Jellicle's Creed
Frozen Memories
Seqeunce 10
Memory 3 ... When they Missed Your Heart ?
28 May 2055
Arendelle
Arko District Main Den
A few moments later
"Heros start with a good beginning, but they never get a happy ending"
-Lady Hawkthorne
As Mark arrived at the Main den he saw a large zone set aside, a dozen or so women in various shadows of white were tending to the wounded. One of which however stood out to Mark, or rather Kalda right off just by looking at her. The style of her outfit screamed a commanding officer, the colors screamed Dove Healer, and yet the crown upon her head screamed royalty somehow. Her long dark graygreen hair was pulled by the wind yet in each stop at the sides of the injured and dying she either eased their passing pain free without hurt, or healed them back onto their feet as if nothing had happened to them.
However the graypurple eyes locked on Mark, and also Asaca as the two appeared at the den, with them there the South Subden had been lost completely, but Marks armor, even though made of iDuradaeden/i had been dented by sheer rage of a Shadowblack Runt. Mark himself was leaning on Asaca by then spitting up blood by the mouthful every few seconds while Asaca had scales missing from her face and neck. Giving a gentle pat on the injured Assassin's shoulder Kuru stood from the injured recovery zone and walked towards the purple scaled woman.
"Champions returned..." Kuru said simply, she recognised both as Asaca, and briefly, Kalda. Kuru then looked both people over carefully as Marks armor faded away leaving behind a broken man pretty much who if it werent for Asaca to lean on would have fallen flat on his face. Then, completely deadpan, Kuru simply stated "You look terrible. What'd you two do this time ? Dance in hell ?"
Mark managed a soft chuckle at that, looking up to the dove with deadpan, fading, glossy eyes of a man about to pass out from the internal bleeding. "Something like that." he replied softly. He managed a breath before straightening his back slightly, a sickening crack of a few broken ribs ringing out as they shifted around. "Can you fix me?...us?" he looked up at her. As he was, his voice and Kalda's voice were indistinguishable. "We're far from done...it's my duty to lead them in the defense..." His eyes rolled back a bit before he blinked and his head flopped forward, coughing up another mouthfull of blood before taking another breath. His fingers dug into Asaca's clothes as they balled up into a fist, the pain was unbearable; how he was standing, even with her help, was beyond him.
Crack... Came the sound of magic going to work, powerful healing magic. A Practised Dove was Kuru. Who had been both Asaca and Kaldas medical officer for nearly a hundred years when Kalda met his untimly end. The crack was simply the healing magic slamming dead into Marks chest, either breaking more bones, or instantly repairing bones covering his heart. As her magic begain healing Mark, Kuru started counting the injuries the man had taken. Reaching into his shoulder, as if phasing her hand into the guy through her magic, she removed a pellet no larger than a bullet. Noticably his arm felt much better with the shadowfire bullet taken out
"The hell did you play with ?" Kuru asked while charging the magic she'd launched into Marks chest, spreading the magical healing power further through his system, getting first to his heart, then the bloodflow moving the healing power through his system. "Never in my ages have I seen such dark power,..." The shadowfire bullet broke apart and faded away to nothing as Kuru focused on healing marks ruptured internal organs such as his liver, lungs, and sternum as well as both kidneys; his appendix was well past gone to begin with thanks to Taris' repeated hammering. "Mortal forged armor wont even stop shadowfire..." Kuru muttered.
A few moments passed and Mark could stand on his own, Kuru crafted a bandage of a sort, it looked more or less like a turban on Marks head as she turned to attend to Asaca, the purple scaled woman had deep cuts on her face where scales had been ripped loose. It was then Mark noticed too the blood on her crown. Four doubled bladed daggers she used in combat, when it came to it. And the blood from certain enemies was on them, and then her crown was her daggers.
Mark was silent while Kalda told him how to answer that next question. "Shadowblacks... two Shadowblack Adolescents..." he winced as he saw the shadowfire bullet. How the hell did it get past his armor? Then she said that Mortal Forged Armor wouldn't cut it. Then again, it was his right shoulder that was hit... his left one, the old gauntlet covered up to his shoulder, ending with a pauldron of sorts. The new one did the same, but since he forged it, and not... whoever forged the gauntlet first for Second Wolfe, the Clan Founder,and Co-founder of Arendelle. Once he could stand Mark narrowed his eyes, looking at the bloodied daggers forming a crown. He tilted his head gently and moved to raise the spirits of those there, his presence helping raise morale of the men and women there. Some more than others, but anything was good.
As Mark focused on the bloodstained dark graybluish crown in Kuru's hair a brief vision replay formed before his eyes. Three men, all outlined in red, tried to ambush and kill the injured, a good doewnze or so men and women being tended to by Dove Healers. Two of the Doves were wounded before Kuru and another Dove stepped in. the second Dove Mark recognised almost instantly as the one that gave him Kaldas journal. Seeing Kuru in combat Kalda had seen before many times, but seeing Wezaki in combat was something else entirely
Easily grabbing one of the attackers, Wezaki first smashed his nose all over his face by ramming her head against his face. Then using her magic, healed it, then smashed it with her fist. Then she rendered the man an It with a nicely placed shot to the nethers before simply tapping the guy in the forehead. For a second the man stood there staring at her, then all of a sudden grabbed his head screaming in pain before falling over dead as Kuru slid away her daggers back into her hair, reforming her crown
The vision faded, the men and women seeing Mark there, of those that could stand got up from their cots, giving their leader the signature salute with a slight bow. No sign of Elsa among them. Which meant she was still fighting... somewhere
Mark returned the Salute, and smiled, bidding them to sit back down and relax for a while. He moved among them, humming to himself softly as he looked around for Elsa, but upon not finding her, he stopped his humming, walking outisde and taking in the fresh-ish air. Something was... off.
Thump Went a dead body as Wezaki finished dragging the three Templars to a wagon, tossing first one, then another, then finally the third onto the thing. She turned dusting off her hands, and spotted mark, watching her. Or... no he was looking her way, but seemed as if zoned out. She looked around, something felt... wrong. A hand strayed to her hair, easily withdrawing one of the two 'twigs' in her hair it reformed as if by magic into a ebony hilted dagger of white steel.
She held a hand up to Mark as if motioning him to follow as she went to the corner of the Den and poked the dagger around the corner. Her eyes went wide at what she saw in the makeshift mirror. She quickly pulled it back, by then Mark was next to her as she turned her head his way. "Eight dozen men, all bearing the Templar Cross. They're ducking into buildings along both sides of the street from the southern path" She reported. Hans was using the devide attack to get his men along the north and south roads to launch his attack
Mark blinked slowly at this news. "Fuck."
Then, even though he wasn't really in any condition to do so, he bolted down the road without thinking. He drew his Desert Eagle, and managed to summon his left Hand Gauntlet, the rest of his armor digitizing into existance before fizzling out like a dead fire. He cursed again and slammed into a building, a dozen Templars surrounded him immediately. Eight Shots went off, eight bodies dropped and so did the dresser on the other side of the room. Claw marks raked across the other four.
"Next buil-" Mark was tackled back out onto the street, and once more a rib broke in his body. Turning, he forced the blaringly hot barrel of his Desert Eagle into the throat of the man who tackled him, the skin blistering and popping immediately. Mark's left hand moved swiftly and the hidden blade lodged itself in the man's skull while Mark pushed him off. Standing slowly, Mark gritted his teeth and dropped the empty magazine. Quickly feeling around his clothes, he realized that it was his last one.
"Double fuck..." he cursed, holstering the gun and managing to summon forth his sword, drawing it and moving towards the next building.
Arendelle
Arko District North Subden
At that same moment
It was a standoff, there was a strange chittering noise from the floating sword held apparently by a handless glove, then there was Elsa, with twin swords of ice ready for use. Who was then confused because of how the two were acting, who was to face her, and who was to go... wait was that her other sword ? It didnt make sense. How did she lose it ? But since Elsa couldnt understand a word the two Shadowy people where saying Elsa took that moment to take a healthy step backwards.
"Trust me, with your fighting skill you'll end up like Nasty" Jr said, Sutri stared at him "If you're trying to get me to see around this in your point of view, dont think about it because I'm not gonna stick around when dear old Dad shows up because you fucked this up by not focusing on the queen!"
Sutri was about to sock her own brother, and she would have it if it wasnt for the truth of his words. But she still grabbed her brother, leaning close to his ear she said softly. "Who will tell father we fucked this up ? You or me ? Do me a favor and be happy you're not with Nasty right now, the Bodyguard is the least of our worries from what it feels like"
When his sister grabbed him by the shirt she pretty much stuffed his mouth with her hair. causing him to mutter something "Holy fuck sis, dont you shower ?!"
"What was that ?"
"Nothing! I'll ta... hey where'd the fuckin' sword go... ?" In the middle of their arguing the sword had somehow disappeared, a pile of broken ice laid in the alley a foot from Jr's left ankle. a soft yet clearly heard chittering laughter was heard from the pile of ice.
Sutri recognised it on the spot for the color of the ice pile "Shit... We both focus on the queen, keep away from that! Neither of us will harm it" She said, all but wrenching her brother off his feet and swinging him away from the pile of ice that ended up somehow reforming into a weird five meter long serpentine critter. an Icewraith, which, at that moment, for the first time even Elsa simply stood and stared as the critter chittered something and darted off.
"Now!" Jr. growled, and the two of them charged Elsa once more, Sutri with two stabs from each of her daggers, and Jr with a horizontal slash across Elsa's belly, their rage and magic fueling their movements to well beyond what Elsa would normally be equipped to handle even with her training from Mark and from Mark's own sisters, however what these two didnt know was that Elsa had more than just some pretty Ice Swords up her sleeves.
Elsa was hard pressed to keep up with theri speed, two on one never was easy. She had to adapt. But how could she adapt properly and still keep things on an even footing ? Flicking up a foot she kicked Jr away as she blocked with her ice armor a strike or two from Sutri before her sword hilts meshed together, using both as a single pole weapon for the first time in combat Elsa blocked and parried with both Shadowblacks skillfully even as they backed her into a narrower alley
The last three years she had experimented, it was time to see if those experiments could be used in combat. With her ice she used her magic to fling open a wide door behind her and lead the two attacks into it. For a few moments as she backtracked she fought against Sutri, The doublebladed ice sword rang with each defelcted or made strike, parts of the building froze on contact or chipped apart upon being tucched leaving shards of glowing ice where the blades caught stone or wood
Sutri continued her attack, growing more more desperate to finally hit Elsa, thus leaving numerous openings in her guard. Upon seeing this, Jr rolled his eyes and moved behind Elsa, aiming to attack her from there and force her attention to split once more. Each Shadow Dragon unleashed a flurry of strikes, with Jr. drawing out a dagger to compliment his sword in combat. Sweat beaded down the foreheads of both dragons, and they began to breathe heavier. It seemed that they were getting tired, while Elsa showed no such fatigue as of yet.
Unlike the two Shadowblacks, Elsa showed no signs of slowing down, the Arko District buildings were a maze of connected buildings, mostly living areas or massive commons rooms built into each first level of multiple levels. Elsa used what training she had over the last three years to push off from the floor just as Jr was about to strike at her from behind to get up onto the second floor which looked down over the first level below.
It was to be expected of such movements however as both of them jumped up onto either side of her, Elsa brought her ice swords up to catch both of Sutris and that of Jr's blades into a solid lock, the ice glowed with a strange magical etheral light as their faces were illumniated by the blades.
Arendelle
Harbor
Aboard the Whitesparrow
"That doesnt look good" Serenity said seeing both birds swirling over two major areas, one moved too quickly from one area to join in somewhere else when another went to the main den. It wasnt easy to tell Ulnaus apart from Princess Fang only that one bird was larger, much larger than Ulnaus. As she spoke Marion stood next to her with the spyglass.
"Damn..." Was all she said
"Its that bad ?" Serenity asked
"See for yourself" Marion handed the Tigris the spyglass, Serenity looked thtrough it, seeing the massive silver eagle diving and taking off again.
"Parrot shit it's a trick!" Serenity hissed as Marion went back to the helm to angle the ship towards the district. with the quad cannons on the prow. Seeing what Marion was doing, the Tigris stared at her, "Are you nuts ?"
"Mark is in the main district, the south subden is overrun, the eagle isnt circling there anymore. We have to help Mark!" Marion all but screamed. "Ready on the prow!" Serenity turned towards the district. hoping her brother was safe, they were just about to bring the rain. She got onto her radio "Mark listen and listen close, if you get this at least, Keep your head down. We're bringing the rain!"
"What ?" Came her brothers confused voice, it sounded like he was in a fight
"Trust me!" Serenity said, she then thought a second wondering what her brother meant by double fuck "Mark... what does double fuck mean ?" He never got to answer, either that or Serentiy never heard it as Marion shouted the order and the ship rang with cannon fire
Arendelle
Arko District
Main Den outskirts
At that same moment
Whether by choice or by fate he didn't know, but Mark's knee gave out at the exact momen the cannons fired, and the cannon balls screamed over his head by inches. Some slammed into the building he was about to enter, and the thing collapsed around the heads of the Templars inside. Well, that handles that problem. Gritting his teeth, Mark rolled over to an alley way and grunted.
"Grape shot you fools! You could have taken my head off!" Mark growled. "Or at the very least Fire-Shot, we can always rebuild what we deny the Templars to have!" He added before standing with a grunt. He looked with his Eagle Vision, and saw that there were many more Templars left inside the buildings, moving through them like rats in the sewers. "Damn..."
He opened up communications with Elsa, having given her at least a receiving end to his knowledge, and spoke. "Elsa you've got Templars incoming in the buildings around you and the WhiteSparrow just opened fire on the district to try and hold them back. I need you to get out of there before they open a crossfire so deadly that even my armor wouldn't help!" he called out.
"I told you to keep your head down!" Came his sisters voice in their childhood dialect. It was possibly the only way to let him know what was going on as hail rained down in the form of grapeshot filling the sky with solfur and smoke in the streets
Wezaki came barreling into Mark, tackling him off his feet at that moment, two bullets slammed into the pavement he stood on sending shards everywhere as Wexzaki's healing power went to work on the newly broken knee. "You crazy fool! If Kuru hears about this the shit's gonna hiti the fan!" As she spoke Mark could quite literally see a murledeer kick shit in a Templars face not far away, some of it spreading in the room thanks to the fan set in the ceiling to be on.
"Come on! Lets get you out of here!" Wezaki screamed into Marks face as hell rained around them. Grabbing him by the hand she pulled him to his feet and through a undamaged hallway. However they stopped a dozen paces into the building and looked up, a dozen m,emn stood overhead. Wezaki held up a hand "Stay here. I wont be long" She had something of a very sadistic smile on her face as she shifted into a opened stairway so quictly that mark saw her walking and could have sworn she was floating up the stairs.
Two seconds later and screams rang out as her magic went to work, pain inducing part of healing magic was both helpful and in a word, painful as fuck. One... Two... Three.. Mark counted up to twelve before Wezaki came back to him. dusting off her hands, "That's that, come on!" Once more she led Mark back to Kuru who sdidnt ask questions to the blood that splattered on Wezakis wghite and silver dress and robes
However Kuru did smirk "Maybe I should have knocked out your legs..." She said as Asaca rolled her eyes, canonfire rang overhead causing them all to duck "Ok so, its either the forth of some month celebration, or someone"s taking potshots at the place..." Kuru mused.
"I'd say a mixture of both." Asaca said, then she saw the worry evident on Marks face, "Where's Elsa ?"
"Still at the other subden." He answered Asaca, ignoring Kuru's musing to take out his legs. He sat and groaned, annoyed. "We need everyone here, she's about to be surrounded..." he said, the cannons of the White Sparrow going off once more. He moved to his radio and cleared his throat.
"If you can see what's left of the South Subden, I want full broadsides at any Concentration of Templars you see. bfull/b broadsides. Grape shot. Hell, flaming Grape shot if possible. Hold them back as long as possible." he spoke to his sister in that weird dialect of theirs.
"You do know the whole south half of the district is painted over in red right ?" Came his sisters voice in the strange dialect nobody else could ever hope to understand. The mapping 'software' the Whitesparrow had was amazing and rather accurate too in its full 3d hologramical design. Well that meant shell the place completely...
"Then paint it crimson in blood." A heartbeat later and hell rained on the south subden of the Arko District as the whitesparrow turned her portside on the district and fired everything she had loaded at that moment. a 256 gun salute to those that had lost their lives in the fighting.
Arendelle
Arko District
North Subden outskirts
At that same moment
Four levels up, and still the rooftop to go. Elsa fought with everything she had, but was still learning rather well. Just starting to break a sweat as the three dueled skillfully, A mortal woman, or so it seemed, dueling with far more experied Shadowblacks who possibly had grown lax in their own training. Catching Jr's sword in her icy blade's grip she kicked at Sutri, sending the female Shadowblack sailing off the top level of the four floor building to slam into and roll off the second floor balcony overlooking the main floor where Sutri grabbed the edge and hung on, her daggers on the floor just out of her reach.
Elsa turned back to Jr, the two traded blows before jr broadshouldered her and smacked her dead in the face, her ice flowed where he'd struck, but his strength was fueled by his anger and shadows, sending Elsa down a level to slam into the floor on her back as Jr huffed and jumped after her. Elsa blocked his strike and brought up a foot, her toes kicking him dead in the nose and mouth. sending him reeling as she rolled to her feet. Still fighting with her swords as a single polearm weapon she lured Jr from his sister.
Jr struck at her relentlessly. Elsa easily blocked, defelcted and struck just as fiercely. Their swords rang and echoed in the empty building as the queen lead Jr deeper into the maze. leaving Sutri dangling two floors below. Elsa lead Jr, while still fighting him, towards a narrow hall. Jr, pure dark power fueling his movements, doggedly followed her. Elsa saw Sutri get up to their level. It was time to trigger the trap.
Sutri dangled for long moments on the second floor beam, her nails digging long black shadowy marks into the prestine yet aged wood. Finally she pulled herself onto the level with a burst of power and snatched up her daggers. Flicking one into the other into a more solid longer siletto Sutri jumped from the second floor up two more levels and started running, siletto drawn, towards her brother and the Queen.
Elsa lured Jr into the hallway, the two of them trading blows with eual strength, neither one backing down yet Elsa seemingly gave ground. Truth was she was thinknig of it all spur of the moment, having no real idea how to lose either twin in the fighting whatsoever. As they neared the end of the long hallway Elsa triggered the trap. Spikes of ice sprang behind her, then suddenly between her and jr, every five paces spikes sprang into fiew, powerful deadly ice forming impentrable walls a few inches thick
Sutri skid to a halt to avoid getting impaled but the ice went from thick unseenthrough wall to clear glass seconds later, and Sutri saw her brother pacing as Elsa stood back, then dropped to one knee, her eyes closed. Sutri lowered her selitto and waited. But how long was she to wait ?
Arendelle
Harbor
Aboard the Whitesparrow
at that same moment
Serenity hated having to relay her brothers direct orders to blast everything they had at Arko District, paint it red with their blood. Deny the templars what they cant win, they could always rebuild it. Lowering her radio she focused her own Vision, finding the darkest red. "Focus fire! fireshot alternated with grapeshot! Go!" She growled out. Marion stared at her, was she insane ?
Pulling Serentiy aside the much smaller Assassin hissed. "Are you insane ? The entire southern half of the district is crawling with Templars, our own men barely got out of there to Rough Water to set up a stand! And you want us to shell the place when Master Wolfe is in there ?!"
"Relax! Mark explicitly ordered the attack. Said to burn everything, we can always rebuild what we deny to the Templars." Serenity growled, pointing to the map "Look at the map! Whatever isnt red will son be so, We cut off the head now, we can end this and hopefully keep Elsa from being overrun much less the main den."
Marion thought a moment, finally she nodded "Fine. But if any of our men are hurt..." She let the thought hang, as much as Serenity hated it.
Serenity'd had enough by that point, she nodded. "If we do not do this. Then on your own head be it. I'm doing what my brother said." She told Marion, the smaller woman nodded her agreement. It wasnt Elsa's orders, but only Elsa or even Princess Anna could override Mark
Marion nodded and stepped from the alcove the two had briefly debated in calling out. "Very well. But we wont do it as a broadside, cant direct angles from there as easy... Prow Cannons! Reload! alternate barrels for fireshot and grapshot, Go!"
"Ma'am, unknown ship is moving, turning towards us!" Said a spotter
Serenity traded looks with Marion. Leaning close the young Tigris spoke to the young Dragon. "I'm going ashore to find my Mother, and then help my brother. You have the ship. I'll relay to Mark to give your orders in english..." she said, Marion nodded as Serenity got onto her radio to her brother, telling him to speak english before she handed the radio to Marion and disappeared into a transport array to her bedroom in the Marketplace Den
Arendelle
Arko District
North Subden
At that same moment
Elsa took a deep breath. her eyes were closed, she could feel jr only meters away pacing, his anger and hate fueling him as he seethed, Sutri too could see the shadows steaming off her brother qas he paced before Elsa, split off from the queen by the sheet of clear ice.
Then it happened, Sutri could feel it. So could Jr.
The ice behind Elsa cracked a web of cracks across the almost glasslike surface, shattering behind her as she sprang to her feet, her staff like sword a wirlwind of motion as the ice shattered between her and Jr, the two mortal enemies dueled in a small room with a empty broken staircase below. As soon as the ice shattered in front of Sutri and started running forwards. Slamming on the brakes to avoid the reconstructed ice from freezing her solid. She could only watch as Elsa and her brother fought skillfully.
Half of the room was simply dominated by the broken staircase. half rotted and mostly broken apart. Quite useful really. Sutri watched as her brother tried to make a mark on the Queen, yet Elsa was too skilled with the polearm. She hadn ever used it before and somehow found it more balanced than two swords swinging wildly to fight with, so she tired out slower.
Crack, clang, whack, crack.
Steel and ice rang in unearthly sounds as they clashed hard and fast. it was for a few moments, not easy for Sutri to keep up. She watched her brother backtrack, block, parry and strike at Elsa. Holding his guard well he tried to calculate Elsas movements, she struck, she blocked, he struck again, she blocked, and wrenched her weapon at his arms, pushing him back, his stance wide, defenseless. She smashed him in the face with her swordhilt between her hands with a solid WHACK before Jr had a look of complete and utter shock on his face. as Elsa turned away. her sword stabbing him directly above the heart.
Sutri screamed "ibNO!/b/i as she watched her brother sink to his knees, the color and life seemingly leaving his eyes as he rolled onto his back and laid still.
Elsa turned towards Sutri, one down, one to go.
Sutri glared daggers at the queen.
Arendelle
Arko Main Den
At that same moment
Kuru saw the worry on Marks face when he got no reply from Elsa, "Relax will you, if I have to knock out your legs you'll still get there! You're in no shape to go up there! Stay put!" the Dove Colonel crowed at him. Mark was stubborn as a mule and harder headed than a Dallas Cowboys linebacker. And he was actually smarter than pretty much the entire hockey league! Which made him a very dangerous foe to the Templars. Kuru however could see clearly the look on Marks face, she nodded "Fine, Wezaki! Send a Sparrow to check the north Subden and find the queen. I want to know everything going on between us and the Queen, Get me names, given names, last names, confirmation names, faces, dna, bra sizes, shoe sizes, whatever you can get onto a crystal. Move it"
Wezaki nodded and darted off. quickly transforming into a large plain white dove and flew off. Moments later a flock of Sparrows took off with their orders as Wezaki returned. "I am not sure that will be enough, if the southern half of the district is entirely overrun, then what chance do we have against the Templars moving north ?" They all looked at Mark waiting for his answer.
"We need to Bolster defenses in the Center, I need every Assassin who can shoot a gun up and about, in good positions, magic barriers, a god damn asprine or five, a miracle, that dead guy's leg, and a couple million dollars." He said with a straight face. Smart and strong and stubborn, but also with a great poker face and a decent sense of humor it seemed.
He took out his pistol and dropped the empty mag. "Few extra magazines wouldn't hurt either...did I have some left in the main den?" he muttered to himself as he grumbled to himself.
Asaca nodded; time to get busy! She relayed Marks orders as he barked them out in rapidfire. Just like old times it seemed, Kuru however nodded at mention of the dead guys leg. Not that she wanted to know what he planned, most dragons ate whatever came into their lairs at the time. However Kuru, with a completely deadpan straight face simply replied to the leg mention "How do you want that leg ? Fried, baked or boiled ?"
Kuru smiled however at the reuqest of aspirine, the fuck was that stuff ? She flicked a ball of something like glass with a green pink hue, it slammed into Mark full force with all the love of a semitruck on crack. The headache and ringing in the ears faded almost instantly whiel the knee took a bit longer to heal. Within moments however Mark was back on his feet, pain free aside from a slight ringing in the ears as cannonfire rained down just outside the southern border of the Main Den
He waited for the pain to fade before answering the other question presented to him, standing and sighing. "Sauteed, actually, with some light pepper." he said, walking off to rally who he could into the defense.
Asaca heard the end of that conversation "I'm not gonna ask what he wants with that" the purple scaled woman said simply, Kuru however never stopped smiling, at least the templar was dead to begin with. Lightly sauteed, with a light smattering of pepper... Now she KNEW that certain dragons liked to eat Men, or Eagles, or whatever they could get their hands on. But somehow, lightly sauteed, with lightly peppered edges screamed "WEAPON" to Kuru. So she rolled with it.
A moment or so later and somebody screamed out "Delivery for Master Wolfe!" and dropped a lightly sauteed human leg with a light dusting of pepper on it with the foot nicely angled to act more like a handle. Gross, but useful. Though Kuru wondered briefly, why the pepper ?
Arendelle
Arko District
North Subden outskirts
At that same moment
Elsa had dropped to one knee again, her eyes closed as she took a breath, all this combat, all this fighting, it was taking its told on her already and she needed to stop it, but how ? These two dragons of dark power where in fact skilled enough to take her down had she not experimented with her swords into one polearm. She barely broke a sweat and wasnt even breathing that hard to begin with. She felt however that using a polearm was somewhat slower yet somehow she kept up with both shadowblack dragons skillfully, even bestinig one of them
When her brother fell, Sutri screamed out in anguish and rage, charging Elsa the first chance she got, her hands and magic working together to form an assault from almost all sides at once, leaving most of her body bare, the scales glimmering in the light from the damp sweat attained from using a human form. Left, right, down, up, straight, down, right, left... There was no pattern to her strikes now, just pure rage, but that rage made her defense her offence: Non-stop Attack. With another snarling scream she brought down both daggers as hard as her human body enhanced with Draconian Magic would allow.
Crack
The sheer power in Sutris attack broke Elsas weapon in half, one hilt shorter than the other. Briefly, for a scant second or two Elsa simply stared in shock, what the, how ? Quickly as it came Elsa flung aside the broken sword and fought with just one blade. She was hard pressed for a few moments to keep up with the Shadowblack quickly. Elsa dove under Sutris assault, the ice walls shattering and disappearing, one down one to go. She blocked and parried before striking when she saw an opening, moving as quickly as she was able Elsa moved and angled Sutri between herself at the chasmed area of the floor with the broken stairway below.
Their weapons locked again, sheer rage burned in her face but Elsa kept her sword up and defenses ready. Finally she saw her opening and jolted her arms, pushing Sutri backwards before bringing up a closed fist that sprang open, ice flowed from around Elsas arm towards Sutri's upper body in a gust of strong wind.
Sutri wasn't counting on Elsa being able to keep up once the pole-arm sword was broken, but kept up her assault until that hand came barreling towards her face. Leaning back out of the way, expecting a spike to emerge from Elsa's palm, the Dragon lost her balance and fell, her face deformed with shock as the icy wind helped push her back. Silence filled the area as she dropped, eventually grabbing onto something with a pained cry as it buckled under the momentum and her arm almost ripped itself off.
Elsa stepped back, Sutri's daggers hit the broken wood floor before her. Elsa was tempted to kick the weapons away but instead she turned and fled the area as fast as she could. She didnt want to stick around. She'd heard nothing from Mark since the fight happened. her sword disappeared into thin air as she bolted out of the maze back the way she had come. Leaving the twins in the ancient chamber as quickly as she could.
With a grunt, Sutri managed to pull herself up again, having to basically crawl up with her bare hands, which were already sore from holding the daggers so tightly during the fight. She sighed and flopped over the edge onto her back, her hand hitting something...cold. Looking, she screamed to find it was her brother, still alive, but freezing slowly. Jr turned to look at his sister, somehow an annoyed scowl still on his face. "You're fucking loud..."
"Yea yea and you're dying...let's get home..." she retorted, grabbing him and creating a shadow big enough for the two of them to their home, where their father would greet them with mixed emotions.
Moments Later
Elsa exited the massive buiklding after, briefly, twice, getting lost and all but ran into her second in cvommand, a older man named, oddly,. Maroon. The older black haired man seemed calm about things, never lifting a finger to fight, yet the shadow creatures and Templars alike kept their distance from him skillfully. Elsa stepped over to him as she surveyed the damage done to the subden and the area as a whole. A dozen men injured, countelss dead civilains, and shadow creatures along with templars. But of the Assassins assigned to her, only one was hurt. Mark made sure to give only the best to aid her in defending the North Subden "How'd we do ?"
"A dozen men and one Assassin, No deaths, destruction of various buildings..." Maroon replied calmly rattling off a list. "After you went off into that alley something came out of it and everything just went crazy out here in the streets. We also got a radio hail from Master Wolfe, he wanrs of deadly crossfires in the buildings. We're sitting ducks if we stay here my Lady"
Elsa nodded "Take whatever weapons our men can carry and have the injured taken to the Castle now. Any man able to still stand and fight grab extra gear and supplies, we're going to the man den and there may be fighting on the way." Elsa said. Maroon nodded and relayed her orders then gave her the radio. Keying it like Mark showed her she spoke "Mark ?"
"Elsa, I'm here, did you get my last call ?"
"I did, we're on our way, there's nothing left here..." Elsa said, she sounded.,... somewhat tired. Mark didnt bother to ask.
"How many did you lose ?" Came Marks question
"None, thirteen to injuries however." Elsa replied, she made the order then to fall back to the Main den at that moment. "We're on our way."
"Be careful, from what I can see down here the Templars are using the buildings to create deadly crossfires that not even my own armor can withstand against" Mark replied Elsa smiled and handed the radio back to Maroon, the older man nodded and dutifully took his place at the queens side
Arendelle
Arko District
Main Den
At that same moment
Kuru heard, along with Asaca that Elsa was on her way with injured, but thankfully, like Mark, no deaths were reported. Just injuries sent to the Castle. Kuru nodded to Asaca and briefly took her leave, speaking to a few of the healers present, roughly half of them departed the district, the rest remained. of those that left, half of them went to the Castle itself to await the injured sent there, the other half went to Roughwater District to tend to the wounded there.
Asaca stood near Mark. This wasnt going well. Not well at all. "Do you think he will come ?" She meant Matthew, Mark couldnt keep secrets from Asaca, there was no way, she was too good. In a way she was similar to Blackmane
"If he doesn't, more of us are going to die than needed..." Mark said, staring at the courtyard through the window. He was silent for a moment. "There's a very small chance for victory...honestly, if it weren't for that one chance, I'd have us pull out and consolidate our strength. and just take the district again..." he said calmly. He looked down in thought for a moment, before sighing. "Set up all defenses, anyone who can hold a rifle needs to be ready."
Asaca nodded, if Matthew was indeed there, they'd need his help. but then there wasnt much even he could do. Leaving the room Asaca stood aside to allow Snowfeather to enter, the women traded looks, Asaca nodded, Snowfeather half smiled. Stepping to her son her voice heard clearly. "Well met she still lives after so long" Wait Snowfeather knew Asaca ? Well duh, only Light herself knew exactly how old Snowfeather and her twin sister were. Then again Light wasnt sure either as the two Tigris had been through two world wars and six revolutions as it was. Behind Mark was a bookcase packed with old books. Standing at it Snowfeather acted as if she was looking for something.
"Elsa is safe, as is the castle, your sisters are looking into better ways to defend the castle if things fail here." Snowfeather said finding a pair of old books, a rotted black ribbon holding them together by last threads of magic thinner than even a silk thread or even that of a spiders silk thread. Gently lifting out the two books from the shelf Snowfeather didnt dare try to open them. Not understanding the writing on either book. Which Mark could read clearly on the black book rather than the rotted mildewy red book.
The title one of the two books Mark could easily read. "An Account of Diadem Wolfe, as noted down by her mother Yaeko, and dear Queen Arienel of Arendelle" The ancient ribbon's magic finally broke upon touch, allowing Mark to see the title of the mildewy red journal, written clearly in Draconic which thanks to Kalda, let him read it clear as if it were Arabic or even Hebrew "The Journal of Diadem Wolfe"
Mark took each book and read their titles, putting them within his jacket, and turned towards his adoptive mother. "I've got a very bad feeling about this battle...but we can't leave, not while there's a chance of winning." he said with another side.
"There is a chance" Snowfeather said simply, "Be it a fools chance, or a snowballs chance in hell, there is a chance." She turned back to the shelves of books, "I will get these books out of here before fighting reaches here, everything else in the other dens have been cleasred out before th fighting with minimal supplies to run things at the subdens"
It was then that Princess Fang entered with Wezaki by her side, Mark could then see clearly the two worked together, one healing the other. Thanks to Kaldas journal he knew, somewhat, of what Doves could do, but he had no real clue what Wezaki could do, Then again if those twelve dead men in the other building were any indication of what a Dove could do when pissed off. Mark knew better than to get on her bad side.
But then again he hadnt seen either woman in three years.
He narrowed his eyes a bit as they entered. "Ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked as they moved towards him. His eye twitched, he was still in pain it seemed, but was hiding it well. He looked to Fang, and tilted his head. "Been a while since I seen you. What have you been up to?" He asked calmly.
"It has." Fang replied as Wezaki smirked. Trust Mark to have the memory of kelp when it came to working with somebody only moments before! Fang motioned to two, apparently women by the look of them, between them they carried, amazingly gently, Ulnaus, an arrow in one wing unable to fly. "We found him in the south subden area. we fought off a bunch of templars who wanted to carve him up and got him here as fast as we could"
Wezaki muttered something, it sounded a lot like bird talk, the two women gave her dirty looks before she shut up towards the two and looked towards Kuru, who nodded, the two women relented and let the Dove Healer to the massive injured Eagle to heal the wound. Her hands glittered a bit as she moved to the arrow lodged in a wing, working quickly yet gently she removed the arrow and begain healing magics at the injured spot
"It seems keeping eyes in the air wont do, will it ?" Fang asked. Her own featers were stronger than Ulnaus, yet could she too withstand the recent technology increase the Templars had ?
Mark blinked as he saw Ulnaus. He was the size of a car, how on earth was he being carried? Shaking his head he moved over to the bird. "Ulnaus you blasted fool..." He muttered as he moved his hand to the arrow, clicking his tongue before looking at Kuru and, rather carefully, pulling the Arrow out in a way so that it didn't cause any more damage than it already had. He then cupped the bird's beak and looked him in the eyes. "Behave yourself or the nice lady will kick your ass." He said, as if talking to a child, giving a smile to Kuru before turning back to the window, looking at the Arrow in his hand. An Obsidian Arrow-head. Interesting. Leave it to the Templars to use their best arrows on a mere bird. Idiots.
Sighing he put the arrow down and leaned against the desk behind him, his hands going to his face as he let out a long, slow breath and paused. For once, it seemed, he had no clue what to do. He was lost. If he waited any longer it'd be too late to pull everyone out of the district, but if he didn't wait and kept everyone where they were, they'd likely lose the district anyway.
"Son of a fucking bitch..." he growled, the annoyance with the situation thick in his voice. He turned to look at Fang. "What would you do in this situation?"
"We cannot trust the parrots, it was what got us in this situation" Fang mused as Kuru and Wezaki got to work healing Ulnaus, the massive bird brought down by a single arrow of obsidian made zero sense.
"The one thing we can trust, so far, is that it is daylight" Snowfeather spoke up, she'd been going through the bookshelf, using a transportation array she transported books from the shelf to safety in the Marketplace den. Though many of them she herself couldnt hold to try to even decern or translate if that.
"Yes, we cannot trust the shadows to aid us like we used to" Fang said with a nod. "Those shadow things that attacked you and Lady Asaca I have encountered a few times in my travels" She leaned against a pillar in the den watching the two raven haired women holding, strangely so, Ulnaus aloft while Wezaki and Kuru healed the massive bird. Fang had heard, briefly, what the bird was called, a Frod Probe, those things were Hovercars, racing rigs in certain places
Finally Fang nodded after a quiet moment as word fuiltered through that Elsa and her units were sighted and getting closer with Templars on their trail. "We consolidate, Split the squads to the west and east, to hold the bridges there should things go bad here. We can transport out of here with portals or... those things" Fang said pointing at Snowfeathers transport array she was tossing books by the armful into. Fang was used to portals, a cloud of steam, like fog to dive into, and reappear at the intended destination
Mark cupped his chin and nodded. The current positions of his men defending the place, providing an excellent crossfire over the courtyard could use more cover...but there was no time. "Elsa, once your men are through, form a wall with your Ice, slow the Templars down while we get your men healed and ready to keep fighting..." he said over the radio to her, hoping she'd hear him.
"These men aren't trained for combat like this...The Templars have outside help, that is clear." he sighed. "They're no U.S. Marines, but they're good. Almost as if...the CIA were involved again..." He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists, the knuckles cracking from that alone. "I'm going to feed the next CIA Agent I see his throat." He grumbled.
"The who ?" Fang asked. Who were the CIA ? Fang neverh eard of the group before, mostly used to Enclaves and the like. The Parrot Enclave trust them to stir shit where it shouldnt have been. She turned as the two ravens suddenly set Ulnaus on trhe floor, gently, as to not harm him further when he started struggling to get out of the two female birds grasp. Itty bitty ravens... ha not really. carrying a much larger bird. Then again Abel and Siv were huge for Ravens. After all fr9om the family of Ravenese... Fang waved a hand asd word filtered of ice forming on the roads and templars freezing their feet off. "So now it comes to this..."
Fang was cut off as Elsa stepped into view, the soldeirs with her, the worse for wear had their injured at their core, dozens upon dozens of men surrounded the injured, guarding them as they moved rapidly down the street, Elsa at their head. Finally at the Main Den the men took the injured to the Healers and the trest took their rank and file in the street. Elsa, Mark could see, looked... slightly battleworn, her armor broken in many places to the point wherein she discarded most of it during the fighting. "Did I miss anything ?" Apparently she had as she never formed the wall, just a overfrozen street.
"Just that dumb-ass getting shot with this thing." He said to Elsa, handing her the Obsidian-tipped Arrow while nodding to Ulnaus and shaking his head. He tapped his Radio twice, the signal to open fire on the Templars, and the men in their stations did so, and Templars began dropping like flies. "And an ice floor, apparently." he said. Mark turned and set his hand on Elsa's shoulder, thumb gently tracing her Collar Bone before he spoke. "You had a connection to Matthew, right? You were close? Could you sense him?" He asked, an urgent tone to his voice. "If he doesn't show up we're screwed and we're all likely going to die, well, you won't you're too important, but the rest of us Assassins? Can't say." he said.
Mark could feel through the touch that she had been in a straining battle of some form. Wait un til she told him when this was over. Surely the ice had recordings of it like Matthew had taught her. "its been a long time" Elsa said, Fang stood at attention as too did the two Ravens with her as Wezaki finished healing Ulnaus
"I am not sure if I could sense him close, I mean, seeing how he fought when he first returned and protected Anna and I.,... I just knew it was him," Elsa said, she took a deep breath, her heart still hammering, instinct took over and she briefly ducked as gunfire rang out. "But wuold he fight anew against enemies armed with these ?" She dropped Jr's sword on the floor, the ice encasment shattering like glass. The shadows boiled around the blade on the floor.
To that question not even Snowfeather had an answer... The question on everyones mind however was who the owner of that deadly blade was.
Arendelle
Unknown District
At that same moment
It was first the runt carrying Nasty that unnerved their father, but it wasnt until Sutri arrived carrying Jr fireman style, all four went through a good fight each for sure, yet it was the condition of the son and daughter that was the most concerning. After handing off Nasty to Winstin and helping her brother into bed also to be cared for by Winstin, the two girls stood near to their father awaiting his next order as he brooded over the shadow map updating in real time of holographic shadows showing the enemy forces consoldiating their forces to the centeral area.
"Your reports?" Draco asked not turning his head to look at his daughters.
Sutri started. "Well, father...We weren't able to kill the Queen, but we did drive her from the sub-den. She managed to injure Jr pretty bad, i'm...okay. The rest of the Assassins are all at the Main Den in the center of the District...they have no where to run anymore."
"And Taris?" Draco still didn't turn.
"We were unable, like Sutri and Jr, to kill the bodyguard, he was near to killing Nasty, but something made him pause in doing so when he was about to stab her through the heart." Taris sighed, "I jack-hammered him into a building and left him, taking Nasty here when she insisted we leave. Zendu reported the Shadows successfully drove him from the subden" The worst injuries Taris got were raw skinned knuckles
Draco finally turned and looked at his daughters with a shrewd eye. Narrowing said eyes he looked over them, and walked over to taris, lifting her hand and examining it, as well as the other one. "Your knuckles are Shattered..." He said, his own brand of Healing Magic flowing into her body to rectify the damage before the adrenaline wore off. "Which means I can assume he is wearing Duradaeden armor...Interesting." he turned to look at Sutri, cupping her chin and turning her head from side to side "Your lungs are about ten hours away from flooding with blood...and collapsing...what did you do?" he said, pumping healing magic into her body as well.
He shook his head. "Well, they're not dead...but they are injured and cannot run...so they might as well be dead..." He turned and considered the facts for a moment. "I'll call this a minor victory and a successful mission for you four. Now go and rest tend to your brother and sister, Nasty especially, she's half dead already." he grumbled, waving them off.
He looked over the battle map again and blinked. "Send them in. Demolish Everything." He said to the Duke, who sat across the table, cloaked in shadow.
"With pleasure" Came ther reply from the shadowy 'hologram' of the Duke.
Moments later all hell broke loose as Draco watched on the map the Templars and Shadows alike converged on the only light spot in the district. Allowing Draco a brief moment of accomplishment, his four offspring had finally completeled a mission properly, as a team. Something that had been a very long way in coming.
Arendelle
Arko District
At that same moment
It went to absolute hell. Elsa had made the ice walls, but they held for scant moments after getting put up before getting outright demolished. Almost instantly as the group exited the main den, right into Dracos plan of attack, everything was going to absolute shit which then devided their numbers greatly, they couldnt pair off, as Snowfeather had just gotten the last few books safely out of the den.
The day was going to FUBAR faster than Mark thought possible, Matthew was gone, he wasnt coming back, or was he ? The Den Defense was a shambles, and lives were being lost around him as he fought his way through the mob towards where Elsa stood her ground, with her a woman named Fang whom Mark had met only three years before when renovating the Dojo. He had seen Fang take care of the gangmembers
And now seeing her defending Elsas, the two women back to back, surrounded by Templars, Fang using nothing but a battlefan with bladed edges, and Elsa using her twin swords of ice stood their ground well. For brief moments Mark was lost in the throngs of battle
At least until the roar was heard
From a rooftop two women appeared, one fired a few shots off from her daggerlike weapons before jumping from the roof while the other just hopped off the roof and transformed in purple and brown mist into a massive four hundred pound Benga Tiger. At the roar, everything stopped
For only fleeting seconds before it resumed. the ground shook under Marks feet as he spotted his aunt, Blackmane on a rooftop, her hands held towards her sides; he saw rock and stone floating around her hands as the ground under his feet shook madly with a energy quake
The battle for Arko had just begun
Calling upon his Sword and Armor once more, Mark even donned a Phoenix Cloak of Light-Fire, turning himself into a nigh-unstoppable juggernaught against these simple men and Shadows, though even he had limits, and there were iso many/i. His Phoenix Cloak would vanish after only a few hits, and He'd resort to crushing them with Gravity for short periods of time. He lost track of how many people he killed in the first five minutes of the battle alone, but it wasn't doing any good. They just kept coming, and he was beginning to tire to the point where his entire body was sore. He'd not had to work this hard in years. A Decade, even. But stil he fought, having been backed into a literal corner by himself, he narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He could feel the bloodshed around him. Templars and Shadows, ganging up on the Assassins ten to one, impaling, slashing, mauling, shooting, even sexually assaulting them before killing them there in the streets, leaving their bodies for the rest to see, dragging some bodies off to the side into a pile, which he could smell was being covered in Kerosine.
"Call for the birds, I'll enchant your voice." Kalda said as a sword bounced off Mark's breast plate. Spinning, Mark slashed that Templar's belly open and pursed his lips, letting out a long, loud whistle, the magic of which was thick in the air as it echoed. The Templars around him paused as Mark made various, monstrously Loud Bird Calls.
"What the fuck?"
"Is he retarded?"
"Stupid?"
"Both?"
"Hey guys you know my little brother is that way come on"
"Fuck off Jeremy"
"Guys we got a bigger problem."
"What? Oh..."
Suddenly a massive swarm of birds that would make even Alfred Hitchcock have a heart-attack of fright swarmed the plaza. Swallows, Sparrows, Parrots, Eagles, Hawks, Doves, Ravens, even a few Sea-Gulls came. Immediately they swarmed the Templars, pecking and scratching at their faces and eyes. The Screams of the Templars allowed for the Assassins to regroup and form outward -facing circles to fight in, an effective strategy used by barbarians of old against the Romans, no flanks, no worries.
Eventually, however, the birds would soon fall, either flying off or being cut down by the Templars, gunfire, or the Shadows set loose by Draco, and a knot made its home in Mark's throat. "God dammit...it's not enough..." he growled as the Templars began to swarm the Assassins again, falling in droves just to kill one hooded savior of Arendelle, drag the body off, and light it on fire.
The smell of Napalm even graced Mark's nose as Templars brought in Troops with Flame Throwers from the second World War. It was never the screams that would haunt Mark after this day, it was the Silence afterwards. Throwing knives like a mad man, the fuel tanks exploded and engulfed dozens of Templars at once, incinerating them instantly.
"We need to get out of here...we're going to die..." Mark said as he dispatched another four Templars at once with a rake of his claw.
Snowfeather stepped out of the main den's foyer, her sword soaked in blood, her normally beauytiful white robes were tainted deep blood red from slaying one too many enemies. For all intents even Snowfeather was soaking wet in blood, and what had to be water because the building was on fire and there were two broken pipes spraying water like rainfall aroudn them. Without even blinking Snowfeather brought up her sword and nailed a Templar dead in the eye the sword, unearthly Tigris steel sliding deep and through the dead mans head slid free as she brought it down on a shadow creature aiming to tackle her.
Elsa, back to back with Princess Fang, had once more put her swords twogether into one longer polearm, though it briefly made it hard for Fang to keep track of its movements until Fang figured out what to do and got the pair spinning, moving towards he center of the courtyard. The roar of a tiger briefly stopped the fighting nearest to Mark as a massive paw slammed into the Templar about to take him down from the side. Serenity stepped into view, her twin swords a blur of motion both to keep tyhe Templars down, and to keep the shadows at bay. "Are you alright ?"
Gunfire rang out across the district and peopel screamed, Templar and Assassin alike targets of the Shadows as birds swarmed over the district in a flock of color of various types of birds that made even the largest migrations of birds appear as a small flea.. the ground shook madly as Blackmane stood on the rooftop generating energy quakes in the ground. Asaca fired lightfire in short buirsts but it wasnt working. She and those with her, msotly healers and some soldiers, were driven back towards Roughwater, the Doves themselves were drven out usuing portals to get the injured to safety of the castle
Elsa and Fang though stilling spinning moved towards Mark, as well as the center fountain of the district. However the closer the two got to the fountain the more shadows they encountered until the two had to split apart to fight different shadows, in some cases their own. It gave an entirely new meaning to the term, 'Shadowboxing' in which case the shadows fought back. Elsa stepped up to mark, stabbing the Templar about to stab him with her ice sword through his heart, the man shattered like glass. "Mark! Come on, Snowfeatyhers opening a path out and Blackmane just got knocked off a roof." It was true, as Elsa and Fang worked their way towards thecenter, Blackmane had been knocked from the roof, of course on her way down she opened a transport array and fell into her own bed.
Before Mark could answer however a voice broke out over his radio, "Stop looking like sitting ducks and get on the fountain!' Everyone else that could get out got out. all that were left was Elsa, Fang and Mark. But whose voice was that ? it didnt matter Elsa grabbed Marks hand and the two ran as Templars and Shadows started fighting each other and completely ignored Mark and Elsa as Fang climbed onto the fountain kicking occasainlly at Templars.
With the three of them on the fountain Fang was hard pressed with her feathers to keep the shadows at bay when the cry of something above, like a driving wind slammed into the three of them. Strong arms herld onto the thing while Fang jheld onto Matthews legs. As Matthew flew off, a Shadowling, Nymeth, smirked and raised her arm, a shadowy bolt of energy shot from it, like a crossbow bolt. Matthews body went briefly stiff at the shot slamming home at the small of his back, the shadows going to work instantly.
Wham went Fang into the top of the castle guardhouse at the gates. thud, thump went Elsa and mark hitting the icerink of the courtyard and sliding a bit. SPLASH went Matthew slamming into the fountain and briefly gurgling as three massive birds, rather one massive bird and two Ravens riding on his back landed nearby, Ulnaus started preening as the twin raven females ran to Matthews side and pulled him from the fountain.
Mark coughed as he landed, skidding to a halt before finally stopping against the fountain. "Elsa..." He was interrupted by a coughing fit. "Call in the Eagle to decimate the District. Open Fire...all cannons, give them everything...there's nothing else we can do." he said, coughing again before looking to Matthew, something telling him to not touch him at all costs. The Shadows were spreading fast. "Once you do that..." he coughed again. "I think its time you say good bye..." he stood his armor fading until it was only his left gauntlet, and then that fading as well.
Elsa slowly sat up, clutching her head, her ears rang with the sounds of the fighting. Her vision swam from the rough landing. It was bad enough that the rushing wind, and flight, as brief as it was, took the wind out of her. She felt as if she wantedtio wake up fro mthe nightmare. Elsa blinked, her vision slowly clearing as she turned to Mark, what ? her ears were still ringing. Then she saw Matthew getting pulled from the fountian, wings of ice upon his back breaking apart into inkblack sludge that faded into nothing "Matthew!"
Elsa scrambled to her feet as the two Ravens dragged the poor man, Old Man Winter himself, out of the fountain, Matthew looked pale. Paler than normal. Then sbhe saw the shadows creeping on his skin and dared not touch him as the two Ravens let go and bacxked off, their own powerful magics fighting in vain against the corruptive deadly shadows that were killing Matthew. Matthew smiled. "Dont worry about me, Elsa, you've done more than I could teach you this day. Go. save your kingdom."
Elsa vaugly felt Mark pressing his radio into her hands to contact the Whitesparrow, Diana was aboard, with her was Serenity. the latter of which was heard cleary on the device "Whats going on back there ? Mother sent me back here when the Shadowboxing match started." It was clear she was unhappy
Elsa grit her teeth, She pressed the radio back to Mark unknowingly pressing the key to speak into the thing as she spoke to Mark, "End it, finish the fight." She sank to her knees before Matthew as the life left his eyes.
On the Whitesparrow
Serenity lowered the radio, almost scared of what she just heard, Elsas voice rang clearly however, the real time map showed the entire district in blood red. Were they to destroy the entire place ? Seeing her the spotter on duty spoke "ma'am, we await orders, the other ship is leaving the harbor, do we fire upon it ?"
Serenity stood there but a moment longer, "No. Ready a full broadside of everything we have. I must speak to Diana" Serentiy said. The man nodded and took his leave. Serentiy left the cabin, Diana, or rather Marion, had been watching the smaller ship as it suddenly up and left. Serenity stepped up to her, normally the fair skinned Egyptian woman was in a good mood, but this time she looked flat out scared, a pale hue of white to her skin, unlike any other normal time.
Marion bit her bottom lip. They'd lost... "Load everything." she growled. She hated firing on Arendelle's buildings, but there was nothing left to do, the only ones left in the district are Templars now. "Fire at Will!" She shouted.
It was then that the first full broadside went off. For the next full hour, the Whitesparrow unloaded the entirety of her magazine stores on Arko, by the time the stores were empty, over half of the Distrct was gone. The buildings were demolished, the bodies were obliterated, and the main den was in shambles. That would leave it very easy for the Assassins to take it back soon, once their numbers were replenished and morale was high once more.
In the Courtyard
Mark was silent as he stared at the Whitesparrow unloading her guns onto Arko. This was his failure. He was tasked with defending Arko, he failed, he should have fought and died there. Every innocent or Assassin Life lost from that battle was on his head, and he lowered his head in shame. While Elsa mourned for her teacher, Mark sighed, stopping at her side to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder for a moment. After that, though, he moved on, and vanished into the Castle without a word.
Elsa never looked up as Anna exited the castle when the cannon fire rained hell on Arko distrct, nothing was left by time the ship ran out of ammo, which took a very long time in and of itself to do. By the time the cannonfire ended and the swivel guns rained hell on the remaining gunpowder stores the Tempalrs had set up, over ninety six percent of the district was destroyed or in ruin
Fang clawed her way over the gate as a stray cannonshot slammed into the guard post, which thankfully was empty. She never saw Mark leave so quietly or quickly from a fight before. The many doves worked hard as Assassins laid in rows to be healed, many didnt seem to look good or even alive as they heard everything and saw the thick smoke pouring from the district as the cannonfire rained on the district
Elsa never looked as the Whitesparrow unleashed her payload. Instead she simply watched as Matthews body slowly broke apart into broken ice and sludge.
But one pair of eyes saw it all. Saw her nephew go into the castle, his back to the fighting. stealing away as was her skill unseen she snuck off into the castle by way of an open window. Nobody, not even her niece saw her sneak away as Serena was being tended to by Kuru, the Dove Healer in command of the Healers at that moment.
Within the castle
Moments later
The sounds of cannonfire and explosions faded the deeper one went into the castle. Blackmane didnt have to look far to find her wayward nephew. She found him, of all places, in the throne room staring at the painting of Elsa's parents "I was expecting to find you in the library" She said simply, when no answer was fourthcoming she sighed "It isnt your fault. You did what you could and our men are out of there, those that survived outnumber those that fell thanks to the Healers."
Mark was silent still, lowering his head again. As Blackmane opened her mouth to speak again he moved, turning his head towards her. "How many?" he paused. There was tremendous strain in his voice as he tried to keep himself calm. "How many...dead? Under MY COMMAND!" He snapped, turning towards her. It was possible she'd not seen anyone this angry in a long time.
"How can I face them? They looked to me for command and I let them down." He growled out. He turned to the window and walked towards it; the sun was setting. "How many men and women won't get to see this ever again because of my failure?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Blackmane went quiet. Finally she took a deep breath and let it out. "Seven, all of them however, children. The healers were ambushed leaving towards Roughwater. Shadows split them from the children and forced them to flee. There was nothing they could do." Blackmane said, "of the men and women under your command we lost only four. "Blackmane counted on her fingers as she spoke " One to shadows, two to crossfires, and one to a collapsing building."
She looked ot her nephew "They are in the Eatheral Realm now. They are not in pain. For all we know they are looking at us from their own sunset and wondering how we fare without them." As Mark turned away she spoke. "Things die, to be born is to begin to die, you know this. No matter what happens, over time, it will be time to leave this realm. You know this. Why do you seek to change it ?"
"I don't seek to change it...I can't. ..." he paused. "Why is it so easy to take a life, but hard to lose one?" he asked her, turning to stare her in the eyes. "Why has no one ever addressed that issue? Why can I kill a man while looking him in the eyes, knowing full well his family isn't going to see him again, but when some one I know, on my side, my family dies, it's so hard? I...I need to leave." he turned and started for the door that would eventually in time lead him to his bedroom.
He didn't expect to be followed, but he spoke anyway. "I can't stay here knowing that I caused 11 families to never see their children again." He rambled off as he walked like his boots were on fire out of the throne room and into the hall.
As Mark turned to leave Blackmane stood in his path. Her black eyes glittered as he spoke. "Answer that question and you are king of the earth. But until then do not blame yourself for what transpired, It was Elsa who called the Whitesparrow to attack when the District was lost, do not blame yourself for the loss of it. I for one do not blame you for feeling the loss. Those four you lost under your command may put a black mark on your record yes, but it wont end your own love of life!" She said.
When he made to move around her she held her hand up, barring his path briefly. "Leave ? Are you insane ? Where would you go ? What would you do ?" Then she remembered and with her arm briefly blocking his way she removed from her other sleeve a folder. "here, take this" it was a contract, to Madrid Spain "The den defense went ill in Arko I agree and I do not lay blame on you for it one bit"
"If you leave tonight, under cover of full dark, no light whatsoever I can get you aboard a ship out of Trensek down south without raising an alarm. But either way you have to go and you have to go sooner than later, going back to your room will only raise alarm or even alert Elsa that you went there, it will be the first place she will look outside of the library." Blackmane was thinknig rapidly, it wasnt going to be easy but it could work. "Take a teransport array to my bedroom and wait there for me. Under no circumstances are you to leave my bedroom in our Den in the marketplace. understand, I will speak to Elsa and say you had a contract to see to, and then meet you there. From there we will got to Trensek for the ship to get you out of the country."
Mark's fists balled as she stopped him but he listened to her through his gritted teeth. After she finished explaining he let out a quick breath and closed his eyes for a second, crossing his arms as well as he thought. "Fine...I'll get my stuff from my room, then head to yours..." he said, taking the file from her. He opened a transport array behind him to his room and paused, biting his bottom lip, he'd tell her later. Stepping through the array, he vanished to his room, packing what he knew he needed. Extra clothes, an extra cloak, his Gun and Holster, and a few other essentials. It would seem like was only leaving for a couple of days on a Contract to clear his head.
He wouldn't come back for a lot longer than that. Moving through another Array, he found himself in his Aunt's Bedroom, one of the only times he'd seen it ever, let alone in Arendelle. It was nothing special. Practice Dummy, armor and weapon racks, a bed, wardrobe. A painting of... someone, on the wall, and a chair. He sat in that chair and closed his eyes. After a minute, he opened them and looked to the painting again, the baby in the woman's arms... looked familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it though. He'd ask Blackmane when she got there, or just before he left.
Blackmane turned and left the throne room, heading towards the courtyyard she ran well, almost walked into Elsa who was being lead by Anna to the dining room for something to eat but Elsa was having none of it, wanting to find Mark. "Mark is lost, his mind is... a mess, he needs to clear his head, so I sent him on a contract out of Arendelle, Dont worry, he's fine." Elsa started to protest before Blackmane simply lifted a black fingerless gloved hand towards the queen and a second later the woman sagged in her sisters arms as two guards came rubnning up "Take Elsa to bed, she too needs time to clear her head over what happened today, and from what thje healers said, she needs the rest else her lungs give out completely"
"Yes ma'am" the guards said helping take Elsa upstairs to bed as Anna briefly gave Blackmane a look,, maybe Elsa was right in not trusted the raven haired woman , yet there was something of sadness in Blackmanes eyes
So rather then berate the woman Anna said simply "Thank you" She then left the Tigris to herself. Blackmane then left the castle, and as darkness came upon the kingdom she headed off into the night, swiftly transforming into a black panther and darting through the ruins of Arko that still smoldered with ash thick in the air
Arendelle
Marketplace Assassin Den
Moments later
Blackmane shifted form in the alley before stepping into vierw, her black robes glittered with dew and stank of ash as she entered the courtyard before entering the building. She tossed her key on the table and went stopping in the bathroom she undeed her hair, the jade clasp let her long black hair loose and wild. She took a deep breath. and grabbed up a comb before moving towards the door to her bedroom. where Mark waited by the desk.
Stepping inside she hit the light, activating the digital lights along the floor and ceiling Blackmane used the comb through her hair as she sat down. "Elsa is resting, I... had to knock her out. She insisted on speaking to you. but Anna wanted to get her to eat something, but I could tell. I'll have the healers tend to her, Elsa was... on the verge of collapse. Anna thanked me when I thought she'd berate me." She raked the comb through her ink black hair.
Mark looked to his Aunt in silence as she poke, and nodded. He understood. "Who's the woman in the painting?" he asked quietly, nodding to it on the wall. "She looks... familiar, so does the baby." He added calmly. At his feet was a back-pack full of what he'd packed, it was large, had a few pockets, and was enchanted so that it would always pass a security check at any airport or station.
Blackmane continued to brush her hair and looked at ther canvas painting, a soft smile on her otherwise tired face. Finally she set the brush down and looked at the painting, letting out a breath she spoke softly "My mother. The infant in her arms... is me. That painting was done at my fathers request. Your mother has one as well of Mother with her in her arms shortly after birth." She smiled remembering seeing the painting for the first time shortly before their father passed away in a car accident.
"Papa died in a hoverbike accident, or so the police said, but we knew it was the Templars. They staged it like a hoverbike wreck. there was no missing the brand they left." She turned towards Mark "You ask how it is so easy to take a life, and then think of those who will never see who you had slain. You were right in asking me that question. Mother once asked the same thing. I found her... there was no sign of foul play. The doctors said she died of a broken heart, she couldnt bear to live without Papa." Blackmane sighed. Standing from the stool she used she went over to the painting.
"It was a year befoer you came to Snowfeather when we laid Mother to rest beside Papa in Barcelona" She turned towards Mark, "You have the contract, what do you think ? Can you do it ? Track down a high speed team of wreckers and get what they're after before they get it ? By the end of which... you could return here ?"
"Can I do it? Yes. Will I return? ..." he paused. "No. Not for a while. Not until I feel I've righted what I've done wrong..." he said calmly. "The Contract won't take but three days, including the time it takes for me to get to Spain...tell them I didn't make it...I stopped the Templars with my body...and it was too much." he sighed.
"Tell them-Elsa...tell Elsa I died."
"Giving her that kind of news now will only make things much worse than they currently are" Blackmane said, Elsa was resting. Turning she heard the front door open, and voices, Snowfeather and the girls ? Oh shit... "Get your things" She said as she went to her door and set a beadlock on it, sealing the room. Quickly activating a transport array to the docks she grabbed Mark by the hand and fell into the transport array as he picked up his pack.
A few seconds later at the docks
Quickly appearing on the dock near a ship docked for the night but one about to leave. Blackmane's grip was stronger than most anything Mark had gotetn tangled in as the two moved among the people as the Whitesparrow replenished her stores. they were never spotted thanks to Blackmanes natural stealth and their movements before entering another transport array outside of the kingdom at the fearthest dock near the Fjord Gate.
Keeping low the two came to a gangplank of a ship about to ship out. Blackmane held a hand up for Mark to wait, then stepped into view, with her hair loose it was easy to look sexy, and it was not the first time that Makr had seen Blackmane have to use her body to seduce a guy. Easily luring the man away from the gangplank Mark heard a solid CRACK and a thud, followed by shuffling and Blackmane reappeared, with the crewman fireman style, from a transport array. Dumping the man on the dock she hissed softly "get his gear on." She fished out the wallet "i's name's Mattahias Barnaby, Bosun, the Waterliliy. Spanish cruiser. Apparently the time is set to leave in ten minutes"
Mark was finished changing by the time She'd finished going through his wallet and he took it back. "Hope my Spanish isn't too rusty..." He went in for a hug, a solid hug for a few seconds before sighing. "I'm going to miss this place...but I'll be back." He said, a knot forming in his throat as he held back tears. "Give my regards to everyone before I die." he winked before moving quickly to the ship he needed to be on.
He had his own journey now. From Spain, to California. To hell.
Blackmane hugged her nephew tightly before breaking it and letting him up the gangplank as the ships captain came into view counting off things and finishing the loading. As the ship left port she stood there, mark still able to see her int he ever darkneing gloom. Glittering black eyes, like a cat watching him leave. "Be safe..." Blackmane murmered softly
But what nither of them saw was a pair of coal red eyes watching from the shadows...
MEMORY SYNC VERIFIED, SEQEUNCE 10 COMPLETED