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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Sept 6, 2011 21:50:05 GMT -5
[[ I hope you don't mind me Gmoding slightly to bring them all into the same room. Let me know if you'd like me to change anything!]]
The noise turned out to be a door that appeared in the stonework, creaking open, inviting him onwards. It led to a wide, round room with a staircase leading to it, the one that Curse and Alex were on. There was one other door in the room; a locked oak door that led to another part of the tower, and the little boy who was waiting with expectant hope for his father.
When the three men entered the room, before any of them could react, Mosrael appeared between them, Jack Harkness at her side.
“Well done, all of you. Did you enjoy my little games? You all have fascinating minds and personal demons. Your choices, your ways of fighting were very different. But that’s how we learn, isn’t it?” The masked woman’s eyes mocked them.
“You’ve come to kill me…but you’re wrong in thinking I’m just a woman with an obsession of the Dark Arts. Don’t you know who Mosrael is?” She laughed scornfully. “You thought it was just a mask I wore to hide my real identity as Ranna! No,” she shook her head and behind the mask black eyes glittered. “See for yourself.”
She waved her hand across her face and the blood-red mask vanished. Ranna’s beautiful face was revealed. Then pale fingers gripped the edges of her face, and began pulling the skin away. Beneath the porcelain mask of skin was another face. It was almost a reflection of Ranna’s lovely visage, except black cracks and stains crept under the surface, distorting and stretching skin against bone and glittering eyes that were entirely depthless black.
“We…are Mosrael.”
The voice coming from her was now distorted, as though several voices were speaking at once. “Mosnkez…Ranna….Daniel. Now, it is time to end this part of the game.” Then her face seemed to twitch sideways and her wand hand shot up. The woman’s eyes widened. “Rann-“
“Mirrors…” Ranna’s single voice whispered.
All around them mirrors were conjured into existence. Mosrael screamed and tried to cover her eyes, but the entire world shattered and everyone was plunged into Ranna’s nightmare.
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“I’ve been searching for you for years, and now I’ve finally caught up with you.”
They were standing on a high mountain ridge surrounded by curling mist. A younger, more haggard looking Ranna was before them; her wand pointed at a dark figure that looked like shadow coalesced into a woman wearing a dark dress and cloak. But the edges of the woman were blurred, as if she wasn’t trully solid.
“You’ve caught up with me, well done. It took you longer than I thought.” The demon said; her voice silky and mocking.
Ranna’s eyes were red; dark circles belied many sleepless nights. Her wand hand shook as it pointed at the demon. “I’ve gone down dark paths, hunted in places around the world, researched you in every book I could find… I’m not even sure of anything anymore, except one thing.”
“You looked so long for darkness that you’ve become a part of it yourself. Did you really think all those crimes you committed wouldn’t taint your soul?”
Tears traced glistening lines down Ranna’s pale cheeks. Her eyes were tormented, fever-bright. A sob rose in her throat. “I did it for him…” She whispered.
“Did you really? What’s so important about him? Does he really mean that much to you? I can hear his thoughts, what he thinks of you and your endless quest. Do you want to know what he’s yelling at me right now?” The demon laughed and Ranna looked on the verge of breaking, of crumbling to the ground in despair.
But then, just when she was about to give up, a tiny ember inside her soul flared briefly in defiance. Ranna’s raw scream cut off the demon’s laughter. “GIVE ME MY BROTHER BACK!”
She crumpled to her knees, tears flowing unchecked down her cheeks, splashing onto the ground.
Now the demon’s voice was quiet, emotionless. “You know there’s only one way.”
“Please Mosnkez…give him back…” Ranna whispered.
A mask formed in the demon’s outstretched hand, carved from black stone. It had no mouth. “Is he worth the price?”
Despite her exhaustion and overwhelming despair, Ranna lifted her head. Summoning her remaining strength, she stood and walked towards the demon. She had prepared for this path, she knew what the mask would do to her. No more tears now; her eyes were hard with determination.
“Family…is worth everything,” she said in a strange echo of Theodore’s words in the labyrinth. And as her fingers brushed the mask, as she brought it to her face, Ranna’s expression softened into love. A single tear fell down her cheek as the mask touched her skin.
“…I love you, Daniel.”
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Mirrors shattered.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” They were back in the castle. Mosrael clutched at her head, fingers curled like claws as she fought off the memory. A defiant tear leaked from her blackened eyes. She waved her hand in front of her face and the tear and distorted skin was covered by the red mask once more. Black eyes glittered in fury as she focused on Theodore, Curse and Alex.
“You. You’re the ones who have been kind enough to play pawns for this long, but now that you’ve become stronger than that, it’s time I did away with you.” Her voice became pleasant, playful.
“Do you know why I orchestrated all of this? So that I could gather all of the strongest wizards of this time in one place, all of those who would try to defy me. And then I could get rid of them. No one would be in my way then. It’s time you did me a favor and DIED!"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!” She shot a jet of green light at Curse, followed by several stunning and incendio spells in quick succession.
“Jack, it’s time to play your part in this dance! Get rid of your brother!”
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Post by Alex Kameren on Sept 6, 2011 22:43:03 GMT -5
“Not real…” Alex whispered, meeting Curse’s eyes. He was glad to see that he was solid, real. Not like the illusionary Curse, who had turned pale and cold before his eyes, kneeling in Alex’s blood. That night still haunted him, an unknown, lost to memory though he knew the events. Alex still didn’t believe Curse should have given his strength to him that way. Instead of one dead there could have been both.
"Look for what's wrong, the things that are off. You'll know it's fake. That'll keep you sane."
He stood, planting his feet solidly on the stone. He took comfort in the reality of it. Alex clenched his fists, relieved to see he was whole, not on the brink of death. They both saw the mask at the same time, crossing the room in long strides before touching the portkey.
The insanity was brief, a short scene that shot past, as if in slow motion and too fast to see at the same time. It ran like a tape reel, slowing down at parts before speeding past not quite in a blur. Abruptly the scene shattered, leaving them back in the tower room, three wizards facing one witch driven mad by a demon, or was it a demon driven mad by a witch? The lines were blurred and Alex didn’t much care.
He was bruised and sore in body and in soul. Mosrael’s taunts and labyrinth had brought all his long buried doubts to the fore. Her attack on his brother’s home had left bruises, lacerations and burns, not to mention underscoring his inadequacy at protecting his loved ones. He didn’t care for her motives, she needed to be taken down. And he would go down with the ship if necessary.
“--DIED!” Alex was already moving, somehow knowing her target. He hit his brother, knocking him sideways as the green light reached where Curse once stood and where Alex was now suspended.
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
Just before the spell hit, a bright light erupted from his chest, quickly expanding outwards to form a shield off which the killing curse rebounded, hitting the ceiling and shattering as Alex hit the floor. Wide-eyed, he reached into his shirt, pulling out a round medallion which he dropped quickly, as if hot.
“Knew that’d be handy somehow…” He managed to quip, wheezing for lost breath as he staggered to his feet. The medallion hung freely outside his shirt now, the strongly embossed basilisk proclaiming the Kameren family.
“Crucio! Sectum Sempra! Avada Kedavra!”
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Sept 6, 2011 23:21:19 GMT -5
Finally, it was time. He turned from the ghostly scene that glowed in a three-dimensional representation of the battle scenes outside and disappeared. He reappeared by his Mistress’ side, still hidden by the silver mask. He’d always appeared at her meetings thus attired, he’d never been seen as his true self. Now it was time. Time to reveal himself and fight by his Mistress’ side, to fight and die.
He removed his mask, his face impassive. No sneering, or desperate hope. He seemed indifferent to both the idea of death and the idea of rescue.
---
“Jack, it’s time to play your part in this dance! Get rid of your brother!”
Jack would die to protect his family. Jack had attempted to force his brother to stay away, to protect his children. Theo was here, alone. Who was watching Annie, and George? What about Kendra? She was so vulnerable to a magic attack. And Ryan, so brave. Was he the family protector? Were they all dead?
“YOU ABANDONED YOUR POST!” He screamed, the doubts assailing him, the curse prodding him forward, pain, anger and fear raging in his brain. His wand lifted, pointing straight at his brother. His arm shook, then steadied as he gripped the holly wood harder.
“Crucio!” Brother… tears streamed down his face as it distorted in pain far greater than Theo’s own, for he was only able to hold the curse, to truly mean it, for less than a moment. Several more spells and curses shot at his brother, some shooting wild as his aim jerked.
“How could you… ” who he addressed was not clear as he fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably, breathing in great shudders as the pain assaulted his mind. He remained there for many minutes, curling in on himself, screaming. Eventually he quieted, laying on the floor in a heap, shuddering, sobbing. He climbed shakily to his knees, his eyes wide and blank, his wand pointing at Theo once more.
“Ah-avada Kedavra…” He whispered hoarsely, at the last moment jerking his wand, aiming at Alex’s back, he was engaged in fighting with Mosrael and wouldn’t see it in time.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Sept 7, 2011 1:13:59 GMT -5
"Curse...Alex."
Theo looked up from his new surroundings, finding himself uncomfortably situated beside the two men he prayed most not to see. The dread was a queer juxtaposition to those values which Theo held dear: in any other circumstance, Bowre would go to his friend, be compassionate of his loss, offer everything he could to help him find his son. His heart went to Curse but faltered before it reached the man's hands. Somewhere between them the loyalty of family terminated all reason.
Theo's attention remained watchful on the Kamerens the moment Mosrael and Jack appeared between them. His wand hand grew white at the knuckles as his grip tightened; if one of the men struck out at Jack, he would in turn be ruthless. Theo believed in showing mercy but it was something that was deserved or earned. Empathy stopped at hunters who preyed upon the weak; for this he had absolute intolerance.
"We...are Mosrael." Grey eyes shot from Kameren to witch as Mosrael removed her mask and unravelled the layers of her psyche. Voices spilled out in a vile torrent. She was Three and it wasn't until the lone calling of Ranna broke through the distorted spectacle that Theo realized the depth and birthplace of the woman's darkness. She was a war within herself.
The beater fought to maintain his balance as the group suddenly found themselves high upon a mountain ridge within a heavy, laden fog. A building desperation accompanied his search of the gathered faces: their positions had changed and suddenly he was without the bearing of his brother. Or Alex. Ranna's agony of despair - her loss of Daniel - affected Theo greatly and he fought to maintain his focus as she sacrificed everything for her brother. The woman echoed his words about family and Theo wondered how it could be that he found compassion for her and yet could not find it within himself to forgive Curse Kameren.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Mosrael's shrill snapped the beater from the ruins of his conscience; he reacted only fast enough to witness the near-fatal strike at the Kameren's and Alex's efforts to protect Curse from harm. Theo spun around to find Jack but froze once the impassive face of his brother was seen staring back at him. Jack was dangerous in his hollowness. He was unreadable. For the first time, Theo feared what the man had become.
"Jack, it's me."
“Jack, it’s time to play your part in this dance! Get rid of your brother!”
"No."
“YOU ABANDONED YOUR POST!”
The rage in Jack's words caused bile to rise in Theo's throat; the pain of his brother was palpable and combined with the extent of his own guilt - guilt at failing to protect his brother, guilt at failing to protect his family, guilt at failing to protect his friends - Bowre subconsciously wished that Jack would end the hurt. When the Minister raised his wand to aim it at the beater's chest, a small part of him wanted to stand in the fire and be consumed by it. Wouldn't they all have been better off that way.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Uncle Theo, I need you to make a promise."
- "What's that, pumpkin?"
"It's important."
- "Anything, Annie. You know that."
"My dad...he's not going to make it, is he?"
- "He's under a lot of stress."
"No, I've seen...I need you to promise me that dad will always be here when I come home. Promise me."
- "I give you my word."
* * * * * * * * * *
“Crucio!”
A violent streak of red caught Theo off guard, dropping him to the stolen ground in unfathomable pain. He fought not to scream as the curse consumed him but found the battle easier as the power of the spell quickly diminished. Fresh tears welled in his eyes as he rolled to his side clutching his stomach. He could see Jack struggle with his actions and used the brief pause to regather his wand. Jack's offensive returned the moment his hand touched the driftwood.
A barrage of spells and curses were fired upon Theo but only a few managed to escape his evasions. He fell victim to an impediment curse and a half-aimed Sectumsempra before he managed to fire back upon Jack with relatively light spells that were meant only to keep his brother at bay.
"I won't hurt you. You will have to make a choice."
“How could you…”
"How could I not? You're my brother."
Theo carefully approached Jack as the man broke down before him, dropping his wand to his side. He wanted so badly to cry with him, to hold him as Jack held him as a boy. He wanted to get him the hell out of Scotland, take him home, unite him with his kids.
"Jackie, don't let her win. Please don't let her win. Be angry with me when our lives don't depend on our being united. I'll drop my wand and you can enact whatever revenge you see fit. But until that time, I cannot be your enemy." Theo started to reach for Jack's shoulder..."We can't afford it"...he made contact...
Jack began to rise shakily to his feet. Theo, still kneeling, looked up before following and quickly noticed that Jack's wand found it's way to his chest. Grey eyes locked with his brother's but held no judgment.
“Ah-avada Kedavra…”
The spell-fire twisted away from Bowre's form and shot for Alex.
"ALEX! DOWN!"
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Post by Ralin O'Faerlun on Sept 7, 2011 4:02:21 GMT -5
When Mosrael raised her wand to cast another barrage of spells at the Kameren brothers, a whirling ball of ice hit her shoulder, making her stumble backwards to catch her balance. Mosrael looked around to see who had sent the spell, and suddenly her voice rang out, accusing.
“YOU! You were dead!”
A tired Irish brogue answered her rasping tone. “Almost, no thanks t’you. Lucky I’m more stubborn’n most.” Ralin limped into the light, his wand pointed at her. His shoulders drooped with weariness, but his green eyes still sparkled brightly.
She sneered. “That’s too bad then. Lie down and die, little boy!” The Masked Witch shot a blast of a dark energy spell at him, forcing him to dive to the ground in order to dodge it. Even before the spell left her wand, Mosrael’s attention returned to Curse and Alex. One second of inattention could cost her the war.
“Theo! Don’t give up!” Ralin’s voice strangled as he saw the torment in his brother’s face as Jack pointed his wand at his brother. It felt like his heart was being squeezed by an icy hand. What horrors had the man already faced? Curse and Alex looked no better. But in all of them could be seen fierce determination, and a renewed inner strength that glowed in their eyes amid the torment. Whatever they had faced, they had come out battered yet stronger, at least in Ralin’s eyes. Now if only they could all turn that strength on Mosrael, instead of each other!
“Everyone! Don’t let her turn you against each other! You’re all friends! Can’t you remember?” Ralin climbed to his feet and then stumbled, his legs nearly giving out on him. His face was pale and drawn. The strength potion was beginning to fade.
Ralin had been watching for several minutes from the shadows while trying to figure out the situation. What he observed made him very afraid for his family and friends. Relief at seeing all of them alive - especially Theo (because he hadn’t seem him since the battle of Hogsmeade) - was tempered by fear for the situation they were in. How could he help? He wasn’t fit for a full-on battle but maybe if he could get Jack out of the action, subdue him somehow, Theo might be able to get to him - to the real Jack trapped inside the curse. And it would protect Theo from Jack’s attacks, and maybe even prevent Curse from retaliating at Jack. The whole situation was crazier than a pro-Quidd team of house elves.
First Ralin tried to distract Mosrael again in an attempt to give Curse and Alex some kind of slight edge for a second. Although truthfully he also did it because he hated her and wanted to take another shot at the evil witch, at least to make him feel better.
“SECTUM SEMPRA!” The spell missed her as she ducked to one side, but her retaliation spell slammed into Ralin and threw him against the wall. Coughing, Ralin groaned and struggled to his feet, using the wall to push himself up. Pain throbbed through his frame and he knew the healing on his wounds was coming undone as the fragile magic frayed. Doubled over from the pain, he pressed one hand against his chest where it was wrapped tightly with bandages, and it came away bloody.
Once more his fears returned to him in a rush. While his friends were in the labyrinth facing their demons, Ralin was struggling with his own in the forest. Fear of abandonment, that he wasn’t true family to anyone, that he was too weak to make any difference. Fear of losing his friends, for them to slip away from him. He was selfish and self-centered. Weak. Half-human, cursed by the were’s bite. Ralin shook his head slowly as he looked at the blood staining his fingers. Why should he be as important as the others? They all had each other, blood-family for the most part. Did they need him? Theo hadn’t been there at the battle after all. Ralin felt terrible for thinking such things against his friends and his brother. But he always had a fear of being forgotten in the aftermath. Worse still, he worried that they would fight each other in this confusion and do things they would regret. Whatever his fears and doubts, Ralin knew he couldn’t be absorbed in his own demons. He would do whatever it took to protect his friends – his family – no matter what the fears inside tried to tell him.
Focusing on Jack, Ralin decided on a defensive spell: something that wouldn’t hurt the man but still prevent him from attacking anyone. Although due to the unreliability of the wand he had – a loan from Ollivanders – he didn’t know if it would even hit Jack.
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!”
I’m sorry Jack...hold on.
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Post by Curse Kameren on Sept 7, 2011 18:16:42 GMT -5
Curse stayed quiet through Mosrael's revelation, her illusions and fear-mongering. He had no patience for her, he would not give her the satisfaction of a response.
“You. You’re the ones who have been kind enough to play pawns for this long, but now that you’ve become stronger than that, it’s time I did away with you.”
A sizzling started in Curse's palm and the horizontal scar on his cheek pulsed a bright silver. He straightened, his hands before him as he braced himself for the duel ahead. Theo Bowre shouldn't be here, it was too dangerous. Alex, though he was a powerful wizard, was no match for Mosrael. He had to face this witch on his own. Sometimes, it was necessary to fight fire with fire. It would take an equally powerful dark wizard to take down the Dark Lady. Curse could be that wizard.
“Do you know why I orchestrated all of this? So that I could gather all of the strongest wizards of this time in one place, all of those who would try to defy me. And then I could get rid of them. No one would be in my way then. It’s time you did me a favor and DIED!"
With the flourish of the Dark Lady's wand, the battle commenced. Curse set to work first on defense; shield spells suddenly burst off of him, protecting not only himself, but his brother and the others in the room that weren't Mosrael. He was here for her, not Bowre or Harkness. They were only senseless pawns. Mosrael was the mad mastermind that needed to be stopped.
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
Curse was suddenly knocked out of the way by his brother, stumbling to the side. He moved to block the spell before it hit Alex, but something else stopped the curse in its path. A burst of light shot off of Alex's chest, blocking the curse from hitting him. “Knew that’d be handy somehow…”
Fool. What if that medallion hadn't worked? Alex was fighting his hardest, but he was more worn than Curse and wasn't a match for the Dark Lady. Alex needed to step back in this duel, or the Mosrael would eventually wear him down. Curse deflected Mosrael's battery of spells with the back of his hand, sending them right back at her with a battery of his own stunning and killing curses. HIs magic was old, but Mosrael's was older, possibly stronger. Her glimpse into his mind made her think she could measure him, but the landscape of Curse's mind had changed since last she knew him.
“Ah-avada Kedavra…”
"ALEX! DOWN!"
The green light of the killing curse was burnt out in a flare of black fire. The flames died down back into Curse's palm and he locked eyes with his brother. "Alex, find Max and get him somewhere safe." Curse's tone wasn't one to be argued with. He wasn't going to lose Alex today, and it was very likely one of them would be lost in this duel. Curse stood more of a chance, they both knew. He couldn't lose his brother after is son being taken, he couldn't take it. Curse shot a series of binding spells at Harkness and Bowre, trying to subdue them out of the way. He didn't wait to see if they hit, though, as his attention was reverted back to Mosrael.
With an angry snarl, Curse opened his palm and a fury of soul-burning fire shot out at Mosrael. It was followed by a killing curse and several different torture curses, all targeted to sensitive areas that would stop Mosrael from attacking. His face was silent and reserved, his green eyes burning with the same black fire he used against her. He took another step forward, advancing with another dark spell.
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 8, 2011 10:33:11 GMT -5
The thunderous sounds of spellfire filled the night once more for Max Kameren, but once again he was helpless. The Masked Lady had left him alone; there were no guards watching him, no spells binding him. The fear was what kept him here. He knew that if he tried to escape he would be caught. His only hope was for someone to come for him, for his father to save him. Curse was the only one strong enough to protect him from the Dark Lady.
The young wizard stood up straight as the spells started, moving to the darkened window in hopes of seeing some of the battle. It was too dark, however, and the battle was taking place elsewhere in the castle. Max hoped it was the Black Watch. Then again, the Watch hadn't been able to help him much three nights ago either. His only hope was his dad. He prayed Curse had found him and was coming to fight.
As he heard the battle progress, he heard Mosrael's Sentinels scramble to defend themselves. The Watch had risen from their defeat to become stronger, and now had the dark wizards trembling. He hoped they knew that, that they could see the weakness behind their strong front. Max could, he always could. He had a gift for seeing behind the masks of others, sometimes even accidentally. HIs conversation with Mosrael had shown that.
With time, the fight grew closer. Eventually, Max heard the fighting inside, almost outside his door. Please, let this be over soon! Let this be Curse or Alex or Arianna, here to save him and bring him home to his family. The spells outside made the stone walls quake. Max put an ear to the door, listening carefully for who the duelists outside may be.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"ALEX! DOWN!"
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!”
"Alex?" Max's eyes widened and he pounded on the door. "ALEX! Alex, ALEX ALEX IT'S MAX!" Young fists pounded on the strong oak door, trying to make as much noise as possible. A battering curse erupted from him in his excitement, shaking the door but still keeping it in place.
Max turned back to the room. Something, anything that could help him escape or even get notice. There were many decorative objects in the room, vases and mirrors and breakable things. Max ran to the dresser, swooping his hands across the surface and knocking everything off. A large porcelain vase fell to the ground with a loud CRACK. "ALEX! ALEX I'M HERE!" Max's voice was ragged with screaming, trying to get any attention. Alex was an auror, a hero. If Curse wasn't outside to save him, Alex would surely be able to get here in his place. Max pushed over a full-length mirror, the heavy frame cracking and shattering the inside glass with another loud noise. They had to find him. They had to.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Sept 9, 2011 1:17:49 GMT -5
((OOC: Posting as Theo and Reck for the purpose of time and brain cells.))
“Theo! Don’t give up! Everyone! Don’t let her turn you against each other! You’re all friends! Can’t you remember?”
“No,” Theo’s voice was hoarse with emotion as large, disbelieving eyes fell upon the boy. “I saw you die. You died at Godric’s Hollow. You died at…I saw your body in Curse’s house!” The words were biting in their despair as if the vision of Ralin was yet another cruel joke orchestrated by Mosrael and her psychological trappings. She had played Ralin’s death back to him through the mirrors: he had seen Ralin’s fate in Reckony Pike’s arms. And as if her damage weren’t still enough, Ralin’s courage to appear at the battle and Bowre’s outcry of anguish amongst friends damned both men without their initial realization: Theo was left to suspect that the 'deceased' young brother before him was nothing more than his imagination, and Theo’s admission, though honest in content, suggested that he was at Godric’s Hollow when in fact he wasn’t.
Theo paced in front of Jack as Ralin fiddled with his wand. He suspected that the ghost would strike against Harkness; it was an effective Trojan Horse – why wouldn’t Mosrael use it? Take one of the things he loved most to fight the other…
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!”
O’Faerlun’s spell fired wide but was too close to Jack for Theo’s comfort. It ruffled his feathers; it taunted his radar. Theo drew his wand in Ralin’s direction. His heart and stomach panged at the thought of taking such an action against a known and trusted face.
“You don’t want to do that, bauy,” Bowre threatened as he walled in Jack protectively. “You’re not going to touch him.” Theo shot out an Incendio spell at Ralin’s feet, drawing a line across the stone floor. He dared the illusion to cross it and yet felt an unusual guilt for doing so, like he was spitting upon the memory of a beloved friend who sacrificed everything, even when he was alone. Yet another selfless soul that Bowre failed to protect. It’s not him. It’s not him. It’s not him. A loud crack of colliding magic broke the immediate air, causing Theo to turn his attention from Ralin to Mosrael to Curse. Spell-fire flew between the Mistress of Masks and Kameren and Bowre couldn’t help but watch in awe as the former auror rapid-fired a series of both offensive and defensive spells at the tyrant. Although he had seen Curse’s wandless ability on a very few rare occasions, he was ever left in fearful reverie of the man’s innate power: it was as if Curse was the birth of magic itself, his spells consuming all other spells, his light obliterating all manner of darkness. Theo turned for Jack, ensuring he was safely covered behind him, but the simple act turned out to be Bowre's checkmate. Ropes appeared first at his waist and then around his wrists, pulling them back with such speed and force that the beater lost his wand. He quickly found himself upon the ground and bound waist to shoulder: it was Kameren’s doing, and Theo shouted out for Jack, seeing a similar fate about to befall his brother.
“NO! Leave him alone! You'll kill him!”
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Forget looking for a door, people, let’s blow the bugger up!” Pike was frantic. Although the Black Watch had been spared Mosrael’s mental gauntlet, they had managed to find every single one of her Sentinels from here to Christmas. The Watch fought hard against their demonic predators and yet in the name of friends lost and friends in trouble, they sometimes fought dirty. It didn’t sit well with everyone but Reckony had left only one instruction to the rag-tag army of heroes: don’t die. He was thankful to see that everyone heeded his orders for once. We had no faith that it would last long.
“Kameren, Kameren and Kameren Jr. are in there. I can hear them fighting. We need to get through this wall yesterday. They’re ruins, folks. Not the Bastille. Look for weaknesses. And for the love of Merlin, look for our friends!” The barkeep clambered over fallen stone to reach crumbling portions of a courtyard wall. Echoes of distant voices and explosions rumbled below and Pike paled as he heard the tell-tale syllables of an Unforgiveable Curse. “Maebh! Reece! Here!” Reckony pointed at the source of the sound. “Behind this wall.”
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Post by Alex Kameren on Sept 10, 2011 0:47:32 GMT -5
"ALEX! DOWN!"
Alex reacted too slow, his focus only for Mosrael, he had forgotten Harkness. Truthfully, he should have expected it. He more than anyone else knew what a person was like under the parasite curse, what ends they could be driven to, who they would hurt. He felt the scar running over the back of his arm, how it pulled at the looser skin around it. Yes, he knew, and he should not have forgotten.
He met Curse’s eyes after the black fire roared past his shoulder, a late duck that would not have gotten him out of the way in time.
"Alex, find Max and get him somewhere safe."
“No.” I’m not leaving you. He couldn’t say it, found the words locking in his throat, as they did at the most inconvenient of times. He deflected a spell, stepping sideways, out of the path. “No, we’ll… find him” together. He snarled, words once more failing him. He lifted his wand, hoping to cast a curse, that the spell would come, as the words would not.
"ALEX! Alex, ALEX ALEX IT'S MAX!"
The words froze in his mouth, but this time it wasn’t the remains of his coma, it was in pure surprise and relief. He took long strides the short distance to the door, avoiding the fight. The door shuddered as he drew near, crashing sounds coming from within. “MAX! STAND CLEAR!” He wasn’t sure how well Max could hear him, he wasn’t sure if there was someone else in the room, but that was his nephew screaming. He had already failed to protect him once.
The door burst into flames, fire flaring up quickly and turning it into ash. Alex stepped through cautiously, wand out. He looked around the room, not seeing anyone other than Max.
“M-Max?”
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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Sept 10, 2011 5:41:08 GMT -5
Mosrael shunned wand and spellbook. Her true abilities were in wandless magic, just like Curse. It was as if he was a twilight reflection of her darkest midnight. When he sent a barrage of spells at her, aimed for weaknesses, she danced around each one, dodging gracefully, spinning out of reach. Several stretched past her defenses, but she shrugged off the pain with ease. Mosrael blocked and evaded the flurry of spells as if it were a warm up to a race, and indeed it was; because as the battle intensified, so did their attacks.
When Curse sent black fire at her, the witch caught the fire in her hands and formed it into a ball. Spinning, she shot it back at Curse with a dark laugh. "Come on Kameren, you'll have to go deeper and darker to best me." Mosrael slashed her hand in the air and icy ribbons sliced at the man. Then she burst into a flurry of offensive spells, each one sent after the other in blurring speed. Fire, ice, wind, darkness, immobility. Each one was elegant and powerful, hinting at archaic and forgotten magics.
But as the battle raged on, something else was happening. The blood-red mask on her face started to flicker, in and out, in and out. Until it vanished altogether, baring Mosrael's pale face, Ranna's eyes that were cold and alien. The eyes of a demon in a lovely woman's face. But her face was twitching as well, shifting to the side as though there was someone else within the mask who was fighting to be free.
Voices began to emerge from the cacophony of battle-noise, the electric spattering of spells, crackles and explosions. Mosrael was beginning to lose her grip on the strange and ancient magic she possessed, and since they were all still linked due to their proximity to her mind-labyrinth, and the very castle in which they battled, everyone began to hear the silence intercede. As the raw magic began to expand and lash out, it bent the world around them, for the briefest of seconds, and silence flashed in and out. The whispers grew stronger.
Not fire, light. Light against dark, the sun swallows the moon.
Tiger, tiger burning bright.
Daniel! NO!
I found a place in the forest, come and see.
We shouldn't be here.
Ranna! RANNA!
Mosrael's spells became more powerful, as though the chaos around them from both battle and magic, was feeding her own abilities. But they also had an edge of desperation to them. Her strange power was due to the fact that not one witch, but also a wizard and a demon were inside her mind, a trifold of magical prowess.
Then Alex burned down the door, and Mosrael's attention wavered. Within that second, one of Curse's spells hit her, smashing her into the stone wall. In thate instant she apparated beside the man and with no warning, she grabbed his head in her hands and then closed her eyes. The world froze around them until just Curse and Mosrael were able to move. The silence echoed around them as they shifted out of time for a brief moment.
"Hello Curse," Ranna said, her pale grey eyes weary but filled with a gentle wisdom. The black eyes of the demon were gone. "Before you attack me, listen... I can only keep this spell up for a minute or so. The demon can't be awake outside of time. I found this spell when I was trying to hunt it down before.
"What you saw in my memory was real. I know you think it was just a mind-game. But it's all true. My brother Daniel was devoured by the demon, meaning that his body and mind were absorbed into the demon. I tracked the demon down, hoping I could free my brother."
She sighed and shook her head. "But the demon demanded a price; that I wear the Mask and allow it a home in my own body. I accepted, hoping I might find a way to set my brother free, and if I kept the demon inside of me, I could do what I could to restrain it, influence it, to lessen the evil it did. Maybe it was selfish of me; I wanted to right the wrongs I'd done before."
Ranna met Curse's eyes. Grey and green gazes locked. "It may not seem like it, but I did what I could to save you and your friends. I made it so that Max would be unharmed, untouched, when you came for him. I convinced the demon to bring you to the labyrinth and I'm sorry it hurt so much, but I hoped that you all would overcome it and emerge stronger. Mosrael thought you would fail. Here and there, little things, I tried so hard to stop her, delay her." Tears shone in her eyes.
"I don't blame you for hating me Curse, I'm so sorry..."
"Ranna."
She turned to see the faded form of a young man with tousled brown hair, gentle features and a quiet strength in his eyes. "Daniel?" She whispered, disbelieving.
"Ranna, you have fallen so far. Through distant eyes in the depths of the demon I watched you, wept for you, all that you went through to save me. But I don't know if I can come back anymore. It's just been too long, and I don't have the strength anymore."
"No..." she shook her head. "Please Daniel, don't leave me. I've been so alone..."
The air began to shiver as the time spell began to break apart.
"I love you, dear sister. You know what to do." He smiled calmly as he faded from sight.
Ranna turned to Curse. "You must kill me. Us. Daniel, the demon, and me. Kill us so we can't hurt anyone any more. But forgive me. Perhaps now you understand the deep love of family, the need to do anything to bring your family back." She nodded. "Do what you must, so you can have your family back. Cherish them..."
Her hands trembled, fighting against her as the bubble of non-time collapsed and the demon awoke. In a final desperate move as the battle rushed in around them (only a second had passed), Ranna flung something from her neck, shouting someone's name.
"THEO! Save Jack!"
Then her eyes became black pits, her expression turned cruel, and Mosrael shot a spell to warn Theo away from the necklace before spinning to attack Curse more fiercely than ever. Black and gold flames spiraled around her arms before she clapped her hands, sending bolt after bolt of golden black fire at the man.
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Post by Curse Kameren on Sept 10, 2011 14:15:07 GMT -5
"Come on Kameren, you'll have to go deeper and darker to best me."
Curse grit his teeth, pushing more of himself into his duelling as their spells grew darker. Though he was matching Mosrael step for step, he was struggling to keep up. She used magic like he'd never seen, more powerful than even those who taught him dark magic. He began using spells he had only researched and never cast, trying to put certain spells together to enhance them. The skin on his palm burned down to nothing as he made full use of his curse, and the silver light from his ritual scar pulsed with his efforts.
As the spells battered him, he pushed them away or tried his best to cancel them out. A silver shield went up around Ralin, Theo and Jack; he wasn't having them get hurt, and he damn well wasn't letting them interfere. He wouldn't have more blood on his hands.
The split second of concentration it took to put the shield up was enough for Curse to get hit, however. A sharp ribbon of magic flew from Mosrael and carved into Curse's shoulder with a painful thnk. Dark pink blood spilled on the castle floor, soaking into Curse's clothes. He picked it up with a spell, splitting it up into tiny droplets and sending them all flying towards Mosrael. His blood was a weapon; one touch of his poisonous blood and it might absorb into her body, attacking her with an incurable poison, the only antidote-holder being her attacker. The droplets stayed floating in the air as they dueled; the better to have more obstacles for Mosrael to dance around.
The voices started around them in the castle and for a moment, Curse thought they were coming from him. Then he realized as he picked up the edge of desperation in Mosrael's magic: she was unraveling. Curse just had to hold out, to match spells with her until she eventually wound down enough for him to have an edge over her. He deflected one of her spells with the back of his hand, shooting a powerful bolt of white lightening out at the witch. He pushed a bright white light into the air, hoping that, like other demons, the light would be able to harm her. She was morphed with two humans, however, so he didn't have much hope.
For a second, Mosrael's attention shifted. That second was all Curse needed, as he shot a sectum sempra curse directly towards her abdomen. His injured shoulder interfered with his aiming of the spell, however, and he just missed any vital organs.
"DAD!" Curse heard Max exclaim from where Alex had found him. Curse couldn't afford to glance over at his family, if he did he would give Mosrael the chance to strike and lose the battle.
"Alex, get Max out!" Curse moved to attack Mosrael again, but suddenly she was next to him. "NO!" He tried to struggle away as she put her hands on his head and a pulse went through the room. She was going to try to take control again. Her touch put a debilitating pulse of pain through his broken mind, and for a moment he crumpled. He pushed himself back up, his hand pulsing a deathly green in attack before the change in Mosrael caused him to stall.
"Hello Curse," Curse snarled, moving to attack before she halted him once again. "Before you attack me, listen... I can only keep this spell up for a minute or so. The demon can't be awake outside of time. I found this spell when I was trying to hunt it down before."
Curse listened as Mosrael tried to explain herself, but the dark scowl on his face stayed unwavering. They were not so different, possibly; the difference was drawn where Curse had turned back into the light. Using dark magic for love didn't change the fact that it was still evil. She was selfish and cruel, hurting others to try and keep her own happiness alive. He had no sympathy for her; there were moments of weakness where he contemplated using his own power for selfish reasons, but he knew it wasn't right. He would fight to the ends of the earth for his family, but that was only as far as he would go. To go beyond would only bring destruction.
"No..." she shook her head. "Please Daniel, don't leave me. I've been so alone..."
"You can't bring him back." Curse's voice was a rough monotone, his green eyes watching as Daniel faded away. "To try will only hurt him and everyone else. Let go."
"You must kill me. Us. Daniel, the demon, and me. Kill us so we can't hurt anyone any more. But forgive me. Perhaps now you understand the deep love of family, the need to do anything to bring your family back." Curse's stony visage stayed constant, but he nodded curtly. "Do what you must, so you can have your family back. Cherish them..."
Curse pushed her back against the wall as the stop in time faded away, keeping a firm stance as he prepared to defend himself from the battery of Mosrael once again. In the split second before the demon returned, Curse looked at Max and Alex, meeting his brother's eyes. "Take him where only we can go." Curse's attention returned to the battle, knowing his brother would understand what he meant. The Kameren Estate was the safest place for his son right now, though it had been Alex's prison for years.
In a split second of blinding spellfire, Curse deflected the spell shot at Bowre and parried her attack on him with an equally powerful flurry of green electricity and black fire. He met her with his own strength, putting all of his energy for this final uphill battle against her. He would defeat her, there was no other option. There was no one else who could. The hair on his head started to fade white from root to tip as his energy went into the battle, the poison still taking demand on his system. He would have to defeat her quickly now, or he would collapse before he got the chance
In once quick moment Curse cut off his spells and sent Mosrael's attack upwards, blowing a hole in the ceiling just as he sent out a pulse. The room froze again, this time including Mosrael. Curse was powerful, but he could only stop time for a moment. Just long enough to shoot one final, deadly spell, straight for Mosrael's heart. The demon was asleep, she could not defend herself.
Time resumed and for Curse the room spun. He couldn't watch to see the spell hit as he fell to his knees, fighting for consciousness as the poison and bloodloss wracked his body. He pitched forward, hitting the ground hard as blackness overtook him.
ooc: I wasn't sure what you wanted, Mosrael, so I did this. It doesn't have to kill her, just weaken her enough the she is defeated/runs away/passes out/whatever. If you want I can change it. Better be the end of the duel, then, because Curse is unconscious. lol
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Post by Ralin O'Faerlun on Sept 11, 2011 0:51:23 GMT -5
After Ralin called out to his friends, he faced Theo, hoping to see some spark of recognition in his face, some sort of recognition of him being there. Or was Theo completely consumed by his sole focus on saving Jack at the expense of anyone else? But what Ralin didn't expect was the pale look of horror that spread across the man's face.
“No...I saw you die. You died at Godric’s Hollow. You died at…I saw your body in Curse’s house!”
Ralin felt as though he'd been punched. Theo...he had been there? For a moment the young man struggled to deal with the shock of his brother's admission. Then, after Ralin fired the spell at Jack, he realized that Theo had drawn his wand and was pointing it directly at him. At Ralin.
"Theo..."
“You don’t want to do that, bauy. You’re not going to touch him.”
It was as if Theo was looking through Ralin, seeing an enemy that wasn't there. The disbelief and anguish was on his face still, as if...did Theo think he was a ghost? A line of fire drew between them, and Ralin's face - focused solely on his brother - argued between anger and sorrow.
"Theo, it's me." Anger won out, driven by the pain in Ralin's heart, the agony in his sluggishly bleeding wounds. It was a confusing storm, and suddenly the levy broke inside of Ralin. He was done being strong by himself. He'd had enough. Theo had been there?
Ralin's face darkened, but the hurt was still there, edging his words in harsh angles. "It's me, you stupid git! I almost died, I would have, if Reck hadn't called me back. And you were THERE?!" Ralin waved his wand with a taut gesture and the fire on the floor extinguished, allowing him to take a step forward. "Why didn't you DO anything? Why weren't you at the hospital? Did you even get my patronus, or my letter, or were you too focused on just your...your real brother?" Ralin's voice choked, halting the words that were rushing out of him. "I knew he was in trouble too, I worried about you, you were gone and I tried to help you but you just left."
Ralin coughed and stumbled, his anger pushing him through the fog in his mind, ignoring weakness of limb and balance. He held up his hand, stained with his blood that was slowly seeping through the bandages. "See this? I'm real, Theo, and I came here to help you protect Jack! Or can't you see anything past your blind need to be the guard all by yourself?"
His words started to slur as double vision faded in and out, and Ralin sank to one knee to steady himself. He was such a fool. He'd rushed into things once again, and it would be so ironic if he just bled to death instead of getting killed in battle, he thought bitterly. Ralin wanted so badly for Theo to run over, help him up, and tell him he still mattered. To help Ralin over so they could guard Jack together, their brother. Working as a team again. But maybe he was just kidding himself. Part of him wanted to succumb, to just lie down and rest until he woke up in the hospital again. He was so tired. Ralin gritted his teeth, raising a wand that trembled in his shaking hand.
"You're just gonna have to deal with it, I'm here and I'm gonna protect my family!" He shouted at last, pain making him reckless. "ALL of my family!"
But before any of them could make a move, Theo was quickly bound up with magical rope and at his desperate shout, Ralin paused. What did he mean? Would the curse kill Jack if he was attacked? He lowered his wand, unsure now of how to help. A strange distortion swept through the room, a brief second of strangeness, and suddenly Curse was pinning Mosrael to the far wall. Ralin didn't know how to react, was frozen with awe and uncertainty, and so he was unprepared for the storm of magic that swept around them, around the room.
And then Curse struck at Mosrael.
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Post by Nuriko Elsywth on Sept 11, 2011 10:18:56 GMT -5
The Elswyths moved with a sense of purpose, wands out and faces set. Nuriko hadn’t changed since the attack on Godric’s Hollow, since the last duel with the Sentinel had knocked her mother off her feet and Victoria’s face melted away like water. She had hardly cracked a joke or a smile in three days, still feeling strung taut and hyper. Her hair hung to her waist in a black braid, her clothes were absolutely no nonsense and her wand was held at the ready.
Reece hiked along in the middle of the group, not hovering near her daughter, but close enough that when the fight started, they would be together. Not one protecting the other, but both protecting each other, for Nuriko was an adult, despite still being in school. War aged and matured one quickly, Reece knew. And she had no delusions that this was not war.
They entered the ruins, clambering over rocks and ruined walls, and were almost immediately under attack. Reece moved into battle, calling on years of training, years of struggle that were now decades behind her. She wasn’t as dexterous as she had been in her youth, wasn’t as quick, but she still knew her way around a duel.
Nuriko was not a duelist, she was average at best, but she made up for her lack of skill with sheer stubborn refusal to back down. A stray slicing spell opened a gash across her cheek, and a crucio drove the teenager to her knees, then she was grovelling in the dust and gravel of the battle, her only thought for the pain in her head, the pain that told her her skin was being sliced strip by strip from her body, that her arm was resting over an open flame, that she’d been kicked in the ribs several times, even though there were no marks, the pain was strictly in her mind.
Reece was engaged in another battle, after the defeat of the ministry worker who had attacked her, a quiet, mousy girl who had run in, wand blazing, she had turned, facing the metallic man. Her face curled into a feral smile as she crouched, wand turning up, black and orange fire wrapping around the wood.
“Maebh! Reece! Here!”
“I’m a little busy, boy!” Reece snarled over her shoulder, looking back too slowly as Krellith hissed, manifesting a spear from the clicking gears and rods of his armor. He thrust at her, then tried to sweep her off her feet. Reece landed on the cobblestone with a thud and a crack as her head resounded against the stone.
“Aah.” She moaned, turning her head weakly, feeling disoriented and nauseous. Clanking sounded, tormenting her head. She turned it, coming face to shin with the metal man’s leg. “Ugh.” She narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. “Get, away!” A blasting curse threw them apart, and Reece struggled to her feet.
“You know Reckony,” Nuriko said, blood running down her cheek as she considered the wall he was eager to get through, “You shouldn’t distract my mother while duelling, she looses her temper." Wind rushed by, dust and chips of rock and other dangerous projectiles rushing to join the dark vortex Reece was building with great sweeping circles of her wand. Nuri narrowed her eyes against the dust.
“Now, what do you need done?” The slice in her cheek stung as wind and dirt stuck in it.
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Sept 11, 2011 11:18:25 GMT -5
"I won't hurt you. You will have to make a choice."
“How could you…”
"How could I not? You're my brother."
“You should have stayed.” His response was empty, his voice even. It was hard to tell if any trace of the true Jack remained. “You should have stayed. I tried to protect you, but it was all for nothing, wasn’t it? Where are the kids, Theodore?” His voice cracked, only a momentary weakness before the carefully measured tone continued on. “I can’t protect you any more, Theodore.”
“Leave him alone, Kameren!” Jack snarled suddenly, incinerating the ropes that threatened to engulf him and sending a severing charm at Theo’s bonds. He raised his wand, turning his back on his brother, and joined the battle in earnest. Kameren was threatening his Mistress. His face was tracked down with tears, yet there was a look of joy there as well, as the curse did whatever would work to prod him forward. Coaxing gently, promising pleasure, happiness, if only he obeyed. Pain, fear, death, if only he didn’t protect Her.
“Kameren!” Jack knew there was no match between him and the eldest Kameren. He was an average duelist, he was old and he was out of shape. Kameren was young, if ravaged by poison, he was powerful and one of the best wizards of his generation. He lifted his wand anyway, aiming for the man’s back.
"PROTEGO HORRIBILIS!"
Something had blinked, a strange compression before the two combatants were against the wall, and the far wall blew inwards, revealing Maebh and Nuriko, who was grinning, her hair short and electric blue again, wand raised. It was her who had cast the spell, wrapping around the fallen Curse, a wall of wind pushing Jack to the side to bounce off a curved wall, where he lay, stunned. Reece grimaced, putting a hand to her back and cracking it.
“I think I’d rather be a scientist, now. I’m too old for this crap.”
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 11, 2011 13:08:27 GMT -5
“M-Max?”
"ALEX!" Max practically bowled his uncle over he embraced him so eagerly, wrapping his lanky arms around him at waist height. Tears streaked down his face, but he was happy. He was safe, and his family was here to rescue him like he knew they would. "I knew you guys would come for me!"
"Where's dad?" Max locked eyes with his uncle, his reverie about being saved suddenly shaken as the room quaked with magic. Max looked outside his prison room,seeing the scene unraveling before him. His dad and Mosrael stared each other down, exchanging dangerous spells like Max had never seen. Curse was bleeding heavily from the shoulder. "DAD!"
Curse glanced over at Max and Alex only for a moment, and for a second Max caught the glimmer of fear in his eyes. Curse wasn't sure if he would make it out of this battle alive. "Alex, get Max out!"
"NO! We can't leave him! You can't leave him!" Max gripped his uncle's shirt as he looked up at him, as stubborn as any Kameren. He wasn't about to let his father get killed.
The rest of the battle went by in the blink of an eye, his dad and Mosrael dancing around each other's spells so quickly that sometimes Max couldn't see their movements. Max gripped his uncle in fear as he saw Curse weakened by the exertion the spellfire took on him. Then, suddenly the battle was over. Curse collapsed, victorious but just barely. His emerald eyes widened as the Minister raised a wand to his falling parent.
"NO!" Max's surprise send out a battering curse in Harkness's direction, shaking the ground around them, but there was another defending his dad as well.
"PROTEGO HORRIBILIS!" None other than Nuriko Elswyth burst up the castle steps, accompanied by other Black Watch members and friends of Curse. Curse was well protected from attackers, but right now it was his failing body that needed to be taken care of.
Max looked up at his uncle, his eyes still worried. Alex didn't look so good himself, either. Max wanted to go to his father, but he had often been warned about his father's poisoned blood and was cautious about touching him. "We have to get him to a hospital... he can't die."
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