momentarily to his colleague, and Jake could have taken him out there, but he’d rather not injure a man for simply doing his job. “Look... Buddie...” Jake started, acting as though there wasn’t a fight happening between the other two men. “You got a job to do, I get it, you’re being paid and all, but I doubt you’re being paid enough for what I’ll do to you. So maybe this here is the best time to back off.”
The man turned his attention back to Jake at his words, a look of amusement and disbelief plastered on his face as if he didn’t think Jake could possibly be serious. “Is this the part where I thank you for sparing me, boy?”
“That would be the polite thing to do, but as I feel you won’t be doing the polite thing, this is probably the part where you fail to hit me and ends up seriously injured. Too bad, pal... You seem like a decent guy, probably just trying to support your family, and I’d rather not leave you incapacitated and unable to provide for several weeks, but hey... suit yourself.” Jake spoke in a calm, matter-of-factly, almost bored, tone that made him sound like an arrogant prick, but he was being truthful; he didn’t see a point or purpose in hurting this guy, but he knew that he was going to, because guys like this didn’t back away from confrontation. It was a pride thing, Jake knew it well. He saw it coming as the man started to laugh, shaking his head in amusement, his laughter cut short as he sung his fist at Jake in one swift and forceful blow; it was a good effort, but it just wasn’t fast enough, not to mention ridiculously predictable. Jake ducked under the man’s fist and blocked another incoming blow with his open palm as he straightened himself up, pushing the man’s fist away from his face and hitting him back with an open palm almost in a mocking fashion. At this point he wasn’t bothering with trying to dissuade the man, but actually outright taunting him. “Last chance to walk away, mate... Take it while I’m feeling generous.”

The mercenary didn’t laugh this time, the man was angered by the provocation, the mockery was enough to make this personal for him, his fighting showed in its recklessness and fury, while Jake’s movements were calculated and nearly mechanical, quickly he avoided the man’s advances and breached the man’s defenses landing two precise blows to the man’s face; the first to the nose, the second to the jaw, which were followed by a forceful kick to the stomach which left him on his knees on the ground gasping for air. Jake kneeled as if he was going to check if the man was alright, but that wasn’t his intention in the slightest, and the moment he touched the mercenary the man fell unconscious, face down, to the floor, a glimpse of a dark needle disappearing underneath Jake’s sleeve as he stood up straight, pulling on the dark grey cuff of his jacket.

Darren had knocked out the other mercenary just as Jake looked up from the knocked out man at his feet; a look of utter annoyance slowly melting from his expression. Catching the boy’s complaint about his ruined shirt was enough to put a look of amusement back to Jake’s blue eyes and he laughed lightly. “Better it’d be the shirt than you, huh?” He teased, poking Darren where the sword would have slashed him. “What is the deal with these guys anyway?” He asked, his eyes absently looking around to the confusion Alexander had started, but not much caring to get involved. Not yet at least. As Irvin approached them looking a little bit disappointed to see that the mercenaries were taken care of, Jake gave the boy a nod. “Kid... Go check the ice on the doors... See if there’s something you can do about it.”
“Alright, but... I’m not sure if it’ll work.” Irvin replied, eyes scanning the frozen doors of the room one by one.
“Just go check it out and come right back, try to keep as far from this mess as possible, alright?”
“Okay, sounds easy enough.” Irvin stated, making off and half disappearing into the crowd as he made a way to one of the doors.

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Dastan was having fun at this party, surprisingly so. The music was fancier than he was used to and so were most of the guests, but the booze was of great quality and here and there he’d find something pretty to look at, and here and there... He’d get rewarded for his glances. After getting a few dances with some considerably attractive ladies and starting to get a little too tipsy to be charming in any respectable way, he approached one of the tables to get some food and maybe water for a change... Or maybe just the food... He wasn’t drunk to a point where he couldn’t afford to get any drunker quite yet. Just as he had finished pouring himself another drink he felt something collide into him, a hand grasping his arm for support. The man turned to see himself face to face with a little blond girl as she whispered an apology. Dastan snickered softly, his eyes scanning the girl from head to toe. He didn’t know her, or at least he didn’t think they’d met before but he thought he caught something in her eyes that told him otherwise... She seemed to know who he was. Either that or she was mistaking him for someone else. “No need to be apologizing now, miss... Takes a lot more than a little bump to knock me down.” He stated playfully, still looking over this girl as if searching for something he’d missed. “Do we know each other somehow? Or are you always this nervous-looking when you randomly grab strange men?” He asked with a curious look in his eyes. Just as he finished that sentence his attention was momentarily snatched by someone passing by and grabbing the drink out of his hand. By the time he managed to register what was happening he was being handed back his empty glass. "...Don't look at me like that...I'll owe you something vintage and worth the impolite intrusion.." Dastan scratched the back of his head in confusion as he watched Essence walk away, amusement slowly sinking in as he shook his head at the woman. “Great, that's the second redhead who owes me a drink." He whispered under his breath with a chuckle.

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Sean couldn’t help his complete amusement as Essence dropped a pouch of coin onto his hand as compensation for the table. He had been playing, obviously, and didn’t actually expect the woman to pay him for such a small thing; the one thing the Pack was not lacking was resources, but still he accepted the pay without as much as a hint of hesitation, weighing the pouch in his hand quietly and thinking that this was a bit more than enough for one little table. As he opened his mouth to speak however, his attention was caught by something soft hitting his shoulder, the man snatching a soft handkerchief before it had a chance to hit the ground. Unfolding the cloth Sean eyes narrowed as he read for only a second before he lifted his head to look around. As he turned his attention to his company once again, Essence was walking away, he thought he heard the woman say something about being right back, but he could barely catch her words. He kept one eyes on the woman curiously as he saw her approach a dark haired lady in a dark green dress. They both seemed way too polite with each other to be friendly, and it was an interesting interaction to watch, even if he couldn’t hear what was being said between them. Once again Sean turned his attention to the handkerchief and reread its message: ‘If you dare touch Ella or Jen today, I’ll be sure that today will also be the last day the Wolfpack ever threatens anyone’s lives in Valcrest.’

Sean knew very well who that message had come from and after reading it a couple of times more he couldn’t help a small fit of laughter. “Alright, Evin, I won’t touch them.” He mumbled under his breath, moving away from where he’d been waiting it didn’t take him too long to find Ryan. It wasn’t surprising that the man was hanging around him, what was surprising however was who was standing next to him. Sean frowned at the sight of Donovan, in guards uniform, in Blackpond, what the hell was that kid thinking? As he approached the two, Doni opened his mouth to speak, but Sean silenced him with a gesture. “I don’t want to hear it, Doni. You blew your cover completely by coming here tonight, do you know how many people in this room know your face? When the party ends, no matter how it ends, I want you to go straight back to camp.”
“What about Ari? You can’t leave her without backup.”
“Oh, I’ll take care of that kid, don’t you worry.” Sean muttered out, an annoyed snort escaping him as he handed Ryan the handkerchief. “This woman, Jen, I want you to care of it tonight, do you understand me? No bargaining, no taking prisoners, no nothing; Bana is not the target here and I don’t care about him right now, I just want this over and done with by morning.”

“I understand.” Ryan stated, taking the handkerchief into his pocket and bowing his head slightly. “Consider it done.” The man replied before wandering off into the crowd to tend to his task.
“Sean...” Donovan mumbled.
“Not here, we’ve already talked way too much. Just stay out of trouble and we’ll talk at home.” Sean replied turning away from the boy and looking around to see that Ess was still busy with the black haired woman.

Sean hung around the place where he was previously standing and watched with a hint of amusement in his eyes as the two women parted ways; that was not a friendly conversation, he could feel the tension as far as he was standing, and he was curious as to what could be the issue between his new acquaintance and that stranger. The man was soon distracted from that thought however as he spotted a silver wolf trotting after Essence on her way back to where he was standing. The young Alpha honestly seemed amazed by the sight as if he was a child; he had never even heard of a wolf following a human this way before. The forest wolves usually stayed away from people as much as possible, it was rare to even see one from afar. “Remarkable.” The man mumbled to himself as Ess reached him and the wolf started to sniff the hem of his pants curiously. His eyes only leaving the animal as the wolf tensed and emitted a low growl the somehow didn’t seem directed at him. It was clear that it was not the moment he spotted the woman approaching because his reaction was almost exactly the same; he tensed, and growled under his breath wondering what hell that bitch could possibly want this time.

"Now I think I understand....Looks like you are still very good at what you do, Pigeon."

Sean arched an eyebrow at the woman as she was addressing Essence. He wasn’t surprised that they knew one another; the old hag did try to order a hit on the woman, and it had become apparent to him by some people missing from her little guard detail that the woman had been involved in at least one more confrontation since the moment Sean last spotted her.

"All dressed up, still trying to be something you're not. No matter. You can try to scrub shit clean but it's still...shit. Once a whore...always a whore.."

Sean sighed softly, his clenched fist shivering slightly making it somewhat clear that he was really forcing himself to stand still and not immediately pull out a dagger and stab the woman’s face until it turned into something easier on the eyes. The only thing keeping him from doing so, in fact, was the realization that if he was... displeased... by this woman’s presence, it was nothing compared to his companion. “Well... Miss Talon... You were wondering how I knew your name... There you have it.” Sean spoke softly, his eyes glaring at the old had with nothing but pure contempt.

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Luckas felt the visions of Rick and his filth fade from his mind slowly, and he was glad. The man’s sickness would have revolted him much more if he hadn’t seen worse when he went after Jasper. It was not doubt Rick was equally sick, but Luke wasn’t fully in Rick’s mind, so if he had ever involved children in his depravities, it wasn’t clear, unlike Jasper... And that was the reason that guy was still number one; Luckas would never consider all the punishment he gave that son of a bitch to be enough. His black eyes immediately sought out the King amongst the crowd to see him be dragged away from the center of a huge commotion. It seemed their little playtime had caused Luke and Simon both to miss a bit of the action. From the corner where he had posted himself to watch Rick, Luckas’ eyes took in the sight of men moving on a half-organized attack against the Blackpond people, his mind slowly starting to register the situation. A fight had broken out, all exits were sealed, it wouldn’t be long until that turned into something incredibly ugly. Luke pushed himself away from the wall that had been supporting him through his conversation with Simon, looking around he felt a mix of relief and disappointment as he realized Tala was no longer following his footsteps; the wolf was a distraction, and in many ways an annoyance, but now Luckas felt somewhat alone without her. His eyes quickly scanned the ballroom again, spotting familiar faces one by one until they spotted the redhead woman from Jake’s memories... Crys. Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly and he started to pace towards the woman, but was halted by a familiar voice in his ear. “Another redhead, love? I’m starting to think you’ve got a fixation.”
Luckas snickered at the comment, but he couldn’t help but notice Sam’s tone was again that dangerously sweet one from before. “No, no fixation... Least not this time.” He replied turning to face the woman, his eyes searching her expression for any signs of aggravation, but finding none. Was he that bad at reading emotions was she that good at hiding them? “Are you upset?” He asked, his tone genuinely confused.
“Do I seem upset, Lukey?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly at him. The woman didn’t seem to mind all the ruckus of fighting and shouting going in the background, nor did she seem concerned with being trapped in that room. In fact, Sam couldn’t possibly seem more calm and serene amongst all the chaos.
“I’m not sure, Sammy. If I knew, I wouldn’t need to ask.” Luckas replied, giving her a look of clear annoyance.
Sam smiled softly, reaching out and ruffling his hair playfully as if he were a little boy. “I know... And if you knew I was mocking you, you wouldn’t feel the need to explain that. I guess that’s just part of your charm though, hm?”
“I wouldn’t know about that. I don’t consider myself charming... Why would I?”
Sam snickered, shaking her head in silent disbelief. “Why would you, indeed.”
“Are you mocking me now?” He asked, sounding a bit confused by the whole conversation. Gladly he didn’t have to think about it for much longer as the loud redhead boy version of Amber appeared, bouncing towards them. “Heeeelllooooo!” The boy giggled. “Ain’t this a fun party!?”
Sam turned to redhead boys with pleased smile. “Ah, Mr. Wyatt... Is Lizzy’s little issue taken care of?”
“No, not exactly... Seems the boy wasn’t just a silly little Newhaven guard, we had to let him go, but... I don’t think he even remembers how he got here... You know Lizzy; she likes her men young and confused.”
Sam sighed softly and shook her head in disapproval. “Remind Adam of the conditions I’ve imposed on him and what happens if he can’t keep her in check.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Wyatt’s reply was short and respectful, and very uncharacteristic in its seriousness. Something in Sam’s words or tone had caused that reaction, and Luckas wasn’t exactly sure of what it was.
“Tell Adam to try and unlock the doors somehow, tell Lizzy to provide cover; she’ll know what to do.”
Wyatt bowed at the order and made off quickly to pass the orders along. Luckas had previously questioned the reason why Sammy kept Amber so close amongst all the others when she was so erratic, but Sam’s presence alone seemed to make the little psycho into an obedient and adoring puppy. It was really something interesting and frightening to see.
“Lukey... Are you still afraid of the dark?” Sam asked softly, her hand reaching for his in a firm grip.
“Uncomfortable maybe, but not afraid.” Luckas replied, unsure of what the woman was intending with the questioning and the hand holding. It all become very clear, metaphorically speaking at least, when a gust of wind crossed the ballroom, extinguishing every single flame in its path and engulfing the party and its guest in absolute darkness. As soon as everything went dark, Luckas felt himself being led by the hand, firmly, by Sam as if the woman knew exactly where to go, ignoring all the sounds of the disoriented party guests. “Don’t worry, Lukey.” She stated calmly.

“Well... Miss Talon... You were wondering how I knew your name... There you have it.”

Essence had her eyes on Sean, noting how his expression had shifted from innocent awe, quickly melting to something beyond disgust. Violet eyes brightened and flashed dangerously, something she couldn’t control as the light momentarily bled out from her sockets, appearing as if they held fuses burning to two mini, internal bombs. Tiny, blue veins accentuated the eerie light below her eyelids, her skin actually taking the illusion of a similar delicate and fragile decor of stone cracking under pressure as it spread. Her fingers appeared discreetly along her corset to slowly retrieve a small, purple vile she hid in her hand as she crossed her arms lazily. Blinking a few times, the glow emanating from her orbs dissipated, accompanied by a sly smile through grinding teeth. “Fucking bitch...I guess I was too kind to you when last we chatted...” She snarled, somehow her tone still remaining sweet. “I should have taken both of your haggard eyes...”

Ebony chuckled, staring at Ess whose back was still facing her and her mercenary entourage. “Oh, I’d be willing to forget that minor...transgression, little Birdie...if you give up that dagger of mine and come along quietly. It could be like...” Ebony sighed, pausing as if she were reminiscing about the good ol’ days. “...be like old times. Remember how much fun we had?” The old woman added with a mocking sarcasm. “Well....I remember how much fun I had....” She sneered.

Still holding the small vile, Ess turned slowly to face the group behind her, raising her hand to absently scratch the back of her head, the end of the vile nicked to spill its contents all along the fan like blade that was tight among the braids, nestled in her curls. Lazily she let the vile drop behind her, simultaneously as one of her braids fell loose, the barrette swinging in an almost hypnotizing fashion so that the razor edges were now coated with the sap like ooze.

“Riiight....because standing by and making money while children were raped and tortured was just SO MUCH FUN.... Children Ebony... It wasn’t a secret what kind of Mistress you were...”

“I ran a respectable business!” The woman hissed. “That is, until you tried to have me killed...and not to mention what you did to my brother...”

“At least...when I put a hit on someone..I have the balls to do it MYSELF.......Mistress...” Essence snapped, noting how Tala began to circle the group while staying just out of arm's reach; white foam dripping in bubbling clumps to the floor.

“Oh, we can see what a great job you did, aye Pigeon..” Ebony retorted with a wink from her good eye.

“Lucky for you, I was only a child and -” Ess inhaled sharply, her hands resting along her waist as if she were hugging herself, a chill creeping up her spine as a blond, green eyed man about her age stepped forward.

“Aw, now Beautiful, I seem to remember you had mastered quite a few...talents for one so young..” The man stated in a complementary tone, bowing his head slightly.

“Joffrey...” Essence breathed, nails tracing the outline of her throwing daggers tucked along her curves. “Finally...came out of hiding...”

The man smiled, nodding casually at Ess’ comment. “Well, after the rumors I heard about Vincent..and then recently with the..disappearance of Jasper...could you really blame me?”

“Vincent...Vincent....” Ess tapped her chin thoughtfully and shrugged. “Not sure who you mean..” She lied, not hiding a mischievous sneer crossing her lips. “Oh come now, how many times did you cut your tongue from all that boot licking? Although I think you may have enjoyed it. But, sadly, I can’t take all the credit there...” Essence bit her lip, glancing back at Sean as if to verify he was still there.

Joffrey chuckled, “I doubt you’d forget Vince, Pigeon..besides I saw you...but no worries..” He raised his fingers to his lips as if he was meaning to keep a secret. “You mean...you weren’t responsible for Jasper? How interesting...” Joffrey began. “I may have enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed you. So, since we are admitting things...I also seem to remember how much you liked it...”

“Tsk tsk..” Ess nodded as if she were agreeing with Joffrey’s words, but her attention was directed towards Sean in an unspoken agreement of sorts before turning back to the group. Firmly she stated, “Smart men...know how to treat a Lady... Maybe I’d play nice, if you got on your knees for me...

Ebony thought she was being sneaky, foolishly assuming Ess was distracted as she motioned for three of the men to go for Ess. Tala didn’t even let the first mercenary unsheathed his blade more than an inch before her teeth were piercing through flesh, followed by a girlish scream from the back of the group. The sound of blood gurgling and bones breaking, and the man was down in seconds. Essence’s head was already in full swing, long braids snapping outwards in a whip like motion, the sharp edges of her barrette slicing through empty air and then Joffrey’s cheek twice before the man was able to dodge. Another nearby man-for-hire felt the blade slice below his chin, spilling his blood in messy spurts so that it freckled across Ess’ porcelain skin, yet enough left in the man to not end him. It wasn’t meant to, nor needed once the poison began its work in paralyzing both individuals. Ess needed some leverage, even though she was able to move somewhat easily, the excessive folds of her gown constricting her movements enough to make the oncoming advances a little tricky.

“Ebony!” Essence screamed aloud, not caring that her voice echoed to blend with the chaos that was beginning to spread throughout the room. She was done with this woman and she would be damned if she let this fateful opportunity slip through her fingers. Another figure drew his sword, moving with the others to hold a circle surrounding Ebony. Ess released two of her finger sized daggers into the man whose throat she had cut, aiming for his hands to penetrate through his palms so that he dropped whatever weapons he held. One dagger went clean through, while the other only made it half way so that the man moved to use it to attack despite his anger and fury at the pain. It made it easier to block, Ess’ relic blade pushing back against the larger man for only a few seconds. Tala leapt from the side to rip through the man’s arm, hanging on until he stumbled backwards.

“Get your bloody wolf off me!” The mercenary barked from her feet, attempting to scurry backwards but his movement was slowing between the poison and blood loss which was also noted by the rapid, pale discoloration of his skin.

“She’s not mine....more like I am HERS...” Ess retorted in amusement, yet a look of concern crossed her eyes. It wouldn’t be long now for the poison to work it’s magic. A sudden breeze sent a chill up her legs, making her realize that somewhere along the way she had torn her gown, a clean slit just pausing along her naked thigh. Somewhere around that time it began to dawn on her that there were fewer mercenaries standing and more upon the floor than she could take credit for. Both Ebony and Joffrey had managed to slip away in the hustle but not without Tala already hot on their heels.

Catching Sean out of her peripherals she sighed, staring down at her dress, she slid her dagger along the tear to rip it in a horizontal fashion. Essence looked up to see a familiar dark, curly haired boy rolling to his feet, the image blackening as everything went dark followed by sporadic panic that echoed against the walls. With a sigh, Ess blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust. “Oh, this will not do...not at all..Uh, Sean, you still there? Would you be a gentleman and help a lady out? I can’t run in this thing..” Ess eyes flickered in their familiar glow; a violet beacon that quickly toned down but was enough to give her a glimpse of the man’s expression that sent giggles bouncing down her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~~

Darren snorted, holding back a chuckle when Jake poked at his side, playfully whining still about the shirt. His attention was more distracted so that it appeared he had to put effort into the jest as opposed to his normal, comical self. Quirking a brow he quickly glanced from Jake to the second fallen body, lightly tugging on his goatee in thought. “What the hell did you stick em’ with?” He asked curiously, his attention already wandering through his surroundings in pursuit of where the woman had disappeared into the crowd. “You’re from BlackPond, Jake...The name Ebony sound familiar? We don’t have time to get into it now, but let's just say I discovered she’s an old associate of my father’s...and more of a reason to finish much needed research.” Darren sighed, his expression momentarily blank before shifting to one of loss. He moved in one direction and stopped, turned around glancing in the direction of random shouts of guests as they moved to avoid the staircase. People began to push back; either from choice or by force. If they wanted to be apart of the battle or avoid it all together, Darren knew many wouldn’t be given much of choice as things began to escalate.

Turning abruptly away from the staircase, Darren began pressing through the crowd until he managed to pick out the small group of men encircling Ebony. In all honesty they stood out. It wasn’t hard to spot them as many began to push towards the blocked exits, against every corner and wall within the room. He didn’t need to turn around to know Jake was still within earshot as he spoke, “Hey...think I found who came here with that wolf...that...Redhead with no name..” Darren flashed a curious smile before it slipped away. He quickened his pace, zigzagging his way towards Ebony, determined to finish their conversation. Casually he kept his distance, coincidentally circling the group in the opposite direction of Tala so that they passed each other, only looking at each other long enough to acknowledge each other’s presence.

Only mere seconds went by before he witnessed the wolf take someone down with a graceful ease Darren felt only the female sex, no matter the species, carried alone. She was silent and deadly, and she wouldn’t have been noticed by others if not for the piercing scream of the man whose throat she had clamped down upon, silver fur stained in a sticky crimson. Darren saw a tall, fairly large man wearing a black, large brimmed hat with single red feather hanging off the front, approach Tala from behind. Raising a small ax over the wolf, the man was distracted with the blood feud so he didn’t notice Darren as he approached. “Aye Guy, nice...Hat.” The man hadn’t turned his head even half way when Darren’s fist collided with the side of his cheek. “You’re wearing it all wrong man...” He joked, popping the hat off the man’s head and catching it. “What the hell is this?” Darren laughed, plucking the feather from the hat and stomping it on the ground, his fingers crunching along the flexible brim to create a narrow, slanted point. The hat fit snug just above his ears, curling higher on his left along his temples compared to the right and just dipped low enough to cast a shadow over one eye.

“Thanks, Guy. I know it wasn’t suiting yo-” Darren took the first swing like a champ, barely budging even though his jaw was screaming. Stretching his jaw, he heard a pop, a subtle snort of amusement escaping him. Dropping low he swung his leg to bring the large man down, a smile spreading when the man lept out of the way, sending a series of low and high kicks in a fluid blur. Darren countered with several more kicks, dodging a boot to the face and the man paused to look at him curiously and nodded as if satisfied before attacking again. Forearms crossed before one another’s faces, mirroring each move as if they were dancing and couldn’t decide who would lead. A few moments passed and they shoved each other backwards unable to get in a proper hit and stared into one another’s eyes. Tipping his new hat, Darren winked before leaping forward into the air so his boots used the man’s torso and shoulders as steps to flip backwards while his heel connected with the man’s jaw twice. Hunched over in a small daze, Darren took the opportunity to repeat the move but instead of flipping again he locked his legs around the man’s throat and brought him down to the ground as Darren fell himself, putting pressure along several points at once so that the man’s eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out. He gave an extra squeeze before releasing and pushing the man away and somersaulting back to his feet just as the lights went out and he was encased in darkness. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t be seen, Darren adjusted his new hat in a fashion he thought suited him and stood as still as a statue, listening to the sudden shrieks echo around him.

Sean was a little torn between venting his frustrations on the surrounding hired thugs, or keeping his attention on the words exchanged between his new acquaintance, Ebony and the man she was with. He had done his research on the woman and her ‘business’, but there was a difference between knowing some things and hearing them first hand. Sean couldn’t quite understand how Dani could actually accept a contract from someone like Ebony, and the more he thought it through the more he felt the little bit of respect he had left for the woman start to rapidly decrease. The conversation managed to distract Sean into standing perfectly still, his eyes registering the movement around him as if politely awaiting a physical altercation to take place; it didn’t take a great amount of perception to understand that that’s what was about to happen there.

"Smart men...know how to treat a Lady...Maybe I’d play nice, if you got on your knees for me..."

There was a subtle, very subtle hint in Ess’ words, but it was more than enough of a hint for Sean to catch and as the woman finished speaking the assassin immediately got down on one knee, feeling something possibly very sharp pass through the spot where his head was just a split second ago; blood spatter hitting the ground moments after. Things went messy and violent after that, and while Sean was somewhat eager to take down a mercenary or two, he suddenly found himself freezing in place as he felt something brush against his shoulder as he got back on his feet, as if someone was walking past him; only he couldn’t see anyone there. In the small moment it took Sean’s mind to process what he already knew was happening, he saw a man go down, and then another, both seeming untouched except for one small dark little metal needle poking out from their necks; Sean wouldn’t have seen it if he wasn’t looking for it, his eyes instinctively searching for someone he knew wasn’t able to see. This was curious, to say the least. In his stupor Sean had absently moved to get out of the way of two men fighting, noting that one of them seemed a bit familiar, but he wasn’t quite sure where he’d seen the guy before.

Oddly enough; the lights going off were the thing that caused Sean to snap to attention as if he’d been startled awake. His hand reaching for a weapon instinctively as all the fire in the room went out at once.

“Uh, Sean, you still there? Would you be a gentleman and help a lady out? I can’t run in this thing..”

A flicker of violet light caught the Alpha’s eye as he turned to Ess with a slightly questioning look, unsure if he should laugh at or not at her request. He couldn’t help but feel amused. “I’m pretty sure helping a woman you barely know out of clothing in the dark is far from any definition of ‘gentleman’, but then... For the most part so am I.” He replied, not hiding his amusement at the situation. His attention wandered from the woman however, momentarily as the lights flickered back on, then off again, then on again, as if sudden bursts of flame were exploding all around the ballroom, Sean started looking around, examining the movement of the crowd as if expecting for something particular to happen; he had a bad feeling about this and it became clear why when he heard a familiar voice speak just behind his back, causing him to turn away from Essence, his grip tightening around the hilt of his still sheathed dagger. Struck a little by surprise by the last person he would expect to actually manage such a thing. The fact that Ella was actually attacking him there and then caused him to momentarily flinch, but not enough to actually catch him off guard.

What happened next was as unexpected as it was confusing. Sean expected Ella to attack him, but something held her back; or rather someone. Mageria didn’t seem to be too far behind the escaped Queen and pulled her back before she could reach the Alpha. It seem like that would be the end of it, but no... It wasn’t... Not for Sean anyway. Ella turned to face Mageria, and Sean couldn’t hear what she said, but he slowly realized what was happening; the woman’s face went pale. and it was noticeable even in the flickering lights, and then she went limp... It was so quick that Sean had to check that even though he had drawn his blade on an instinct; it was clear of any blood. The Queen hadn’t been touched by his blade, but Sean knew that wouldn’t matter. Funny how sometimes no matter how much you try to avoid something, if it’s meant to be, it’ll simply happen to you anyway.

For a moment, it could have been just a second or a full minute, Sean simply stood paralyzed but once that moment passed he looked at Mageria, slowly lifting his clean knife to where she could see it. “Been a pleasure, Miss Essence.” He spoke calmly, not bothering to waste the one moment he had for words on the former Black Knight in any way; sheathing his knife and taking the opportunity to make himself disappear the moment the lights flickered out again. He had to find a way back home as fast as possible. He wasn’t sure what had just happened there, but he was absolutely sure it was going to cause him trouble no matter what.

Mageria sighed wearily, every line of her body sagging in defeat. She had been struggling to hold the wound closed, but life had seeped out of her Queen in a red tide.
"You stupid girl. You stupid little idiot. You couldn't have laid a mark on him no matter what." Gently she reached up and closed Ella's eyes. She was a veteran of the battlefield and to the effects of those who survived one but never really left it. She could tell the difference between a wound that was inflicted purposefully and what it looked like when someone stabbed themselves. She knew what had happened and whether it had been an accident; or the hand of fate, reaching down to make the impossible happen, to bring Valcrest to the brink of destruction, she didn't know. But she knew what was going to happen.

They were surrounded in a strangely still moment, a bubble of serenity in the chaos. Slowly, Mageria looked up at Essence, her eyes shading from a verdant green to empty black. She was very quiet, holding everything that she was feeling inside. Once again, a monarch of Newhaven was dead and once again the Wolfpack would be blamed. Once again, it would be for the wrong reason. And she didn't think that she could stop it this time.

"Valcrest will burn.......And there is nothing we can do to stop it."

People were running in all directions, as hypnotizing bursts of flame gave Essence mere glimpses of faces and shadows; Tala was lost trailing what Ess caught as Ebony’s salt and pepper hair disappearing in the strobing reality, almost catching fire. Ess couldn’t help but laugh, tearing jagged rips of her gown to just above her knees. Then, instead of following immediately after Ebony and Joffrey, Ess froze. Her jaw fell in utter awe, staring, at what felt like was slowly dawning on her, the Queen falling lifeless to the floor. Holding her blade at her side, she didn’t look away but acknowledged Sean’s departure with a nod. “What....the hell..just happened..?” She breathed, moving to leave because her mind was screaming to pursue Ebony while at the same time her eyes locked upon Mageria and she couldn’t move. Essence wouldn’t just walk away now, yet her gaze strayed past the Captain and found herself being stared at by the boy who had introduced himself as Darren except now he was wearing a hat. Tipping his hat he signaled a silent departure, quicking looking from where he last saw the wolf run off to and back at Essence. It was as if the boy knew what Ess was thinking, “I’m on it..” Darren grunted, before running off after Tala, Ess still wearing a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Valcrest will burn.......And there is nothing we can do to stop it."

Essence kneeled down beside the Captain, lightly resting a hand upon her shoulder a bit hesitantly. “I don’t understand..” She whispered to Mageria. “...There has to be something we can do...I mean you saw what happened, right?” Ess cleared her throat, standing once again, her blade hovering at her hip in a subtle defensive stance. “Captain...we need to find a way out of this room...but not before I lose that haggard bitch...not again..” Still Ess didn’t move, as if waiting for permission to leave the Captain’s side while at the same time she most definitely didn’t trust to leave. Everything was chaotic but things were going to crumble and cascade into insanity in the next few seconds.

Darren had been weaving in and out of the crowd, ducking random bursts of flame which made it fairly difficult to keep track of the silver wolf and the prey it was pursuing. The strobing light paused out of sorts and it was dark for the better part of a minute before a violet, blinding array of light suddenly came into a view in what Darren could only recognize as the sun flying towards him. To avoid the ball of fire, Darren dove towards the floor, unintentionally taking down a figure in white, who had been beside him unexpectedly. Not to say there wasn’t people all around, but most were either engaged in some sort of conflict or making their way towards the walls and blocked exits in vain. The dark haired boy opened his baby blue eyes, straining through muttered apologies as he unshielded the form from himself, rolling to his side. The first thing Daren saw was an attractive, young lady with jet black hair and adoring brown eyes, and for a moment he forgot the chaos around him and simply stared at her as if there was nothing else in room. His eyes flashed an indigo, purple, several images flashed quickly through his mind that he was ignoring mostly in an attempt to clear his thoughts. “I’m sorry-” Darren gasped, feeling something or someone grip him by the collar and hoist him into the air before he could finish his sentence, an angry glare penetrating his own confused stare. Darren held up his hands defensively, as he rushed to catch his breath. “Whoa...least let me catch...my breath before the beautiful lady takes it away again...Guy...wait..you don’t understand..” He tried to explain, one eye still on the woman in white, feeling a bit ashamed to have not even helped her off the floor. “Ah..is this your boyfriend, Miss?”

“Annie Turner... And who might you be?”

The noise around Darren dissipated briefly, his mind focusing on the woman’s voice, baby blues flashing curiously as he noted the way her shoulders bounced when she giggled. A small smile took over his trance, bowing low in return while removing his hat and holding it tight against his chest. His eyes never left her as he spoke, his free hand gently taking her’s and turning it so that his lips lightly grazed the top of her knuckles. “..Darren. Darren, Hearst..Miss Annie.” He whispered, his deep blues reflecting a purple hue that faded just as quickly as it appeared when he squinted, pushing back against a dull pain between his eyes. Instead of releasing her hand immediately when he felt his enlightenment take hold and mere flashes clouded his vision, he gave a slight squeeze, his fingertips lightly massaging the palm of her hand. “Turner?” Darren chuckled, politely releasing the woman’s hand. “Why do I have the feeling I’ve already met one of your relatives..” He stated matter of factly, more so than as a question.

Darren’s amusement faded, taking on a somewhat sympathetic expression as Annie dark locs faded into view. Tilting his head forward he raised his hat, letting his longer strands hide away beneath the leather interior, slowly standing up straight once again. “...I’m so sorry...” He began, adjusting his hat. “..She was a very lovely woman...You look like her..” Darren cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, quirking a brow as something crossed his mind suddenly. “..So...you’re into puzzles?” He muttered, hinting more at the images that had just flooded his mind. It wasn’t enough to make a lot of sense out of but he saw images of an older, similar version of the young lady who was now in focus before him. He had heard her name whispered within the camp and upon hearing the girl’s name he made the simple connection. Then, there was the flutter of pages covered in odd groupings of numbers that seemed to go on forever. It reminded Darren somewhat of his father’s journal but at the same time it couldn’t have been more different. Needless to say, it was intriguing and it moved him to ask something else but he didn’t even get to open his mouth when he heard a sharp echo of a wounded animal, causing chills to shake down his spine. Darren stepped back, sighing some as his distraction left him and was brought back to his original purpose. “Apologies, I had a prior...engagement...” He winked, tipping his hat and without another word he trotted off in pursuit of the grey-haired hag and the wolf that followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Go," she whispered. "If it's that important, just.... go while you can."

Essence froze, staring at Mageria in silence, lips parting to speak but words never finding life through her dizzy array of thoughts. Nodding absently to Sham as if she heard her words, Ess yet remained kneeled as she watched the woman pick up what was now only a shell of the Queen. It wasn’t the personal pain of loss that gripped hold of her insides, but of the ideals and reminders of what the Captain must now be feeling; it was in her eyes. An icy breath of death which mocked those left untouched, yet again and helpless to prevent what happened in mere seconds before their eyes. In that moment, Essence felt torn. It was something she normally would not be so conflicted with; the pursuit and killing of Ebony. That, was something she long desired ever since it was realized that woman still drew breath and she had never let anything hold her back to any similar desires before, but now things were changing.

‘There’s nothing to be done now..’ Essence told herself, trying to ease the guilt she felt as the Captain moved away in a grievance, hypnotizing state. She knew there wasn’t much to be said, at least not now. Yet, she felt like there had to be SOMETHING she could do, and perhaps continuing her pursuit of Ebony was all she was able to do at the moment. It wasn’t just about her own personal vengeance and her self righteous feeling of justice. Ebony had wronged many, many people all in the name of money and her illusion of power. Essence had spent a good portion of her young life, fueling that illusion, like a dog begging for scraps but too afraid to reach out for them. That had been part of her control over Ess which she had believed to have been shattered long ago, yet remanence of past pains still thrived through her veins. That anger, as if only just discovered in that exact second, began to trickle down in discreet, reddish streaks across her face as she pushed herself to her feet and slipped fluid and wispful like, as a wraith, her features shifting in a confusing blur of those she passed so that her ghost-like form was faceless for a moment. Essence knew she had no control over the life that was lost right before her eyes, but she knew she would have control over the life that still mocked her from across the room.

Taking advantage of the shrill screams of confusion and fear amidst the teasing of light, Ess slipped through the occasional darkness, straining to hear the distant growls and barks of her furry friend who had not hesitated to corner Ebony and Joffrey, pinning them against what use to be a window, now a melted barricade that slightly resembled a tombstone. ‘How fitting.’ Joffrey was growing weak, his movements stiffening as the paralysis began to take hold but not quick enough it seemed. Ess came upon the two, Tala in mid lunge for the man’s throat; Ebony too scared to move. Essence wasn’t even able to shout out for the wolf to be still when a blade sliced through the air and cut the animal along where her shoulder connected with the scruff of her neck, silver fur spotted with crimson. The wounded yelp of the creature was drowned out by an angry scream which Ess didn’t realize was coming from herself, until Joffrey looked upon her in surprise, that pause long enough for Tala to rip off his bladed hand.

Holding out her own blade, not taking her eyes off of Ebony, Ess’ free hand inspected the wound upon her wolf as Tala turned to drop the emaciated limb at her feet as if it were a gift. The gesture caused her to smile, barely noticing how Joffrey screamed like an infant longing for milk. He wasn’t going anywhere now, Tala able enough to stand guard as Ess reached down for the hand and playfully smacked the man hard across the face with it before whirling it in Ebony’s direction, the woman barely dodging the hand. Ess’ features were still once again, a manic glow flickering in her eyes accompanied by a series of giggles.She hit the woman with the hilt of her dagger again and again, causing her to fall upon her knees so that she was now at blade level, staring up at Ess in a wild panic.

“You can’t kill me, Pigeon! If you do, you’ll never know about your son...or your brother...I know where he is, you know..You NEED me...” Ebony stumbled over her own words with a hint of desperation mixed with that illusion of power that still hung about her. It would have been somewhat amusing if not for the Bitch’s words that simply caused Ess to press the blade harder against her throat. It baffled her to see how delusional the woman was up to her very end. As if considering what the woman had to say, Ess loosened her grip and took a step backwards.

“Your words, are poison....I ‘NEED’ you...like I need a hole in the head...” Ess snarled, her leg snapping outward to kick the woman onto her back, falling forward to pin her upon the ground.

“You’ll never be anything more than a toy..a plaything! It’s all you know! But if you list-” Ebony’s words were suddenly cut short by a chorus of angry screams as Essence was overtaken by a blood frenzy, her dagger stabbing the woman in the chest, neck, and empty eye socket over and over until it painted her white skin in the woman’s blood.

“I BELONG TO NO ONE!” She bellowed, screaming insults and curses, refusing to acknowledge anything further that wretched woman had to say. “I AM NO ONE’S TOY!” Essence didn’t even hear the voice behind her that had actually yelled out an objection to the act, disappointment at not hearing what the pile of flesh beneath her knees, had to say. “Lies...lies...all you ever said were lies...I can find out the truth WITHOUT YOU! Stupid bitch...there...is no...coming back....from this...” She continued to rant, thrusting the dagger into flesh each time she spoke. Her anger wasn’t relenting. There was no comforting release as she witnessed the body go limp, her blood spilling across the floor, quickly thickening against the chill. Her pain and scars would never leave her but there was a certain amount of satisfaction knowing there was one less child abusing, witch in Valcrest. Still, it wasn’t enough to calm her rage and even in the woman’s death, Ess wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t. It was as if she were temporarily possessed by one of her inner demons from her drawings; never sating the hunger that was fueling her need for blood.

Darren could have cared less for the blond who had passed out upon the floor from a gruesome injury, leaving him with a ragged stump where his hand should have been. His attention upon the wolf who was now sitting on her haunches, appearing as if she were trying not to lie down in the small puddle of blood slowly forming at her side. He immediately noticed the wound and after a few seconds decided it wasn’t life threatening but it didn’t look like it felt too good at all. Tala rumbled with a defensive growl, eyeing Darren, suspiciously sniffing in his direction. Very carefully in slow, calculated movements, he kneeled down a few feet away from Tala, causing the wolf to snarl and spit. Darren froze, “...It’s okay, girl...” He whispered, hesitating before he inched and stretched his fingers outwards. Again, she showed her teeth but no noise accompanied the gesture this time. Both the wolf and Darren’s attention were drawn away from one another when Essence screamed and began brutally stabbing at Ebony a few feet away. If Darren had given himself time to think on it, he wouldn’t of objected as much as he did as he found himself yelling for the woman to stop. A look of defeat slowly turned into a mix of shock and awe when he saw how the woman pressed on, noting she must have pierced Ebony more than a couple dozen times now and soon he lost track. For the first time ever, he hesitated to speak to a woman, somewhat afraid of the crazed look in her eye as she kept pace, not growing tired in the slightest as the blood splattered and dripped along her face.