[The People's Market]Meeting near meat[Aello]

by **Verilian** on September 7th, 2011, 11:56 pm

The assassin came at her fast, flipping the dagger over in his hand to where the blade was pointing down he slashed across Aello's chest. It was an attack she was able to block, but it was faster than anything Aello had ever encountered. At least anything she usually encountered, except maybe her own self. The man moved with as much ease and precision as did the spiritist, more than comfortable with the dagger in his hand. His second attack came back across just as quickly as the first and Aello was forced to block again instead of countering with an attack of her own. Aello had fought many people, but she was not used to fighting people of her own skill level. This put her at a slight disadvantage, at least to start things off, for the assassin was quite experienced when it came to fighting skilled opponents. His attacks came quickly, he advanced slowly and methodically. Each time Aello left an opening he would close in, pushing Aello a step back. She needed to find a way to put him on the defensive, to give herself a chance to fight back and show him just how skilled she really was.

The battle was quite fantastic to watch. The assassin's flurry of attacks were a work of art, but even Aello on the defensive was a beautiful time. Her skill showed clearly in every dodge and parry, and it was clear she was just biding her time until she had a chance to launch her own assault. Clyde saw none of this. Though his eyes faced forward, his attention had turned inward. A few ticks into the fight and his body was overcome with a sensation of ice cold. It filled his blood, his muscles, his brain, everything in him. And his body locked down. Clyde was unable to move, though he could still see, hear, breath and smell. For a moment nothing happened, and then he started to remember things. Magical things... but only for an instant, and then they were gone. He knew he had remembered something important, but it slipped his mind what exactly it was just as quickly. It was as if someone were sifting through his memories like a book. When a page was opened he could see it clearly, but as soon as it was turned he forgot what exactly was on it.

As Aello fought with the assassin her auristics began to pick up on a few things. The man himself was still covered in that mysterious constantly shifting and ultimately confusing aura. But his dagger, she could cleanly pick out various things. It's aura was stained with the death of dozens of people, much like the aura left on Aello's own dagger or arrows when she killed something. But it was also coated in something else that had it's own aura. Something foreign to the blade, yet made from natural substances. Something poisonous. If she cared to notice she would even see Clyde and his aura standing off to the side. Suddenly it was engulfed in a second, powerful ghostly aura, one that was intimately familiar to the spiritist. In Clyde's mind the voice of a woman sounded, and she spoke these words.

I don't understand. You could easily stop this, why do you not?

OOCClyde, you have been possessed by something and are unable to move. And no, her sifting through your mind does not restore your magic. You have no idea what power she is talking about

by **Clyde Sullins** on September 8th, 2011, 12:26 am

One moment Clyde had been stnading there, clinging to his slingshot, trying to figure out what was going on. But suddenly his focus shifted, as what he sensed did not seem as important. It felt as if freezing ice water was flowing into his body, spreading through his limbs.

He would have shivered, but he found he could not move. However his body still seemed to be carrying on with its normal actions, he was breathing, and had not fallen down... But he could not get his body to do anything else.... And still the ice like feeling surged through him, spreading all over and inside his body... Before he could even try to comprehend what was going on, he found his awareness was shifting once more.

His mind flashed from one thing to another, showing him things he did not recall doing... Yet it seemed he was the source... But before he could completely grasp what was going on in them, or how impossible they were, it had shifted to another. Like trying to grab smoke, he could not grasp the previous vision, and once he arrived at the next, he could not recall the last, and newly focused on the new scene.

He had seen something... And for some reason he thought they were impossible things... And yet he could not recall what he had seen, or why they were impossible... And the harder he tried to focus on any one particular vision, the quicker it evaded him and disappeared into nothingness...

He tried to scream out, but the sound seemed to echo in his head, were no one could hear, What was that! What did I see? What is going on!

He heard a response echo in his head, I don't understand. You could easily stop this, why do you not?

But he did not understand... He tried to voice his thoughts in his head, but he was not sure if whatever this presence was could hear them... And he still felt so cold... His mind muddled, with his thoughts moving so slowly...

Stop what? What can I stop? What is going on? What are you?... What... What.... He slowly trailed off, confused and unable to connect everything that was going on, there was to much in his head for him to comprehend in his state... With his mind moving at the speed of a glacier...

by **Aello** on September 8th, 2011, 6:35 pm

Aello's blade locked onto the silver edge of the assassin's own, their eyes flashing menacingly at one another as they stood still for an instant, gritting their teeth as their arms trembled. They had not been fighting for all that long; but being evenly matched, they had to work a lot harder, a lot faster, in order to keep the other from gaining any ground. Several beads of sweat lingered atop the young spiritist's brow as she pushed back against the man's blade, forcing it away from him before he swung at her again. Aello swiftly raised her blade to block, allowing the metal of their blades to clink together once more. Oh would he let up just a bit so we can slice off that filthy arm already? Aello's mind growled as they kept dancing with one another. Twisting this way and that in order to attack and to defend.

When Aello first noticed Cassandra's aura coupled with Clyde's winding around his like a snake would wind its way around a tree; a soft ripple shot through Aello's body. It began in the pit of her stomach, but soon managed to send tiny waves of fear and frustration outwards, into each of her extremities. It caused her fingers and toes to tingle, each of the hairs that lined her arms and the back of her neck to stand up straight. As the wind caused by her movements brushed up against each hair, causing them to waver ever so slightly, her skin prickled. Cassandra's presence could only mean more trouble.

Aello stopped short for a moment, seemingly frozen in place. The assassin however, did not stop, and soon enough, the girl was forced to run out of the way or risk a large gash across her chest. "Damnit Cassandra, I thought I'd have more time before you showed up again," Aello growled, as the assassin darted after her. Aello lazily blocked each of his advances as she continued speaking to the ghost, "what is it you want this time? Another round of killing blue-eyed hypnotists? Saving girls from them? Going after their leader? Or are you finally coming to apologize for that time we killed Nathan? For causing so much petching trouble?" she asked, as her blade clicked against the assassin's once again. Enough of this child's play, finish him, her brain instructed angrily.

As the assassin's blade swung at her once more, Aello twisted around the side of tree whose roots she was standing upon. She could feel a cool breeze sweep across her cheek as the assassin's blade missed her flesh, and lightly raked across the tree's gnarled bark. When Aello was on the opposite side of the tree, she waited a moment, trying to determine which way the assassin would come for her next. If he chose to move to the right, she'd go left and swipe at his closest arm, in order to wound him. If he chose to move to the left, she'd go to the right, and swipe at his nearest arm. Either way, she was hoping to injure him enough to at least slow him down, and make the rest of their game a little easier. "Dira help us," she whispered just before she made her move, knowing it was more than likely that the ghost would force her to finish the fight off on her own. For goodness forbid she force Clyde to do anything helpful.

OOCPM me if I rped anything out poorly.

by **Verilian** on September 9th, 2011, 12:19 am

Ah, I think I understand now.

The voice in Clyde's head, who was apparently known as Cassandra, ignored Aello's harsh words. She was too busy perusing the contents if Clyde's mind to have any interest in responding to the spiritist. But was it him, I wonder.. No. Another. Interesting... but perhaps there is salvation. Though it may only be temporary. It all depends on you. Clyde had no idea what the voice was talking about or what this salvation might be, but it didn't matter. Something new was happening. He was moving, but not of his own accord, calmly approaching the two fighters.

A bead of sweat trickled down the assassin's face. It had been a while since he'd faced off against somebody who might be an equal, and though Aello had yet to take the offensive she was still countering his every move. He had to hand it to the woman, she knew how to fight, but she couldn't win. Not against him. Not with his secret power. Aello was going to die and the assassin's pockets were going to be overflowing with coin enough that he could finally retire... if he even wanted to. Aello darted behind a tree and, ultimately, that was what did her in. It might have been a good tactic, but not against this assassin.

Clyde, of no effort on his part, approached the duo. He felt something inside of him begin to stir, something that was so intimately familiar but yet he could not grasp at what it might be. Cassandra turned to a page in the book that was Clyde's mind and suddenly he remembered. He remembered everything! Magic WAS real, and he was a Mage. He was powerful, he knew things.. and he could not control his own body. He felt the djed inside him churning. Years of pent of magic just waiting to be released, and Clyde could feel the ghost preparing to release it all.

DECEPTION. There it was, bright as day in the assassin's aura, but things happened so fast that Aello didn't have time to guess what it meant. The assassin came around from the right launching an attack, but Aello was quicker this time and unleashed and attack of her own. Her dagger passed right through the assassin's arm as if it were nothing but air. The image of a bloodied assassin lingered for only an instant, but when Aello felt the sharp pain of a dagger stabbing into her left side the image vanished instantly. As she turned, trying to react to the attack, she felt the dagger withdraw. She was face to face with the assassin and could do nothing as the dagger came down onto her shoulder, plunging into her flesh and splitting it cleanly. Blood poured out as the assassin quickly and skillfully pulled the dagger out again. He hand grabbed Aello's wrist and twisted, forcing her own blade out of her hand, and his foot came up to kick her in the chest, knocking her to the ground.

The assassin stood over the now severely injured and unarmed spiritist, a cruel grin on his face. He knelt and picked up Aello's cursed blade, examining it for a moment before speaking quietly, "Shall I send you to your goddess with your own blade, or mine?" Clyde's hand raised, arm extended. His djed felt like it was about to explode out of him, and he pointed toward the assassin.

OOC :

by **Clyde Sullins** on September 9th, 2011, 1:13 am

Clyde tried to figure out what was going on... But he could not recall... He was so confused.... For a moment Clyde saw a flash of a man than he did not know... But seemed oddly familiar... And then something was awakened... Something long buried... He had forgotten it long before the rest of his memories had been locked away....

He was only five years old... He was shackled to the ground... With his palm bleeding... Torches burned in their brackets, projecting a light... That did not seem to light the room to well...

And over him.... Stood a man in a cloak... His face in shadows... Before he got a better look... res was thrust into him, and a great pain flew through him. As he screamed with a pain he had never felt before... He suddenly found he was not in that room... But in the woods... And his scream was only in his head, not leaving his throat...

He found himself moving, heading towards the pair of people... Though he was still not in control of his body....

Suddenly Clyde knew something... He connected the scene from his earliest repressed memories, and knew what it was... He was a mage!!! Feeling a sense of power and invincibility, his res stirred and flowed... The force inside him directed him, and he willingly went along... Grasping at the power... Wanting to use it so badly!!! The need... It had built up... And he had to use his magic... Had to... To the point of being irrational...

He did not fight it, though he had no idea that if he tried it would be useless. Instead he assisted the ghost, guiding it to even greater ability than it could have ever done by forcing his body to act. He was willing.

With a single minded intensity, he focused on his magic, wanting to use it to the exclusion of all other needs... He barely breathed... Forgetting even such a basic act...

With the gaseous res forming a large cloud above him, he moved it with his mind, closer to the pair, repeating the words in the ancient tongue over in his mind... It kept growing, as the res billowed off of him, moving faster and faster to form the cloud... Ever growing... Then he swirled it, making it higher and more condensed, shaping it.

With a sudden feeling of weakness, he directed the energy, forming it into an elongating spike of res... Then he moved it at the man... Right at his back. He transmuted it all into lightning, one giant bolt ripping through the sky down at the man. In an instant it had traveled, moving in the blink of an eye, and striking its target with an explosion of force.

The ground for dozens of feet exploded with dirt flying... a explosion of sound went off, along with a flash of light that would blind and deafen anyone nearby... On the opposite side of the tree, she might be protected from the burst of light, but she would still be hit by the sound... Branches went flying, rocks flew, smaller trees were knocked over, and the havoc was insane! It was total chaos.

Even Clyde a good bit away from his magic was not safe, the explosion of air moving as it struck knocked him flat, sending him several feet. The trees nearby would be burnt, the bark ripped off... The man would be lucky if he was left as more than a pile of dust, even if it was not a direct hit...

Clyde laid there were he was sent... Laughing loudly... Laughing at his rush of euphoria at using the magic... Laughing at the power he had exhibited... Laughing as sadness swept through him, at what he had lost... And if he were to lose it again... He did not know if he could live without it.... And he laughed on and on to a maddening degree.... To were it might disturb anyone to hear it at its nature... As he hungrily clung to his memories of magic... Not wanting to lose them again...

by **Aello** on September 9th, 2011, 2:04 am

"Petching lying cheat!" Aello growled as she grit her teeth, refusing to give voice to the extreme amount of pain she was in. It felt as though the sun's heat had intensified hundreds of times over, and was shining down on her flesh. Causing her blood to boil, while it scorched her skin, causing it to burn madly; as though she had placed it through the center of the fiery mass. It felt as though her blood was bursting through several tiny slits in her pale flesh, bubbling over and onto the ground, sending even sharper shooting pains through her system as they popped. Each time the blood bubbles burst, it felt as though lightning bolts had shot through her skin, her bone.

Aello raised her right hand to her wound, pressing her palm lightly into her flesh. Warm, crimson red blood seeped through the spaces between her fingers, drowning her pale flesh in a sea of red as she frantically kicked her legs against the ground, willing her body to inch away from the assassin's icy cold stare. She could feel the tree's roots dragging against the cloth of her dress, along with several tiny bits of stone, ripping angrily at the fabric, trying to tear it apart much as the dagger had torn her skin.

"Why don't you use both for good measure," Aello snarled, as her eyes took on an even icier edge. "Because no one ever dies... you never know what sort of ghost may come back to haunt you." There was a slight pause as she glanced past the man to Clyde and Cassandra. Their auras seemed to change, Aello couldn't quite tell what had precisely, but she knew something had. The way the man's eyes shone... how confused and distant he seemed told her as much.

Aello heard a clap of thunder, and instantly pushed up against the ground as hard as she could, so that she could duck behind the tree. Her leg followed the trail of a long, twisted root, while the rest of her body was forced flat. The girl rested on her stomach as the ground shook, sending several bits of dirt and grime down upon her. Blood seeped into the earth as the tree trembled, several leaves falling from the lower branches, and fluttering to the ground so that they may too, rest in peace upon Aello's flesh. Her body shook violently as she waited for the sound to die off, for the magic to fade away.

When all that remained was a deafening ring within her ears, Aello finally eased her head up and glanced around, noticing first how the ground had been torn up, and then Clyde, who seemed more than satisfied with himself. "Now you remember how to do something useful?" she growled, as her eyes settled on his hands, startled by the power they possessed. "You couldn't remember how to do that BEFORE I nearly had my arm sliced off?" she asked as she forced herself to sit up, ignoring how numb her body was in some sections, and how sore it was in others.

Aello's right hand was stinging. She willed herself to look at it. It was covered in blood and grime. A new cut had formed across the back of her hand, it was shallow. "Petch," she whispered, as she turned away from that to her legs, which were also covered in several small scratches from the debris that had been hurled at her, courtesy of Clyde's spell. "We should go visit a doctor now, don't you think?" she whispered, as she forced herself onto her feet. Her body trembled as thin trickles of blood wound their way downwards; as her head started spinning. "Petch..."

OOCI officially hate illusionists also.

Secondly, I just assumed the assassin was dead. If he is not dead, for some absurd reason, please tell me and I can edit.

by **Verilian** on September 9th, 2011, 11:59 pm

Scorched earth, that was all that remained of the assassin. Scorched earth and a dagger.. a dagger that Aello just couldn't be rid of. Though it sizzled and hissed it was not because it was hot, but because it was cold and reacting to the heat around it. While the dagger might have been unharmed, Aello's injuries were bad, but not immediately life threatening as long as she saw a healer soon. Clyde, however, seemed in a worse state than Aello. He was laughing hysterically, but beyond that he was covered in blood. His body was exhausted, blood leaked from every orifice, and who knew what sort of mental damage he had done to himself. Aello's wounds would eventually heal, but would his ever?

If Aello looked she would see that Cassandra was nowhere to be found. Apparently, for the first time since they had met, the ghost had nothing to say. Naturally this would come at a time when Aello most likely wanted answers, but those answers would have to wait. Aello had wounds to tend to and Clyde.. he was still laughing. It wasn't long though that he felt his memory begin to slip once more. Already his mind was trying to rationalize what had happened, trying to explain it away as if it were mere coincidence rather than actual magic. Aello could see this in his aura, she could see that he was slowly reverting back to how he was before Cassandra had possessed him. The whole process would take maybe five chimes, and then the spell that had been placed on him would be fully back in place. If Aello was hoping from any sort of insight from the Mage she would have to ask fast.

~Exit V

OOC :

by **Clyde Sullins** on September 10th, 2011, 7:32 pm

Clyde slowly tried to sit up... His body... Was in an amazing level of pain... yet he still felt happy... His laughing diminished over time... And he eventually got to his feet. Dragging his injured body, he managed to get over to Aello. Though he was still smiling...

"Well.... that was interesting.... Did you see my magic? Awesome... got to do that again.... A doctor? Why I feel great!"

Having said how great he was, Clyde paused to cough, which resulted in a mist of blood, and a good bit dribbling down his chin. It was obvious he was not great, he was covered in blood, was dirty, and he looked like he was going to pass out at any moment.

But for the moment he was still himself.... A mage.... And that made him happy. But soon the euphoria from using the magic would end, along with all of his memories of magic... He would try and follow along with Aello, though he would not be that fast. And any conversation would be short...

Regardless, he definitely needed to see a doctor...

by **Aello** on September 11th, 2011, 2:31 am

Aello placed her hand back on the wound to help keep the blood from spilling out too quickly, as she lifted a single brow and stared at Clyde. What the petch is wrong with him? she wondered, as she bent to gather her dagger and put it back in its proper place. After she had done so, she eased herself over to a nearby tree, which was covered in ivy. She bit her bottom lip as she stopped in front of it, easing her blood-covered hand off her wound as she reached for the leafy green vine. She gave it a half hearted tug as she scrunched her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain that was coursing through her body, pain that was only made worse with each of her movements.

When the vine finally came free of the tree, Aello lowered herself delicately to her knees, and began to pluck the leaves off the vine. When she was done, she wrapped the vine around her arm with her good hand, making sure to cover as much of the wound as possible. After having done so, she lifted the end closest to her to her lips, and bit down on the vine. The other portion she lifted in her hand, and wrapped around the end she held in her teeth, before looping it beneath again to form a knot. She repeated the process once before letting go of the vine, allowing it to fall from her hand and between her teeth. Afterwards, she eased herself onto her feet and spat the ivy juice out, before going over to her things. She rummaged through her bag before pulling out her waterskin, opening it, and pouring some water onto her hands, so she could wash the blood away. Pink droplets fell to the torn up earth at her feet, pooling in a small puddle before it was all gone, and she could put the waterskin back.

The girl delicately lifted her things, placing them in their proper place. "You don't sound or look great," Aello finally replied to Clyde. "So if you'd like to be patched up, you can come along," she finished, knowing of only one place with a decent set of doctors. She didn't particularly want to set foot in the Healing Hand, but with a wound such as this, she couldn't simply trust a back alley doctor. As soon as she had gathered her things, Aello began to walk through the forest, in the direction of town. She walked for a few hours before she made it back, and she took another few to weave her way in and out of city streets and narrow bridges to reach the Healing Hand. By then, the sun was beginning to go down, and darkness was lingering around the edges of the sky.

Aello smiled weakly at the building she had passed only a couple of times before, "well here goes," she whispered as he made her way up a flight of steps and to the front door, which had been left ajar. She kicked it open with her boot, as her grip tightened around her father's old bow. Slowly, she made her way inside, her heart pounding in her tiny rib cage as she did so. She approached the front desk, and stood awkwardly, wondering what to do. "Papers?" the lady behind the desk inquired, as the girl pulled them from her bag. "Very good, someone will be around to help with that nasty gash soon." Aello nodded as she walked over to the wall and leaned up against it, waiting, silently hoping that just being in the presence of one of the 'stryfe run buildings didn't get her killed.

After a few minutes, the girl was called into a back room. Aello followed the sound of the woman's voice who had called her, stepping lightly past a wooden door and into a room that was only partially lit by a multitude of black candles. Most of them had been burning so long that a pile of wax hung beneath them, their orange lights flickering against the walls. "What seems to be the problem?" the dark-haired woman asked. Aello simply gestured towards her arm. The woman nodded, and pulled the vines off the girl's wound. She stared at it a moment before turning around and wetting a towel. She cleaned the blood from Aello's wound with it before grabbing piles of herbs. She rubbed a few on a cloth and then pressed it against Aello's cut, making sure each part of the wound was touched by it before removing it. When she was done, she bandaged the wound in a rough, itchy white cloth, and told her to come back in a few days to have it checked and redone, before sending her on her way. "Thanks," Aello muttered, as she made her way out.

OOCV, I will let you decide if treatment requires payment. Sorry it is kind of eh... I am not a medicine person.

Clyde, if you came along feel free to post again so you can be all patched up... and then we can turn it in.

Also, V, if I can have a brief description of the extent of the wound in your grade and location, it'd be great. Like if the scar always looks bloody and red, or is simply a raised line of skin... that is sore, and annoying, if that makes sense. Thanks.

by **Clyde Sullins** on September 11th, 2011, 2:39 pm

Clyde slowly tried walking along, following Aello blindly. He could not think well enough to do anything else. As he went, his memories were slowly disappearing one by one... He muttered something about not letting it happen again.... And then with a glazed look he forget what he could not let happen.

Then he started talking out loud to Aello, in a disjointed fashion.... "I mean a great bolt of lightning, what are the odds? Coming crash down right were we were and taking that poor guy out."

"I guess that is what happens when you run around with a dagger near lightning... Though I don't remember a storm coming up... It must have been a cloud so high I could not even see it. And man it must have got me a bit to, I am pretty messed up!"

Of course Aello would know this had not been what happened, and why Clyde believed it had. But she seemed to be more preoccupied by her wound than what he was saying.

Finally arriving a bit behind Aello, Clyde would walk into the building. The person at the desk would give him an odd look as to his state, and ask for his papers.

At that time it seemed perfect for his euphoria to wear off. Suddenly he was hit by a sudden intense bout of pain... Followed by something else.... Which could only be described as a debilitating need.... He fumbled in his pack and managed to find his papers, and his badge for the institute, which he handed both to the person, before passing out from the mix of horrors striking his body.

Hopefully the combination of the two documents would be enough so he was not killed, or left there to die of his wounds while unconscious.

-end-