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Post by Theo Bowre on Sept 11, 2011 22:12:51 GMT -5
In amidst the chaos of spell and curse, Theo Bowre lay immobilized in silence. Explosions of dark magic marked moments of anguish; ash fell softly against a background of violence. The silence had weight. It was near deafening. In it, Theo heard his heart pound, heard his breath grow shallow. Heard the voice of his adoptive father share a sermon on consequence:
"For they who have sown the wind, shall reap the whirlwind."
- What does it mean, dad?
"It means, Theo, that our actions continue on forever. We must be accountable for that; we must be able to justify and face what comes in return."
- I don't know what to do, dad. I can't reach all of them.
"You know what to do. You've always known what you had to do."
- But someone gets hurt.
"Sometimes we are required to make the decisions others won't make. Not everyone will understand, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to say 'I did the right thing.'"
Theo suddenly found the ropes around his wrists and waist loosening. He quickly opened his eyes, witnessing the end of Ralin's collapse, the unconsciousness of Curse, and the magic cast against his brother. Jack was propelled with direct force against the far wall of the cavern. Theo saw no movement thereafter.
Shaking free his bonds, Theo bolted across the room. He was so intent on his task that he blocked out the presence of Mosrael and the Black Watch, of Alex Kameren and Curse's son Max. Theo loved his friends, but right now they didn't matter. They didn't matter. He reached Jack first, one hand reaching for Jack's forehead, the other searching for his pulse. Heartbeat. Gently easing Jack to the floor, Theo scattered over to Ralin, taking off his own hoodie to use it as a compress. He rolled his adopted brother in to the recovery position and applied pressure, imploring him not to move. Heartbeat. Then Curse Kameren. It was while Theo was crossing over to Curse's fallen form that he spotted a talisman on the floor.
What was it for?
Discerning, concerned eyes observed the artifact as he fell to Curse's side. Heartbeat...where's your heartbeat....Curse... Theo shot Alex and Max a careful look as attempted to touch the Potion's Master. Blood was everywhere. He remembered Kameren's caution and sat back only slightly.
"Get this man to the hospital," he started softly, before the entire situation broke him. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE NOW!" Bowre looked first to Max and then to Ralin, struggling to apologize beneath waning strength. "I'm, I'm..."
He was oblivious to everything else happening around them.
"I'm so sorry."
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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Sept 11, 2011 23:07:09 GMT -5
Time circled, darted in and out, stalking the demon-witch that was Mosrael. She could feel her grasp slipping, her attention decaying as the war inside matched the intensity of the battle with Curse.
Two minds joined forces against the ancient evil within. Brother and sister joined hands, linked their minds, and together they charged into the darkness within. Now that the demon's attention was divided, and its focus wavering, their bonds were fraying, allowing them to fight back in earnest. Too long had they been imprisoned, shut inside the cage of Mosrael's mind, watching the horrors she committed, helpless to stop the war from unfolding.
Mosrael snarled, her semblance of control vanishing as she dueled Curse, the man who wouldn't just lie down and die, who wouldn't bow in the face of her ancient power. The thousand hells blast him and his friends!
Finish it.
Ranna struck at Mosrael directly within her mind, using all of her rage, anguish and guilt to send daggers of pain into the demon's consciousness. She prayed Curse would do as she requested, and didn't doubt he wanted to. Rightfully he hated Mosrael, and would defeat her if it required the last breath in his body. Ranna reached out with a tendril of magic, a hidden current inside Mosrael's attacks, and did what she could to lend him strength, help him hold on a little longer. And as the poison within him sapped his strength, Ranna did what she could to slow it, although she couldn't do much, but maybe it was enough to give him a few more seconds to keep fighting Mosrael. What would he say if he knew that Ranna was aiding him? He wouldn't accept it, she assumed.
If Mosrael dies, the demon will just come back.
I know Daniel, but there's no other way to end this.
Listen...
Time turned on itself, curled into a moment, a breath of frozen possibility. Mosrael turned grey eyes on the man, acceptance and apology written in their depths.
And then Curse delivered the final blow, aimed for her heart.
As time caught the moment, unbound once more, grey eyes faded to black, the demon within Mosrael screamed as the dagger of spell-energy struck, sank into her heart. The ancient magic she grasped came undone, released into the world around her as a storm of magic and hatred blazing in defiance. In the middle of the storm stood a figure, tall and unbroken, white fire burning all around her until she was just a shadow. The light reached out into the room, bathing everyone in a brilliance that was possibility, hope, and bittersweet longing all at once.
Memory swept the three minds, three facets of the woman known as Mosrael, back to before. Ranna saw Daniel, witnessed them playing together as children, leaning on each other in school. Those quiet moments when they could just be. Ranna wept for the loss of such innocence, of her brother. Daniel watched as Ranna became a lovely young woman, felt hope for her potential, and the sadness of a big brother when she chose poorly. Mosnkez saw both, and laughed.
I gave everything to fix what I did wrong, to bring you back, Daniel. I fought to keep the demon from hurting others, but in turn I lost myself. I failed.
You sacrificed everything, sister, and although you became lost, your heart remained good in the end. Maybe someday they will see that, and forgive you.
I only wish I could go back to the beginning. But it's too late for me.
Regret and loss filled Mosrael's mind, and in the midst of the pain of a pierced heart, the storm of unbound magic, she cried for all that had been lost, for her part in the nightmare
Then with the cry of a thousand voices the magic swept back towards Mosrael, imploding with a force that shook the stones of the castle.
In Mosrael's fading mind, one voice faintly whispered to another. Make right what I destroyed, mend the pain I caused. But do not forget that I love you...
When the light cleared, there was no trace of the Dark Lady, only the shards of a black mask carved from stone.
[[Exit Mosrael]]
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Post by Alex Kameren on Sept 13, 2011 19:16:50 GMT -5
Alex braced himself wearily, a look of relief on his face. Max’s grip was tight, but he didn’t mind. He could survive a few minutes with a little less air. Max moved towards the battle, Alex followed, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder to keep him back. It would be horrific irony to find max unharmed but to have him hit in his own father’s crossfire.
"Alex, get Max out!"
"NO! We can't leave him! You can't leave him!"
Alex met Max’s tearstained face, his own set in firm lines. They’d risked all to get Max back safely, he wasn’t going to jeopardize that now. He gently disentangled his nephew’s hands from his shirt, keeping a firm grip in case he was of a mind to slip away.
“I won’t.” And he turned on his heel, headed for the Kameren Estate. He could leave Max safely there and return as quickly as two breaths to help Curse. He twisted hard and fast on his heel, dragging Max with him. A faint pop sounded, but nothing happened. Alex stumbled a few steps forwards to keep his balance, releasing Max. He felt as though his stomach had been yanked through his throat with a large hook. He wasted a few moments trying to steady himself, turning back to face Max and Curse.
Only to see Bowre running towards Curse.
Bowre’s place here was uncertain. His actions during the battle had been ambiguous at best. Now he was approaching Alex’s fallen brother, shooting him a furtive look. Alex took long strides forward, his nausea forgotten in his urgency to reach the man. His hand moved to clamp down on Bowre’s shoulder.
“Get away from him.” His voice was low, raspy. Deadly quiet. “Get. Away.” Moving into the space previously occupied by the older man, he knelt by Curse, ignoring the shards of battle that ground into his knees and the blood that covered his brother. He checked for life, because he didn’t trust Bowre. Not with Curse’s life, not when Jack’s was also at stake.
Alecsander did a cursory check for injuries that might be worsened by moving Curse, a part of every auror’s training. When to move your partner. Or your opponent. And they had been both. Finding none, but being very concerned about the shoulder, Alex lifted his brother gently, with no concern for the pink blood now staining his hands. If he was poisoned, then he was poisoned. His life’s work was facing death daily, to face it again to save his brother was easy.
“Max.” There was a pause before he found the words. “Go with the watch.” He looked towards the group, all worn, all dusty and dirty and injured in someway. “Can… Can someone apparate us?” He shifted Curse to a better position. He felt drained, tired in that way that had come to indicate he was on the brink of running low on magic. Impossible, maybe, but at the very least he wasn't able to access it. Something had been blocked, maybe instinctively, when that demon had almost killed him.
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Post by Reckony Pike on Sept 13, 2011 21:28:36 GMT -5
“You know Reckony, you shouldn’t distract my mother while duelling, she looses her temper. Now, what do you need done?”
Reckony looked first to Nuri and then to Reece, instantly regretting the blindness of his focus. It was something for which he was often guilty - acting before thinking - and while he could brush off those instances where he alone suffered his bravado, he could not ignore the moments in which he put his loved ones in danger. He winced at the sight of the gash on Nuri's cheek. Grit crusted the edges of the wound.
"Sorry...I'm...I just want to get to the bottom of this." It was the simplest, understated expression of his state of mind. Pike didn't only wish to unearth the truth about the demon attacks; he wanted to expose it like a dark and twisted secret, bringing all those responsible to their knees in the most public of fashions. If this meant exposing the Ministry for its malicious minions so be it. Although the thought might seem oddly sinful, a small part of him wished that Jack Harkness would be proven guilty, if only it satisfied his carnal desire to be right. "We need to get through this rock. Reece? Your head. Are you alright?"
* * * * * * * * * *
Reckony observed the Elswyth offensive in awe, stifling a smile as Minister Harkness found himself thrown and pinned against the far wall. It was a short-lived victory, however, as his pale blue eyes soon found themselves as stone at the sight of Curse Kameren and Ralin O'Faerlun. How was it that the strongest of their team had fallen? Why was Ralin alone? Where had he gone? God dammit, why did he always escape these things unscathed?
"Whoa-" Pike's jaw clenched tightly as his strong arms reached for Maebh. "You must keep back," he warned. "Curse's blood can't touch you; he's warned us as much. The poison..." The barkeep suddenly caught the movement of Theo towards Ralin and Kameren, his proverbial feathers ruffled by the gesture. In the depths of his soul, Reckony wanted to share the same warning with his former friend. He wanted to spare him harm. But for all that Bowre had done, forsaking true friends for the likes of corruption, he couldn't find it in himslef to articulate such care. He glared coldly at the man, challenged him.
"Get your fucking hands off Ralin. You're not his brother." He then shot a whisper towards Maebh. "Keep your eyes on Harkness and Bowre. I don't trust that Jack's not listening and we can't afford to have him strike." Pike was about to call out Theo's scramble towards Curse but Alex beat him to the punch. The auror took decisive steps towards protecting his brother and Reckony enjoyed his use of authority. When Alex spoke, everyone listened.
“Max...Go with the watch.”
Pike looked concernedly upon Alex, noticing the slight pause between words. Although his friendship with the younger Kameren was short-lived, he had noted on more than one occasion that the senior lawman sometimes had difficulty with words. He wondered whether there was an impediment or disease, but was always too kind to ask. Reckony held open arms out to Max, hoping to entice Curse's son in their direction.
"Come on, boy."
“Can… Can someone apparate us?”
Reckony turned towards Reece, Nuri, Echo, and Maebh, hoping they would step up to offer assistance. Apparition was something Pike had hardly managed on his own, let alone with critical patients.
"I...I can't. We need to get Curse, Alex and Ralin to St. Mungos. Can we get them there? I can see to Max, but all this: it's beyond my scope." Pike turned towards Alex. "Shall we send a patronus to Arianna to meet you there?"
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Post by Siara Brightweather on Sept 14, 2011 3:07:33 GMT -5
The battle was intense and bloody, but Siara plowed through their enemies, fierce hawk-eyes blazing with the fire of a protector with her wards in danger. Mother bear mode was on, and woe betide any Sentinel foolish enough to get in her way.
Friends, and a student under her guard. They had been threatened, were faced with danger and possible death. She wouldn't stand for it. As a master spell-smith, she could summon powerful spells that stopped wizards in their tracks, froze them solid, or blasted through solid stone. It was very draining, using such power, but she hung on grimly to her stamina.
Finishing off a brief duel with a witch with a decisive blast of frost-fire which froze the woman and at the same time burned her magic away, Siara turned to see some of the Watch members, led by Reckony, gesturing to the far wall. She caught his words and understood - their goal was beyond the shield of ancient stone.
But a tall metallic figure loomed before the tall Headmistress. Krellith hissed and threw a spear of metal at Siara. She dodged aside just in time as the blade missed her heart but sliced through her shoulder. It was just a graze, nothing too serious.
Siara's eyes narrowed dangerously. Forming a spell in her mind, she adjusted the frost-fire spell to cast instant ice on its target and soak through skin and armor to immobilize and stun. "INCENDIO ARCTICINUS!"
White-blue ice instantly frosted over the armored figure, seeping into the joints between his armor and stunning him. But Krellith quickly recovered, although the ice made it very hard for him to move. But as he started forward, slowly at first, the ice began to melt.
Just then Reece's spell hit Krellith, a whirling, howling vortex of dust and shards of stone. As the millions of particles began to batter away at his armor, faster than it could reseal, cracks began to widen between the chinks. Krellith stumbled back, disoriented, still encumbered by the frost-fire.
Siara pointed her wand at him and cast a raw blasting spell which slammed into him, forcing the cracks wider.
"Good idea Reece!" She shouted over the wind. "It's working! Keep it up!"
Dimly she heard an explosion, heard the Watch members cheering as the rest of the Sentinels vanished in a hurry, missed the blast of white light as Mosrael was defeated. She heard the silence that fell after a battle, but was entirely focused on the demon-thing in front of them. Another blasting spell shuddered against Krellith's metal armor and now they could see the black skin under it. His face contorted with a snarl. Slowly at first, but then more rapidly, he began to shake and vibrate, as though there was something inside the armor that couldn't be contained anymore. He was losing his shape that bound him to the bones of his frame.
Then with a rushing sound, Krellith imploded. Black fire sunk to a pinpoint, then blasted out with a force that knocked Siara to her back. When she rolled to her feet with a groan, the Headmistress looked in surprise at the pile of ruined armor, bent and distorted. Turning her back on the corpse of Krellith, or what remained of him, Siara strode wearily through the hole in the wall.
She took in the scene of tragedy and sacrifice, saw the tension between old friends, and knew they had to get out of there. Curse and Ralin were teetering on the edge of being lost forever, and the others were bruised and beaten, in body and spirit.
Siara gave Theo a quick reassuring smile. She understood the situation, and her heart went out to the brave man. Out to all of them before her; they were noble and radiant souls, no matter how drained or lost they may feel at the moment, only their stalwart determination had defeated the Dark Witch.
"I can apparate us, Reckony," Siara finally spoke up. She quickly inscribed a circle ward around everyone present and linked it to her apparition spell she was preparing.
"We'll go to Mungos, everyone needs at least a bit of patching up. Then we can go from there. Reckony, Alex, keep an eye on Curse and Ralin. They'll need ICU once we get there. And everyone,"
The Headmistress caught every single gaze in her own, held them all briefly, and then smiled quietly.
"We did it. You did it. Mosrael and her followers are beaten. The last of them escaped, but we'll hunt them down. I know it's been a tough battle, it's been hell, but we'll recover from this."
"Mosrael is defeated, the war is nearly over."
She knew that it wasn't so easy as to declare it over then and there. They would have some mopping up to do, recovering and finding their way, because after an ordeal such as this, life would never be quite the same again. Some friendships were unraveling, and mending was needed, perhaps time as well. But she would watch over all of them, do what she could.
Raising her wand, Siara turned on her heel, and the apparition spell pulled them all along with her.
[[Exit Siara and co - unless you'd like to post anything here to finish up. I'll start a new thread in Mungos if you'd like to continue there. YOU ALL ROCK!!!!]]
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 16, 2011 21:51:15 GMT -5
“Max.” There was a pause before he found the words. “Go with the watch.”
"No." Max crossed his arms, taking his place next to Alex and his unconscious father. He was a Kameren, just as his father and uncle were. He would stay with his family. No one spoke it, but Curse's condition was grave; this could very well be the last night Max could spend with him. He bristled as Reckony held out a hand for him.
"Come on, boy."
"No. I'm going with dad." Max sent a hard look to the adults around him, getting his message through as well as he could that he wasn't budging. Just because they were adults didn't mean they could make this decision for him. This was his dad, he was staying with him. He had been taken from his family once already, it wasn't happening again.
The issue was finally dropped when Siara volunteered to apparate everyone to the hospital. Max strayed only far enough away from his family to avoid his father's blood as that familiar stomach-wrenching feeling of apparition gripped him.
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