the law of oaths

Shota sits back for a few minutes while Nate speaks. She lets him go on while she teasingly touches Annie's cheek. Soon though, after he's spoken more then enough words, Shota turns from Annie and starts walking toward Nate. By the time he says the words 'and in order to defeat', Shota has reached him and brings her fist down onto his head with enough force to close his mouth shut. "Shut up!" Shota shouts loudly with an irritated face. She turns from the little yappy boy and crosses her arms as she thinks carefully. "When everyone gets up, we'll head in the opposite way we came." She nods as she continues thinking to herself. "We need to get out of the forest and find a city first. When we do that, we can gather information on where to go from there". Her eyes glare back at Nate, as if having been waiting for him to shout out a pointless comment. "We might not know where to find a 'Teacher' as you call it, but I guarantee there are people who would know." Shota turns from the group and walks to the window. She places her hand onto the wall next to the window and stares at the castle. "It's the logical thing to do. Besides, you're deciding things for people too often. Right now, getting out of this dangerous place is priority for everyone. After that though, everyone might not want to recapture or to learn. So here's the plan..."

Shota turns from the window and walks toward the center of the room with her arms crossed again. She calls out to everyone so that she can get their attention and hopefully awaken a few people. "We head the opposite direction and exit the forest. We find the nearest city which we should be able to see from there. We go by ear from there!" Her eyes glance back at Nate with annoyance again. "What the hell is the point of recapturing a city that's destroyed when everything we know and loved there is probably gone? This isn't about retaking our home. For the people who want to fight, this is about making sure that what happened to our home doesn't happen to anyone else!" Shota suddenly falls onto her bottom and crosses her legs to sit with a stern look on her face. "QUESTIONS!?"

"Eh it almost fells like you love to hit me it always happens more and more often," Nate laughed "well I'm just saying that that's the leader and theirs no way we can beat him now and I was just saying theirs many goals we can pursue now ." Nate sighed felling at ease for some reason "Well for me my dad said revenge isn't a reason to fight so I'm not going after there leader ... yet i just want to beat that other guy he humiliated me and didn't even have the courtesy to give me his name and that scared my pride as a swordsmen so you know i have to pay him back and then since the leader didn't have any common sense to instal some decency into him ill have to make sure he remembers in the next life so and in order for me to do that i need to get stronger if you want to join me you can if you don't you don't but ill stay for know as it would be easier to get information in a group and sorry i talk a lot it might be a birth defect," Nate smiled and laughed.

Annie holds her weapons in each hand and gives Shota the slightest of smiles and blushed as Shota touched her cheeks, "I'm not planning on leaving so don't worry." Annie then turns to the dark castle that must have been raised over night and the sight of it sent shivers down the assassin's spine. The city was lost and there wasn't a thing they could do about it, at least not by themselves, Nate spoke like an idiot hero and it was cute at times but mostly annoying so she didn't blame Shota for hitting him every time he spoke. As Nate spoke again about his pride Annie felt the need to hit him as well but it wasn't her place to correct the overly confident boy.

"Putting your pride before your life is a fool's errand and I wont be a part of it. If you want to get yourself killed then go ahead train, get stronger but a word of advice all the training in the world wont help you against a guy like that." Annie said with stone like emotions. The assassin turned to Shota and her expression soften, "I agree with you, warning other villages and possibly gain support to rise against this evil is our best bet but we'll wait for the others before we decided anything." Annie looks down at Shota and couldn't help but smile at her cuteness.

"Well ill try my best to kill them its not like I know were my mom or my younger sister are so I can't warn them," Nate sighed looking through his backpack "its not like I even know what they look like and the only thing I know about them is this weird pendent they gave me," Nate pulled out a pendent with 3 slots with one of them field in with a red gem having a lonely look on his face and then he put it back "So the only way to protect them is to fight him and stop him before he can get the chance to kill them," Nate's lonely look turned serious "any way I don't recommend staying with me for that long or he might regain form now that my dads gone not many people could suppress him after hes gotten control of my body anyone around me is as good as dead," Nate looked sad saying this to a few of the few friends he had ever made "so I'll stay with you in till the next town but then that's when I must part make sure if I act weird and you will know when it happens to get away from me cause I will not be in control for to long," Nate's serious look turned very sad "and make sure to stay safe."

Shota had pulled Annie aside as Nate had begun talking so now they stand a distance away from Nate, speaking as if he does not exist. "I can deal with the pride before life part," Shota claims while she continues in a mocking manner. "But this kid keeps talking about his plans. He humiliated me, so I'll make sure he pays. I don't like these guys other, but that's because they might have killed my family. If anything, that's why I'd fight them. He's talking about how he'll Kill them for his pride. That's selfish and pathetic. He won't succeed if that is the fuel that drives him." Shota smiles and looks at Annie. She then glances about the room at the other kids, to see who is awake or asleep. She nods as if agreeing to something in her own mind as she looks back at Annie.

"We need someone good with direction." Shota thinks carefully about the events that have already unfolded. This cabin... "Annie?" Shota suddenly comes across a thought. "This forest is dangerous, but you knew about this cabin. That means you must know your way around the forest. If my words holds true, could you perhaps lead us out of these woods and toward the nearest town?"

While waiting for an answer, and keeping her eyes on Annie to hold true to that wait, Shota moves about the cabins floor in search of a parchment. Finding some, Perhaps left over from whoever resided here before them, she raised it up and lifted her opposing hand to it. The tip of her index finger began to glow with a light magical scent. She pressed her finger to the parchment and began drawing. The places where her finger stroked across left marks of a magical nature.

Running again. Into the woods, shadowy figures flitting past at the corners of his eyes. So familiar, and so terrifying.

...Lucas...

Stumbling, and the breath rushes out of him as he's slammed to the ground, a shadow pinning him down, it's voice low but growing, the words distorted. It raises a dark appendage, and smothers him into black.

...Wake up...

The boy stirs, slowly opening his eyes before wincing them shut again. His body ached terribly, and his left side feels numb and stiff, somehow at the same time. He is, however, very much awake, and could hear a number of voices, reminding him that the terror of recent hours was not simply of the night. "Old Shell," he mutters quietly, placing his right hand to his face, "if you are with me...then my father..."

You are Head of House Lucas now...I am sorry, Hatchling...

Lucas does not reply outwardly to the group or to his Oath. He fights the swelling in his throat, and silent sobs wrack his body while tears stained the cabin floor. He had a great responsibility now, this was a fact he could not turn away from. For a moment, however, a son mourn the death of his father, and likely the rest of his family...

Annie sighed at Nate then was pulled a side by Shota so she could make fun of the ignorant boy which made her feel somewhat awkward so she just stayed silent. When Shota asked her if she could guide them to the next town she hesitated for a second, "Yeah I know this part of the forest pretty well and the next town is a day and a half away by foot." Annie said already plotting a course.

"Good". Shota nods to Annie before turning away, walking around if for nothing more then to move her feet. She completes the map drawing and turns back around to face her. "After everyone awakens, we'll move."

"well i need to meditate and practice my basic swordsmanship before we leave so I'll be in the forest training a little just call out when there up," Nate carelessly walked out through the door "don't worry I'll make sure to hide my presence as best as i can so no one finds us I'll be back in an half or 2 i can't skip it if i want to realize my goal ," Nate flashed steeped so no one could flow him and or stop him stooping in a small clearing so he could start his training.

The man on the ground gasped as he regained consciousness, then sucked in another breath as the pain restored his memory. Vincent reached gingerly to touch his wound, wincing and growling quietly, "Damn that brat. I will make her pay for this." Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself onto his feet, slouching over from the pain and waiting for the worst of it to subside. He slowly limped off under the night sky, away from the cabin where he'd been lying in wait for his niece.

Once past the treeline and into the woods, he finally allowed himself to slump down against a trunk, coughing up blood. His breath was shallow and a cold sweat broke out on his skin. He didn't have much time, not with all the blood he lost. He hadn't come unprepared for this outcome, however. Annie was, after all, the daughter of his accursed brother, and even at her young age her skill was extraordinary. Reaching into a hidden pocket, Vincent pulled out an ornate flask, lifting it up to his lips to bite the cover off. Before it could reach, however, his arm went limp and dropped, the flask scattering out of his hand.

"Ah! So that's where it went off to," a quiet voice says as a man walks up, stooping down and picking up the flask in long, slender fingers. He straightened up, pocketing the flask before looking over to the dying assassin and grinning wide. "Vincent, how nice to see you again." The man's grin fades as Vincent coughs up more blood, tsking quietly and saying, "You don't look so good. Your usurpation of the family line didn't take?"

"Damn you, Horus," he gasps between coughs, covering his mouth with his remaining arm, "give me my arm back, and give me that flask!"

"Flask?" the man Horus questions, a look of incredulity on his face for a moment which slowly becomes one of realization, "Oh, you mean my elixir which you stole from my study after our last conversation. Is that what you are referring to?" He waits for the assassin to cease another coughing fit before continuing, "I'll take that as a yes. You do know that it's considered rude to take things that don't belong to you, hmm? I am simply exacting out proper punishment." As he says this, he gestures in the air and then points at the dying man.

Vincent's other arm shudders, and suddenly goes limp as well, falling roughly on the stab wound which causes the man to groan in pain with eyes shut tight. After a moment he growls at Horus, "We had a deal! I would get the army out of the city for your master to attack, and in return I would be allowed to kill my wretched brother and his line to rule the clan! Argh!" A sharp blow to his forehead causes Vincent to stop talking as he falls into another fit of coughing. Horus stands over the man, casually wiping the top of the scepter which he'd smacked him with, the beak of the bird-headed figure red, as if it'd been devouring a meal before being cleaned up.

"Oh, Dominus knows of the deal all too well, Vincent," he replies casually, crouching down to look at the man as he speaks, "and you certainly did hold up your end of the bargain. Instilling that little invasion on the far side of the continent was rather cunning. He also held true to his word. You were left alone to pursue your coup. That you failed is of no fault on our part." Horus shakes his head slowly before continuing, "in truth, Dominus never needed your assistance. In fact, it was I who convinced him to accept your offer, if only so that he would not be left wanting after taking the city. Whether you succeeded or failed did not matter. However, you took something of mine, and that's not nice." He frowns, making a sad face at the man as says this.

Vincent spits at Horus's feet in response, which causes him to sigh. "Well, I suppose I'll just let you die, then," he says, moving stand up. He stops, however, and lowers himself back down, an odd grin on his face. "You know," he says, his free hand gesturing slowly, which causes Vincent's eyes to widen, his already shallow breath coming faster, "I've always wondered if this spell could actually do more than just hinder...what do you say we find out?" His hand finishes gesturing and raises up, pointing at Vincent's head. His face contorts for a moment, before going slack, his head lolling on his neck. Horus watches on, slowly rising to his feet after the assassin's demise.

The sun filters through the treetops weakly as morning settles around the two figures, when suddenly Horus raises his head, sensing a generous flow of power coming from a clearing he could just make out in the distance. "Well well," he says with a cheery grin, "let's go see what this is all about." With that, he walks forward, humming brightly to himself.

Shota's head raised quickly to look around. She had dozed off for a little while waiting. She looked down to her feet where a map was drawn. Her eyes widened. How long had it been? She raised her hand to look at her shaking palm. She saw the lines of magics run through her flesh. If they waited any longer... Who knew what would happen to them. Shota pushed to her feet and grabbed the map then made for the door. Her hand pressed to it and pushed open the cabin to let the light tear in and shine over those inside. She turned to face them with a quick shout. "Get up!" Shota shouted to all those inside. "We're leaving, now! No more waiting!" she proclaimed. Her body was trembling, something wasn't right. Danger would be near; she knew it. Magic always brought danger and with them as they were. They couldn't wait.

"I'm leaving now," Shota claimed with a stern look. She looked over those there. She knew that if something like what happened before came at them, they would be sitting ducks. It didn't matter who was skilled or how much they might have learned in the magical artes, they were outnumbered and outclassed. Someone slaughtered everyone in their hometown. There were thousands of people out there who would slaughter them for much less then where they came from. Without another second of hesitation, Shota's hands pressed at the door frame and she exited the cabin. She stumbled at first; still tired. After gaining a bit of balance, she began to venture away from it going to the North. She didn't know the forests well, only knew survival. If someone didn't join her; someone like Annie, she would get lost. But even if it meant getting lost, she couldn't risk it. Staying in one place is dangerous. Far more dangerous then the shaken Shota could handle.

Annie had awaken to Shota's call and stood up slowly avoiding any pain but with a lot of healing and a little rest she was feeling better. The young assassin gathered her things preparing to leave but as she looked down she remembered that her clothes were torn and bloodied, she looks down at the gray blanket that she and Shota shared, she picked it up and wrapped it around her body and used it as a cloak. Annie noticed that some of the group was still sleeping and felt a bit crossed about leaving them but the only reason why she had join them was because Shota so she would follow her, with one last look at the others she left the cabin.

A small gust of wind would be felt by Shota then Annie would be to her side keeping pace, she hadn't said anything to the girl and she was going the path that had been planned so there was no reason to instead she looked forward and kept alert for any signs of hostiles, if they were lucky they would not run into any.

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Riven had been traveling for days helping many people along the way and brought justice to the guilty that prayed on the weak but last night she had a horrible feeling of dread and the wolf spirit seemed to react to feeling as well. The guardian spirit was guiding her closer and closer to the city that was destroyed by the wicked one but suddenly the spirit had told Riven to stop and wait, so she waited in the middle of the forest, the young warrior trusted the guardian with her life because with out the spirit she would not have one.

Avon had eventually rose from his place on the floor after hearing Shota and some of the others converse. He hadn't spoken to them, instead taking a deep breath and closing his eyes while focusing inward, searching for the inner warmth that represented his magical strength. It trickled to him slowly, then faster as he felt it flow through him. He could tell he was not fully recovered, his night had not be very restful, but he should be able to make due with what was available. He opened his eyes then, and saw the boy from the fireside. In the light of the morning, he could see that he had been injured as well, and his limited magical sense told him that his body had felt the corruption of another Shadow...or perhaps a Dark One.

Without hesitation, he moved over to the boy as he slept, holding his hand up and waving it through the air while muttering quietly. Around his fingers formed droplets of water, growing with each wave until he brought both hands forward, cupping the liquid carefully. He whispered into his hands. The water suddenly flashed, glowing with light before he reached out and let the water trickle over sleeping boy's obvious injuries, watching them shrink and heal, purifying the darkness within them. He hoped it would be enough. Then he heard Shota say she was leaving, and saw another follow her.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Avon shouted as he rushed out of the cabin after the two girls.

The group walked together now. There were less of them then when they began. Only Shota, Annie, and Avon would get away. She didn't know what it was, but something was coming for them. It always was. Shota's paranoia drove her wild. Keep moving, Keep moving, Keep moving! She thought to herself. The others, what would happen to them? Would they die? Would they never see the others again? Shota didn't like the idea of course. She didn't like the idea of abandoning fellow mages to the horrors of the world. She was happy that at least two people had come with her. She was also a little irritated. She spoke under her breath, unaware if the others could hear her.

"Of all the good people that we might lose, why couldn't that idiot boy be at the cabin." Her teeth began to grind. She thought about how the boy left to train. Shota's paranoia made her wonder about that. If that idiot boy survived and the others died... How could such a thing be allowed.

Suddenly, something in the bushes moving. Shota's eyes became wide. Her arms reached out to stop both Annie and Avon's walk. She backed away for a moment. Her magic began to run wildly through her veins. S-Something's here!? Shota thought, her mind going wild with thoughts of paranoia. A demon, a mage hunter, one of those men from earlier? Shota's head shook quickly and she glanced at the two at her side. "Be ready for anything, I'll hold them off while you two get away, don't go until I say." Her eyes watched the bush intently, her body trembling in fear. She wouldn't be able to handle it if it was a mage hunter nor could she handle someone like the ones that attacked the town.

"Of all the good people that we might lose, why couldn't that idiot boy be at the cabin."

"Huh?" Avon asks in confusion. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, but her mentioning one of the others reminded him to speak. "Umm, Shota," he says hesitantly, "if you're worried about them, shouldn't we go back? I know the person I saw by the fireplace you sent me to last night didn't look too well. I did what I could for him this morning, but then you two left. Why did w-" His voice stopped short as the brush shook, and he stepped back behind Shota. It wasn't that he wouldn't be willing to put himself in harm's way, but he remembered last night how the girl had fought off the wolves. She was capable of protecting herself. He wasn't so sure about himself, but he was confident in one thing. If they were about to fight, he would be able to help the girls recover. So he watches carefully as the bush shudders and gives way...

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"Ah, what have we here?"

Horus stepped through into view, smiling wide as he looked out. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise," he said to himself, raising an arm and pointing...

_____________________

Avon lets out a sigh of relief as a family of skunks waddle out and mosey along their way, glancing at the trio as they pass by but otherwise unfazed by their presence. The scene puts a small smile on Avon's face.

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at a young boy training in the middle of the forest. The boy's legs give out under him as they are rendered inert through Sullivan's spell, followed by his arms. "Aren't you just a treat?" he says with glee, promptly stooping down and cracking the boy across the temple to render him unonscious. He looks around for a moment and spots a cabin not too far off. "That must be the place," he says as he walks towards it. He glances in a window briefly before striding in. The moment he passes the threshold his arms reach out, binding the other children as they sleep. He pauses, admiring his own work for a moment, then turns and steps out of the cabin. "I suppose I'll have to let someone know about these little deilinquents," he muses aloud while walking off into the forest again, "Now where did I see that last patrol..."

Skunks waddle out of the bushes

Avon sighed in relief

As Avon seemed to smile in relief to the situation, Shota was standing in front of them with a shaking body. Though at first, she may appear to just be slightly startled, the truth comes with a glance at her face. Her mouth is wide open and jar dropped, eyes huge and pupils faded to make for pure white eyes that are shaking like trembling pools of water.

"Bah-ah-ah-ah-ah...." Shota stuttered over her words, trying to make a coherent sentence. She seemed utterly and completely shocked, having gone into fight at the thought of suddenly being jumped. Aside from her shaking and whimpering, she appears to be frozen solid.

Avon's smile fades as he hears Shota stuttering, and he steps towards the girl. "Shota," he calls out to her gently, "What are y-" his question hangs half finished as he sees the look on her face. "What's wrong?" he asks the girl, face straightening and brows knitting together in concern. Was she afraid of skunks? He wasn't sure, but he wanted to try and snap her out of it, so he reaches over and touches her shoulder gently. "...Shota?"

"B-B-B-BAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Shota screamed loud suddenly as she felt Avon's hand on her shoulder. She was unsure if it was one of her friends, one of those monsters, a mage hunter, what if it was all of them!? All of them banning together, working against her! The others betrayed her, the hunters were after her! Shota's hands flailed about with her arms pushing everything away from her. Her eyes remained the same but her mouth was wide open with lips whaling. "HELP!! HELPP!!! MAGE HUNTER!!! TRAITORS!! AAAAAAHHH!!!!"

Suddenly an outline of Shota was standing where she was and shota herself was hugging a tree as well as half way up it. After a few minutes, she finally looks down. Her eyes stopped trembling but now a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as she looked down embarrassed at Annie and Avon.

"Wh-Where did the mage hunters go?" Shota shuddered while looking down at the two. It was clear she had a problem. She looked around frantically for any sign of attackers.

Annie steadied herself and her hands on her kama's, at the moment Shota took point but Annie would be at the enemies throat before anything could happen to the girl. The sight of the skunks calmed her, she never thought she'd be happy to the smelly creatures. The young assassin breath a sigh of relief but quickly gripped her weapons again when Shota began to freak out. Annie looks at Avon then up the tree, "uhh there's no hunters...are you going to be okay?" She says blankly.

"No!" Shota shouted in a rather stubborn way. Her voice at that moment didn't sound like her usual voice. It sounded more childish, like a little kid who didn't get their way. It was easy to see that Shota had a childish side to her. Why not, she is a child after all. Of course, the group did not need it right now. Before the two could say another word to Shota; a loud CLUNK! is heard as a coconut -- seeming to have come out of nowhere as the trees have no such thing on them -- strikes Avon upon the head and bounces off to the ground. Shota clung tightly to the tree, refusing to come down.