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Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3761875" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Charis grinned at Semeion’s smile. <span style="color: Orange">“You have something planned.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, and his eyes told Charis that he was still working through the details. <span style="color: Plum">“Yeah, and I think that it will be pretty easy to pull off considering that we have the advantage. We know her game and how she is going to attack. To our knowledge, she doesn’t even know that we are here.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to the stage in the center of the amphitheater. The man who had just done the announcement was stepping off the marble floor. King Rupert would take the stage soon. <span style="color: LightBlue">“So, how do you envision the next three minutes passing by?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion turned back to Ischarus. <span style="color: Plum">“Leave the protection of the king up to me. I can ensure his safety, and I planned my magic earlier for just this moment. Charis, you’ll need to use your powers to keep Allyssa busy until you and Ischarus can close on her and take her down. Rhema, anything you can do to convince Allyssa’s mind that either she is defeated or what she is seeing is more powerful than it actually is would be appreciated.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus added further wisdom to Semeion’s plan. <span style="color: LightBlue">“And do it from a distance, Rhema. Between Charis and me, we can get up close and physical. There is no need for you to risk getting any closer to an assassin than you need to perform your mind control.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema glared at Ischarus at first. She felt like he was treating her as a child. As she looked to him, the image of an arrow sinking deep through the scar on his neck flooded her mind. Allyssa was dangerous, even from range. She decided that Ischarus was not treating her like a child after all. He knew the level of her danger. If Allyssa could almost kill him with one shot, Rhema knew that she didn’t stand a chance. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I understand. You can trust me in that so long as you and Charis aren’t in danger of dying that I’ll stay back.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis noticed the king making his way to the center of the stage. A quick glance towards Allyssa’s direction showed that she had largely gone into hiding up a tree. Her bow was drawn, but the arrow wasn’t nocked. <span style="color: Orange">“One more thing. Watch out for Yrraxeans, Rhema. With Semeion concentrating on the protection of the king and Ischarus and me focusing on Allyssa, you’ll need to be the eyes in the back of our heads. There might not be anyone else here, but you never know. They’ve had enough time to realize the other assassinations didn’t happen, either.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded, and she knew Charis was right. This might not turn out to be a four on one battle. This might turn out to be a large group of evil Yrraxean cultists against the four of them. And there would be no telling how the king’s guard would react to Semeion’s magic, either.</p><p></p><p>The king stopped in the center of the marble and cleared his throat. The corners of Semeion’s mouth lifted in pleasure. <span style="color: Plum">“Ehoim Egro nuan Fashiir.”</span> Once his magic began to appear around the king, he turned to his friends. <span style="color: Plum">“Go, now. Get her.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t hear Semeion’s magical command. All she saw was a mild mist collecting around the king’s feet. The appearance of the mist caused her to pause for a second as she drew back her arrow. <span style="color: Red">“Interesting. Nobody can see me, though. It is irrelevant.”</span> She drew the arrow, but by the time she was able to take her final aim, the king was completely covered by a thick fog.</p><p></p><p>She released her arrow as several of the king’s guards came to protect the king in the midst of the mist. The arrow shot straight into the cloud and did not come out the other side. Allyssa watched as King Rupert stumbled backwards out of the cloud. Her poisoned arrow was stuck deep in his chest. He clutched the arrow and shrieked out loud before collapsing backwards upon the marble stone. He was dead.</p><p></p><p>Semeion also saw the arrow enter the cloud. His mind sprang into action and the magical plan that he had devised easily came to the forefront of his thoughts. <span style="color: Plum">“Allay Egro.”</span> Once he was sure that the magic had found its mark, he spoke quietly. <span style="color: Plum">“Do no leave the cloud. I am a mage named Semeion, and your protection depends upon you staying in the cloud. You will not be harmed, and you must convince your guards to stay in the cloud with you.”</span></p><p></p><p>He knew that he couldn’t receive a reply from the king, so he assumed that the king would obey his instructions. His magical words came once again. <span style="color: Plum">“Ythan Shintar.”</span> A smile appeared on his face as he directed the illusion that Allyssa had thought was real. The illusion was that of the king backing out of the cloud and into his dying throes. He hoped that if Allyssa could be convinced that the king was dead that she would forget about him and allow herself to be completely absorbed by the challenge of Ischarus and Charis. His only hope was that his illusion wouldn’t fool Charis, Ischarus, or Rhema into thinking the king was actually dead.</p><p></p><p>Charis saw the arrow leave Allyssa’s bow as she charged across the top of the ground above the amphitheater. Once more she called the servants of Bemme to her aid. <span style="color: Orange">“Daancrah Shintar Teos!”</span> She called out the magical words so loudly that a few nearby to her turned and looked in her direction. A giant bee popped into existence about halfway between herself and the tree that held Allyssa. She called out to the flying holy avenger. <span style="color: Orange">“Arash, keep the one in the tree busy!”</span></p><p></p><p>The ring of Ischarus’ sword caught Allyssa’s attention as he and Charis charged towards the tree. She focused on the pair, but caught sight of the angry holy bee zipping its way through the air towards her. She deftly pulled out another arrow and let it fly from the midst of the tree. Had the arrow struck its mark, it would have been a brilliant strategy. As it were, the arrow split through the air and the bee pirouetted in midair to allow the arrow to pass by it unharmed.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa watched as the arrow shot past the bee and lodged itself in the arm of an innocent onlooker. <span style="color: Red">“Too bad I didn’t have time to taint that one with poison.”</span> Allyssa looked to the ground and knew that a straight fall could result in a broken leg. Instead, she let go of the trunk of the tree with her arms and used the arches of her shoes to grip the bark of the tree on her way down. Fortunately, she was in one of the lowest limbs and didn’t need to worry about lower branches. She landed on the ground and stood up as quickly as she could.</p><p></p><p>Rhema focused on Allyssa’s mind and decided to give her friends a boost. She gave Allyssa another false image to see while her two friends charged towards the assassin. She smiled as Allyssa’s body language told her that the assassin believed the image.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa saw Charis trip and stumble on a root that broke the surface of the ground. As she stumbled, her arm flailed around and caught Ischarus’ legs and forced him to the ground. The assassin smiled as she now thought she had enough time to focus on the giant bee buzzing towards her. She nocked another arrow and drew her bow back. The arrow shot through the air and glanced off of the tough hide of the bee.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Ischarus couldn’t understand why Allyssa had seemingly ignored their approach and instead focused on the bee. They both slowed in their approach in order to focus on offense and defense against the assassin. They each swung with their respective weapons but missed their mark. </p><p></p><p>The bee dove in to strike at Allyssa, but she used the end of her bow to poke the angry flying insect away. The assassin had been surprised to see the attacks come from people that she had assumed would still be picking themselves up from the ground, but their ill timed strikes allowed her a moment to recover. She simply dropped her bow to the ground and drew a pair of short swords. Green oil collected along the serrated edge of the blade in her left hand.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa used both swords in a strike against Ischarus. However, Ischarus was able to fend of both attacks with a quick maneuver of the shield strapped to his left hand. None of the deadly green poison found its way on to Ischarus’ skin.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus pivoted his sword quickly from a defensive posture to an offensive one. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Thin Zecka Egro.”</span> The familiar spell he used as a platform for assault came to his lips with ease. Magical sparks leapt down his arm and surrounded his blade. His sword was poised to release a deadly electrical force upon impact.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke as he swung. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Surrender now and I’ll guarantee that you do not die.”</span> His sword floated through the air with a deadly precision. A split second before the blade hit home the stored electrical energy jumped from his blade across the minute gap and into Allyssa’s body. The steel followed the strike quickly, and Allyssa felt the burn of the electricity meet the tearing pain of Ischarus’ sharp blade.</p><p></p><p>Charis swung again, but her attack missed its mark once more. Her summons, Arash, found better success. The giant holy bee was able to latch onto Allyssa’s arm and drive its stinger home. Allyssa had now managed to have been assaulted from both sides and both arms were in burning agony.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa looked once more towards the center of the amphitheater. She saw the illusion that Semeion had presented. The magical mystical cloud had been offered up, but to her perception of the events the cloud had been ineffective. The king lay dead and her arrow had found its home in spite of the magical mist. As she took in the sight, a smile came across her face.</p><p></p><p>The smile caused Ischarus and Charis to pause. It was an unusual smile that clearly had a dark meaning behind it. <span style="color: Red">“Death is no fear of mine. I have accomplished my mission where others have failed. The Queen of Avarice will welcome me into her midst! I will rule over those who have failed her this day!”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa dropped the blade in her right hand and turned the poisoned sword around in her left hand so that the point extended downward from the pinky finger side of her grip instead of upward from her thumb side. Before Ischarus or Charis could react, Allyssa gripped the pommel of the sword in both hands and drove the poisoned blade into her own chest. The blade sunk deep into her heart, puncturing it badly before also puncturing her left lung. A smile of relief crossed her lips as she spoke for the last time. <span style="color: Red">“You will not have the victory over me that you hoped. I have succeeded and will be welcomed by my queen. You cannot keep me from her.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis turned in horror to Ischarus as Allyssa died between them. Ischarus held out a hand, stopping Charis from healing her. <span style="color: LightBlue">“She chose this path of death for herself, Charis. What would healing her now accomplish?”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis didn’t listen to Ischarus’ gesture. She knelt beside Allyssa and spoke the words of healing that had always dwelled inside of her. <span style="color: Orange">“Bondras-tol Egro.”</span> The yellow healing magic collected on her fingertips, causing them to glow. As she extending them over Allyssa’s chest and touched her skin just above the entry wound for the blade, the yellow healing magic left her fingers and passed into Allyssa’s body.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa’s body refused to be healed, however. Charis had never had her magic return to her unused until now. The yellow glow lifted out of Allyssa’s chest and returned to Charis’ fingers. <span style="color: Orange">“She’s already dead?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema had approached, and she was followed by a growing crowd of interested bystanders. She stood behind Charis and rested a hand on her shoulder. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“You can’t heal everyone, Charis. Allyssa took her own life and wanted to meet her queen. In spirit, she was already dead when she found herself trapped and surrounded. When she missed with her first assault and Ischarus retaliated with a decisive blow, she must have decided that she didn’t want to risk capture and imprisonment. She wanted to be with her queen.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion also spoke. He had gathered with the crowd and had brought a few of the king’s royal guard with him. <span style="color: Plum">“Too bad she was wrong. The king’s just fine. She didn’t accomplish any part of her objective. Lord Ironblood and King Rupert live unscathed. I do not think that her queen will be as pleased to see her as she thinks.”</span></p><p></p><p>Several guards pushed forward through the crowd and took their place over the body. The one near Allyssa’s head spoke with a stern voice. <span style="color: Lime">“Make way, people. The king’s guard will begin an investigation and anyone interfering in that investigation will open themselves up to further inquiry. If you want to observe, I’d recommend that all of you take about twenty steps back and make a path between here and the amphitheater. Anyone not following this order will be arrested and questioned regarding their role in the assassination attempt.”</span></p><p></p><p>The crowd immediately moved, except for Semeion, Charis, Ischarus, and Rhema. Ischarus looked the guard directly in the eye and spoke quietly. He hoped his words would go unheard by the crowd. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Sir, we intercepted her because we were on her trail. We were only aware of the realistic severity of this attempt moments before the king took the stage, which is why your men could not be informed. But we are investigating the cult from which she comes. Might we have a moment to search her body before she is taken away? I promise to share anything we find with your guard, of course.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard looked at the crowd. They were largely obeying and posing no threat. <span style="color: Lime">“Well, you did save the king’s life. You may proceed, but I want to see all that you find.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded and knelt down to the ground. He reached through several of her pockets and found only a single scrap of paper. As he unfolded the paper he read the message aloud. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Allyssa, meet us in Shiftedburg after the assassinations. There is much we must discuss. Pahk.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s face drew pale. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Shiftedburg! Why, that’s a suburb of Fingerdale on the complete opposite side of the city as Huetown!”</span></p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Charis grinned at Semeion’s smile. “You have something planned.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, and his eyes told Charis that he was still working through the details. “Yeah, and I think that it will be pretty easy to pull off considering that we have the advantage. We know her game and how she is going to attack. To our knowledge, she doesn’t even know that we are here.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to the stage in the center of the amphitheater. The man who had just done the announcement was stepping off the marble floor. King Rupert would take the stage soon. “So, how do you envision the next three minutes passing by?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion turned back to Ischarus. “Leave the protection of the king up to me. I can ensure his safety, and I planned my magic earlier for just this moment. Charis, you’ll need to use your powers to keep Allyssa busy until you and Ischarus can close on her and take her down. Rhema, anything you can do to convince Allyssa’s mind that either she is defeated or what she is seeing is more powerful than it actually is would be appreciated.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus added further wisdom to Semeion’s plan. “And do it from a distance, Rhema. Between Charis and me, we can get up close and physical. There is no need for you to risk getting any closer to an assassin than you need to perform your mind control.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema glared at Ischarus at first. She felt like he was treating her as a child. As she looked to him, the image of an arrow sinking deep through the scar on his neck flooded her mind. Allyssa was dangerous, even from range. She decided that Ischarus was not treating her like a child after all. He knew the level of her danger. If Allyssa could almost kill him with one shot, Rhema knew that she didn’t stand a chance. “I understand. You can trust me in that so long as you and Charis aren’t in danger of dying that I’ll stay back.”</p><p></p><p>Charis noticed the king making his way to the center of the stage. A quick glance towards Allyssa’s direction showed that she had largely gone into hiding up a tree. Her bow was drawn, but the arrow wasn’t nocked. “One more thing. Watch out for Yrraxeans, Rhema. With Semeion concentrating on the protection of the king and Ischarus and me focusing on Allyssa, you’ll need to be the eyes in the back of our heads. There might not be anyone else here, but you never know. They’ve had enough time to realize the other assassinations didn’t happen, either.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded, and she knew Charis was right. This might not turn out to be a four on one battle. This might turn out to be a large group of evil Yrraxean cultists against the four of them. And there would be no telling how the king’s guard would react to Semeion’s magic, either.</p><p></p><p>The king stopped in the center of the marble and cleared his throat. The corners of Semeion’s mouth lifted in pleasure. “Ehoim Egro nuan Fashiir.” Once his magic began to appear around the king, he turned to his friends. “Go, now. Get her.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t hear Semeion’s magical command. All she saw was a mild mist collecting around the king’s feet. The appearance of the mist caused her to pause for a second as she drew back her arrow. “Interesting. Nobody can see me, though. It is irrelevant.” She drew the arrow, but by the time she was able to take her final aim, the king was completely covered by a thick fog.</p><p></p><p>She released her arrow as several of the king’s guards came to protect the king in the midst of the mist. The arrow shot straight into the cloud and did not come out the other side. Allyssa watched as King Rupert stumbled backwards out of the cloud. Her poisoned arrow was stuck deep in his chest. He clutched the arrow and shrieked out loud before collapsing backwards upon the marble stone. He was dead.</p><p></p><p>Semeion also saw the arrow enter the cloud. His mind sprang into action and the magical plan that he had devised easily came to the forefront of his thoughts. “Allay Egro.” Once he was sure that the magic had found its mark, he spoke quietly. “Do no leave the cloud. I am a mage named Semeion, and your protection depends upon you staying in the cloud. You will not be harmed, and you must convince your guards to stay in the cloud with you.”</p><p></p><p>He knew that he couldn’t receive a reply from the king, so he assumed that the king would obey his instructions. His magical words came once again. “Ythan Shintar.” A smile appeared on his face as he directed the illusion that Allyssa had thought was real. The illusion was that of the king backing out of the cloud and into his dying throes. He hoped that if Allyssa could be convinced that the king was dead that she would forget about him and allow herself to be completely absorbed by the challenge of Ischarus and Charis. His only hope was that his illusion wouldn’t fool Charis, Ischarus, or Rhema into thinking the king was actually dead.</p><p></p><p>Charis saw the arrow leave Allyssa’s bow as she charged across the top of the ground above the amphitheater. Once more she called the servants of Bemme to her aid. “Daancrah Shintar Teos!” She called out the magical words so loudly that a few nearby to her turned and looked in her direction. A giant bee popped into existence about halfway between herself and the tree that held Allyssa. She called out to the flying holy avenger. “Arash, keep the one in the tree busy!”</p><p></p><p>The ring of Ischarus’ sword caught Allyssa’s attention as he and Charis charged towards the tree. She focused on the pair, but caught sight of the angry holy bee zipping its way through the air towards her. She deftly pulled out another arrow and let it fly from the midst of the tree. Had the arrow struck its mark, it would have been a brilliant strategy. As it were, the arrow split through the air and the bee pirouetted in midair to allow the arrow to pass by it unharmed.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa watched as the arrow shot past the bee and lodged itself in the arm of an innocent onlooker. “Too bad I didn’t have time to taint that one with poison.” Allyssa looked to the ground and knew that a straight fall could result in a broken leg. Instead, she let go of the trunk of the tree with her arms and used the arches of her shoes to grip the bark of the tree on her way down. Fortunately, she was in one of the lowest limbs and didn’t need to worry about lower branches. She landed on the ground and stood up as quickly as she could.</p><p></p><p>Rhema focused on Allyssa’s mind and decided to give her friends a boost. She gave Allyssa another false image to see while her two friends charged towards the assassin. She smiled as Allyssa’s body language told her that the assassin believed the image.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa saw Charis trip and stumble on a root that broke the surface of the ground. As she stumbled, her arm flailed around and caught Ischarus’ legs and forced him to the ground. The assassin smiled as she now thought she had enough time to focus on the giant bee buzzing towards her. She nocked another arrow and drew her bow back. The arrow shot through the air and glanced off of the tough hide of the bee.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Ischarus couldn’t understand why Allyssa had seemingly ignored their approach and instead focused on the bee. They both slowed in their approach in order to focus on offense and defense against the assassin. They each swung with their respective weapons but missed their mark. </p><p></p><p>The bee dove in to strike at Allyssa, but she used the end of her bow to poke the angry flying insect away. The assassin had been surprised to see the attacks come from people that she had assumed would still be picking themselves up from the ground, but their ill timed strikes allowed her a moment to recover. She simply dropped her bow to the ground and drew a pair of short swords. Green oil collected along the serrated edge of the blade in her left hand.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa used both swords in a strike against Ischarus. However, Ischarus was able to fend of both attacks with a quick maneuver of the shield strapped to his left hand. None of the deadly green poison found its way on to Ischarus’ skin.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus pivoted his sword quickly from a defensive posture to an offensive one. “Thin Zecka Egro.” The familiar spell he used as a platform for assault came to his lips with ease. Magical sparks leapt down his arm and surrounded his blade. His sword was poised to release a deadly electrical force upon impact.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke as he swung. “Surrender now and I’ll guarantee that you do not die.” His sword floated through the air with a deadly precision. A split second before the blade hit home the stored electrical energy jumped from his blade across the minute gap and into Allyssa’s body. The steel followed the strike quickly, and Allyssa felt the burn of the electricity meet the tearing pain of Ischarus’ sharp blade.</p><p></p><p>Charis swung again, but her attack missed its mark once more. Her summons, Arash, found better success. The giant holy bee was able to latch onto Allyssa’s arm and drive its stinger home. Allyssa had now managed to have been assaulted from both sides and both arms were in burning agony.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa looked once more towards the center of the amphitheater. She saw the illusion that Semeion had presented. The magical mystical cloud had been offered up, but to her perception of the events the cloud had been ineffective. The king lay dead and her arrow had found its home in spite of the magical mist. As she took in the sight, a smile came across her face.</p><p></p><p>The smile caused Ischarus and Charis to pause. It was an unusual smile that clearly had a dark meaning behind it. “Death is no fear of mine. I have accomplished my mission where others have failed. The Queen of Avarice will welcome me into her midst! I will rule over those who have failed her this day!”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa dropped the blade in her right hand and turned the poisoned sword around in her left hand so that the point extended downward from the pinky finger side of her grip instead of upward from her thumb side. Before Ischarus or Charis could react, Allyssa gripped the pommel of the sword in both hands and drove the poisoned blade into her own chest. The blade sunk deep into her heart, puncturing it badly before also puncturing her left lung. A smile of relief crossed her lips as she spoke for the last time. “You will not have the victory over me that you hoped. I have succeeded and will be welcomed by my queen. You cannot keep me from her.”</p><p></p><p>Charis turned in horror to Ischarus as Allyssa died between them. Ischarus held out a hand, stopping Charis from healing her. “She chose this path of death for herself, Charis. What would healing her now accomplish?”</p><p></p><p>Charis didn’t listen to Ischarus’ gesture. She knelt beside Allyssa and spoke the words of healing that had always dwelled inside of her. “Bondras-tol Egro.” The yellow healing magic collected on her fingertips, causing them to glow. As she extending them over Allyssa’s chest and touched her skin just above the entry wound for the blade, the yellow healing magic left her fingers and passed into Allyssa’s body.</p><p></p><p>Allyssa’s body refused to be healed, however. Charis had never had her magic return to her unused until now. The yellow glow lifted out of Allyssa’s chest and returned to Charis’ fingers. “She’s already dead?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema had approached, and she was followed by a growing crowd of interested bystanders. She stood behind Charis and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t heal everyone, Charis. Allyssa took her own life and wanted to meet her queen. In spirit, she was already dead when she found herself trapped and surrounded. When she missed with her first assault and Ischarus retaliated with a decisive blow, she must have decided that she didn’t want to risk capture and imprisonment. She wanted to be with her queen.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion also spoke. He had gathered with the crowd and had brought a few of the king’s royal guard with him. “Too bad she was wrong. The king’s just fine. She didn’t accomplish any part of her objective. Lord Ironblood and King Rupert live unscathed. I do not think that her queen will be as pleased to see her as she thinks.”</p><p></p><p>Several guards pushed forward through the crowd and took their place over the body. The one near Allyssa’s head spoke with a stern voice. “Make way, people. The king’s guard will begin an investigation and anyone interfering in that investigation will open themselves up to further inquiry. If you want to observe, I’d recommend that all of you take about twenty steps back and make a path between here and the amphitheater. Anyone not following this order will be arrested and questioned regarding their role in the assassination attempt.”</p><p></p><p>The crowd immediately moved, except for Semeion, Charis, Ischarus, and Rhema. Ischarus looked the guard directly in the eye and spoke quietly. He hoped his words would go unheard by the crowd. “Sir, we intercepted her because we were on her trail. We were only aware of the realistic severity of this attempt moments before the king took the stage, which is why your men could not be informed. But we are investigating the cult from which she comes. Might we have a moment to search her body before she is taken away? I promise to share anything we find with your guard, of course.”</p><p></p><p>The guard looked at the crowd. They were largely obeying and posing no threat. “Well, you did save the king’s life. You may proceed, but I want to see all that you find.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded and knelt down to the ground. He reached through several of her pockets and found only a single scrap of paper. As he unfolded the paper he read the message aloud. “Allyssa, meet us in Shiftedburg after the assassinations. There is much we must discuss. Pahk.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s face drew pale. “Shiftedburg! Why, that’s a suburb of Fingerdale on the complete opposite side of the city as Huetown!”</p><p></p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3761875, member: 35788"] Charis grinned at Semeion’s smile. [Color=Orange]“You have something planned.”[/Color] Semeion nodded, and his eyes told Charis that he was still working through the details. [Color=Plum]“Yeah, and I think that it will be pretty easy to pull off considering that we have the advantage. We know her game and how she is going to attack. To our knowledge, she doesn’t even know that we are here.”[/Color] Ischarus turned back to the stage in the center of the amphitheater. The man who had just done the announcement was stepping off the marble floor. King Rupert would take the stage soon. [Color=LightBlue]“So, how do you envision the next three minutes passing by?”[/Color] Semeion turned back to Ischarus. [Color=Plum]“Leave the protection of the king up to me. I can ensure his safety, and I planned my magic earlier for just this moment. Charis, you’ll need to use your powers to keep Allyssa busy until you and Ischarus can close on her and take her down. Rhema, anything you can do to convince Allyssa’s mind that either she is defeated or what she is seeing is more powerful than it actually is would be appreciated.”[/Color] Ischarus added further wisdom to Semeion’s plan. [Color=LightBlue]“And do it from a distance, Rhema. Between Charis and me, we can get up close and physical. There is no need for you to risk getting any closer to an assassin than you need to perform your mind control.”[/Color] Rhema glared at Ischarus at first. She felt like he was treating her as a child. As she looked to him, the image of an arrow sinking deep through the scar on his neck flooded her mind. Allyssa was dangerous, even from range. She decided that Ischarus was not treating her like a child after all. He knew the level of her danger. If Allyssa could almost kill him with one shot, Rhema knew that she didn’t stand a chance. [Color=PaleGreen]“I understand. You can trust me in that so long as you and Charis aren’t in danger of dying that I’ll stay back.”[/Color] Charis noticed the king making his way to the center of the stage. A quick glance towards Allyssa’s direction showed that she had largely gone into hiding up a tree. Her bow was drawn, but the arrow wasn’t nocked. [Color=Orange]“One more thing. Watch out for Yrraxeans, Rhema. With Semeion concentrating on the protection of the king and Ischarus and me focusing on Allyssa, you’ll need to be the eyes in the back of our heads. There might not be anyone else here, but you never know. They’ve had enough time to realize the other assassinations didn’t happen, either.”[/Color] Rhema nodded, and she knew Charis was right. This might not turn out to be a four on one battle. This might turn out to be a large group of evil Yrraxean cultists against the four of them. And there would be no telling how the king’s guard would react to Semeion’s magic, either. The king stopped in the center of the marble and cleared his throat. The corners of Semeion’s mouth lifted in pleasure. [Color=Plum]“Ehoim Egro nuan Fashiir.”[/Color] Once his magic began to appear around the king, he turned to his friends. [Color=Plum]“Go, now. Get her.”[/Color] Allyssa didn’t hear Semeion’s magical command. All she saw was a mild mist collecting around the king’s feet. The appearance of the mist caused her to pause for a second as she drew back her arrow. [Color=Red]“Interesting. Nobody can see me, though. It is irrelevant.”[/Color] She drew the arrow, but by the time she was able to take her final aim, the king was completely covered by a thick fog. She released her arrow as several of the king’s guards came to protect the king in the midst of the mist. The arrow shot straight into the cloud and did not come out the other side. Allyssa watched as King Rupert stumbled backwards out of the cloud. Her poisoned arrow was stuck deep in his chest. He clutched the arrow and shrieked out loud before collapsing backwards upon the marble stone. He was dead. Semeion also saw the arrow enter the cloud. His mind sprang into action and the magical plan that he had devised easily came to the forefront of his thoughts. [Color=Plum]“Allay Egro.”[/Color] Once he was sure that the magic had found its mark, he spoke quietly. [Color=Plum]“Do no leave the cloud. I am a mage named Semeion, and your protection depends upon you staying in the cloud. You will not be harmed, and you must convince your guards to stay in the cloud with you.”[/Color] He knew that he couldn’t receive a reply from the king, so he assumed that the king would obey his instructions. His magical words came once again. [Color=Plum]“Ythan Shintar.”[/Color] A smile appeared on his face as he directed the illusion that Allyssa had thought was real. The illusion was that of the king backing out of the cloud and into his dying throes. He hoped that if Allyssa could be convinced that the king was dead that she would forget about him and allow herself to be completely absorbed by the challenge of Ischarus and Charis. His only hope was that his illusion wouldn’t fool Charis, Ischarus, or Rhema into thinking the king was actually dead. Charis saw the arrow leave Allyssa’s bow as she charged across the top of the ground above the amphitheater. Once more she called the servants of Bemme to her aid. [Color=Orange]“Daancrah Shintar Teos!”[/Color] She called out the magical words so loudly that a few nearby to her turned and looked in her direction. A giant bee popped into existence about halfway between herself and the tree that held Allyssa. She called out to the flying holy avenger. [Color=Orange]“Arash, keep the one in the tree busy!”[/Color] The ring of Ischarus’ sword caught Allyssa’s attention as he and Charis charged towards the tree. She focused on the pair, but caught sight of the angry holy bee zipping its way through the air towards her. She deftly pulled out another arrow and let it fly from the midst of the tree. Had the arrow struck its mark, it would have been a brilliant strategy. As it were, the arrow split through the air and the bee pirouetted in midair to allow the arrow to pass by it unharmed. Allyssa watched as the arrow shot past the bee and lodged itself in the arm of an innocent onlooker. [Color=Red]“Too bad I didn’t have time to taint that one with poison.”[/Color] Allyssa looked to the ground and knew that a straight fall could result in a broken leg. Instead, she let go of the trunk of the tree with her arms and used the arches of her shoes to grip the bark of the tree on her way down. Fortunately, she was in one of the lowest limbs and didn’t need to worry about lower branches. She landed on the ground and stood up as quickly as she could. Rhema focused on Allyssa’s mind and decided to give her friends a boost. She gave Allyssa another false image to see while her two friends charged towards the assassin. She smiled as Allyssa’s body language told her that the assassin believed the image. Allyssa saw Charis trip and stumble on a root that broke the surface of the ground. As she stumbled, her arm flailed around and caught Ischarus’ legs and forced him to the ground. The assassin smiled as she now thought she had enough time to focus on the giant bee buzzing towards her. She nocked another arrow and drew her bow back. The arrow shot through the air and glanced off of the tough hide of the bee. Charis and Ischarus couldn’t understand why Allyssa had seemingly ignored their approach and instead focused on the bee. They both slowed in their approach in order to focus on offense and defense against the assassin. They each swung with their respective weapons but missed their mark. The bee dove in to strike at Allyssa, but she used the end of her bow to poke the angry flying insect away. The assassin had been surprised to see the attacks come from people that she had assumed would still be picking themselves up from the ground, but their ill timed strikes allowed her a moment to recover. She simply dropped her bow to the ground and drew a pair of short swords. Green oil collected along the serrated edge of the blade in her left hand. Allyssa used both swords in a strike against Ischarus. However, Ischarus was able to fend of both attacks with a quick maneuver of the shield strapped to his left hand. None of the deadly green poison found its way on to Ischarus’ skin. Ischarus pivoted his sword quickly from a defensive posture to an offensive one. [Color=LightBlue]“Thin Zecka Egro.”[/Color] The familiar spell he used as a platform for assault came to his lips with ease. Magical sparks leapt down his arm and surrounded his blade. His sword was poised to release a deadly electrical force upon impact. Ischarus spoke as he swung. [Color=LightBlue]“Surrender now and I’ll guarantee that you do not die.”[/Color] His sword floated through the air with a deadly precision. A split second before the blade hit home the stored electrical energy jumped from his blade across the minute gap and into Allyssa’s body. The steel followed the strike quickly, and Allyssa felt the burn of the electricity meet the tearing pain of Ischarus’ sharp blade. Charis swung again, but her attack missed its mark once more. Her summons, Arash, found better success. The giant holy bee was able to latch onto Allyssa’s arm and drive its stinger home. Allyssa had now managed to have been assaulted from both sides and both arms were in burning agony. Allyssa looked once more towards the center of the amphitheater. She saw the illusion that Semeion had presented. The magical mystical cloud had been offered up, but to her perception of the events the cloud had been ineffective. The king lay dead and her arrow had found its home in spite of the magical mist. As she took in the sight, a smile came across her face. The smile caused Ischarus and Charis to pause. It was an unusual smile that clearly had a dark meaning behind it. [Color=Red]“Death is no fear of mine. I have accomplished my mission where others have failed. The Queen of Avarice will welcome me into her midst! I will rule over those who have failed her this day!”[/Color] Allyssa dropped the blade in her right hand and turned the poisoned sword around in her left hand so that the point extended downward from the pinky finger side of her grip instead of upward from her thumb side. Before Ischarus or Charis could react, Allyssa gripped the pommel of the sword in both hands and drove the poisoned blade into her own chest. The blade sunk deep into her heart, puncturing it badly before also puncturing her left lung. A smile of relief crossed her lips as she spoke for the last time. [Color=Red]“You will not have the victory over me that you hoped. I have succeeded and will be welcomed by my queen. You cannot keep me from her.”[/Color] Charis turned in horror to Ischarus as Allyssa died between them. Ischarus held out a hand, stopping Charis from healing her. [Color=LightBlue]“She chose this path of death for herself, Charis. What would healing her now accomplish?”[/Color] Charis didn’t listen to Ischarus’ gesture. She knelt beside Allyssa and spoke the words of healing that had always dwelled inside of her. [Color=Orange]“Bondras-tol Egro.”[/Color] The yellow healing magic collected on her fingertips, causing them to glow. As she extending them over Allyssa’s chest and touched her skin just above the entry wound for the blade, the yellow healing magic left her fingers and passed into Allyssa’s body. Allyssa’s body refused to be healed, however. Charis had never had her magic return to her unused until now. The yellow glow lifted out of Allyssa’s chest and returned to Charis’ fingers. [Color=Orange]“She’s already dead?”[/Color] Rhema had approached, and she was followed by a growing crowd of interested bystanders. She stood behind Charis and rested a hand on her shoulder. [Color=PaleGreen]“You can’t heal everyone, Charis. Allyssa took her own life and wanted to meet her queen. In spirit, she was already dead when she found herself trapped and surrounded. When she missed with her first assault and Ischarus retaliated with a decisive blow, she must have decided that she didn’t want to risk capture and imprisonment. She wanted to be with her queen.”[/Color] Semeion also spoke. He had gathered with the crowd and had brought a few of the king’s royal guard with him. [Color=Plum]“Too bad she was wrong. The king’s just fine. She didn’t accomplish any part of her objective. Lord Ironblood and King Rupert live unscathed. I do not think that her queen will be as pleased to see her as she thinks.”[/Color] Several guards pushed forward through the crowd and took their place over the body. The one near Allyssa’s head spoke with a stern voice. [Color=Lime]“Make way, people. The king’s guard will begin an investigation and anyone interfering in that investigation will open themselves up to further inquiry. If you want to observe, I’d recommend that all of you take about twenty steps back and make a path between here and the amphitheater. Anyone not following this order will be arrested and questioned regarding their role in the assassination attempt.”[/Color] The crowd immediately moved, except for Semeion, Charis, Ischarus, and Rhema. Ischarus looked the guard directly in the eye and spoke quietly. He hoped his words would go unheard by the crowd. [Color=LightBlue]“Sir, we intercepted her because we were on her trail. We were only aware of the realistic severity of this attempt moments before the king took the stage, which is why your men could not be informed. But we are investigating the cult from which she comes. Might we have a moment to search her body before she is taken away? I promise to share anything we find with your guard, of course.”[/Color] The guard looked at the crowd. They were largely obeying and posing no threat. [Color=Lime]“Well, you did save the king’s life. You may proceed, but I want to see all that you find.”[/Color] Ischarus nodded and knelt down to the ground. He reached through several of her pockets and found only a single scrap of paper. As he unfolded the paper he read the message aloud. [Color=LightBlue]“Allyssa, meet us in Shiftedburg after the assassinations. There is much we must discuss. Pahk.”[/Color] Rhema’s face drew pale. [Color=PaleGreen]“Shiftedburg! Why, that’s a suburb of Fingerdale on the complete opposite side of the city as Huetown!”[/Color] [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Charis grinned at Semeion’s smile. “You have something planned.” Semeion nodded, and his eyes told Charis that he was still working through the details. “Yeah, and I think that it will be pretty easy to pull off considering that we have the advantage. We know her game and how she is going to attack. To our knowledge, she doesn’t even know that we are here.” Ischarus turned back to the stage in the center of the amphitheater. The man who had just done the announcement was stepping off the marble floor. King Rupert would take the stage soon. “So, how do you envision the next three minutes passing by?” Semeion turned back to Ischarus. “Leave the protection of the king up to me. I can ensure his safety, and I planned my magic earlier for just this moment. Charis, you’ll need to use your powers to keep Allyssa busy until you and Ischarus can close on her and take her down. Rhema, anything you can do to convince Allyssa’s mind that either she is defeated or what she is seeing is more powerful than it actually is would be appreciated.” Ischarus added further wisdom to Semeion’s plan. “And do it from a distance, Rhema. Between Charis and me, we can get up close and physical. There is no need for you to risk getting any closer to an assassin than you need to perform your mind control.” Rhema glared at Ischarus at first. She felt like he was treating her as a child. As she looked to him, the image of an arrow sinking deep through the scar on his neck flooded her mind. Allyssa was dangerous, even from range. She decided that Ischarus was not treating her like a child after all. He knew the level of her danger. If Allyssa could almost kill him with one shot, Rhema knew that she didn’t stand a chance. “I understand. You can trust me in that so long as you and Charis aren’t in danger of dying that I’ll stay back.” Charis noticed the king making his way to the center of the stage. A quick glance towards Allyssa’s direction showed that she had largely gone into hiding up a tree. Her bow was drawn, but the arrow wasn’t nocked. “One more thing. Watch out for Yrraxeans, Rhema. With Semeion concentrating on the protection of the king and Ischarus and me focusing on Allyssa, you’ll need to be the eyes in the back of our heads. There might not be anyone else here, but you never know. They’ve had enough time to realize the other assassinations didn’t happen, either.” Rhema nodded, and she knew Charis was right. This might not turn out to be a four on one battle. This might turn out to be a large group of evil Yrraxean cultists against the four of them. And there would be no telling how the king’s guard would react to Semeion’s magic, either. The king stopped in the center of the marble and cleared his throat. The corners of Semeion’s mouth lifted in pleasure. “Ehoim Egro nuan Fashiir.” Once his magic began to appear around the king, he turned to his friends. “Go, now. Get her.” Allyssa didn’t hear Semeion’s magical command. All she saw was a mild mist collecting around the king’s feet. The appearance of the mist caused her to pause for a second as she drew back her arrow. “Interesting. Nobody can see me, though. It is irrelevant.” She drew the arrow, but by the time she was able to take her final aim, the king was completely covered by a thick fog. She released her arrow as several of the king’s guards came to protect the king in the midst of the mist. The arrow shot straight into the cloud and did not come out the other side. Allyssa watched as King Rupert stumbled backwards out of the cloud. Her poisoned arrow was stuck deep in his chest. He clutched the arrow and shrieked out loud before collapsing backwards upon the marble stone. He was dead. Semeion also saw the arrow enter the cloud. His mind sprang into action and the magical plan that he had devised easily came to the forefront of his thoughts. “Allay Egro.” Once he was sure that the magic had found its mark, he spoke quietly. “Do no leave the cloud. I am a mage named Semeion, and your protection depends upon you staying in the cloud. You will not be harmed, and you must convince your guards to stay in the cloud with you.” He knew that he couldn’t receive a reply from the king, so he assumed that the king would obey his instructions. His magical words came once again. “Ythan Shintar.” A smile appeared on his face as he directed the illusion that Allyssa had thought was real. The illusion was that of the king backing out of the cloud and into his dying throes. He hoped that if Allyssa could be convinced that the king was dead that she would forget about him and allow herself to be completely absorbed by the challenge of Ischarus and Charis. His only hope was that his illusion wouldn’t fool Charis, Ischarus, or Rhema into thinking the king was actually dead. Charis saw the arrow leave Allyssa’s bow as she charged across the top of the ground above the amphitheater. Once more she called the servants of Bemme to her aid. “Daancrah Shintar Teos!” She called out the magical words so loudly that a few nearby to her turned and looked in her direction. A giant bee popped into existence about halfway between herself and the tree that held Allyssa. She called out to the flying holy avenger. “Arash, keep the one in the tree busy!” The ring of Ischarus’ sword caught Allyssa’s attention as he and Charis charged towards the tree. She focused on the pair, but caught sight of the angry holy bee zipping its way through the air towards her. She deftly pulled out another arrow and let it fly from the midst of the tree. Had the arrow struck its mark, it would have been a brilliant strategy. As it were, the arrow split through the air and the bee pirouetted in midair to allow the arrow to pass by it unharmed. Allyssa watched as the arrow shot past the bee and lodged itself in the arm of an innocent onlooker. “Too bad I didn’t have time to taint that one with poison.” Allyssa looked to the ground and knew that a straight fall could result in a broken leg. Instead, she let go of the trunk of the tree with her arms and used the arches of her shoes to grip the bark of the tree on her way down. Fortunately, she was in one of the lowest limbs and didn’t need to worry about lower branches. She landed on the ground and stood up as quickly as she could. Rhema focused on Allyssa’s mind and decided to give her friends a boost. She gave Allyssa another false image to see while her two friends charged towards the assassin. She smiled as Allyssa’s body language told her that the assassin believed the image. Allyssa saw Charis trip and stumble on a root that broke the surface of the ground. As she stumbled, her arm flailed around and caught Ischarus’ legs and forced him to the ground. The assassin smiled as she now thought she had enough time to focus on the giant bee buzzing towards her. She nocked another arrow and drew her bow back. The arrow shot through the air and glanced off of the tough hide of the bee. Charis and Ischarus couldn’t understand why Allyssa had seemingly ignored their approach and instead focused on the bee. They both slowed in their approach in order to focus on offense and defense against the assassin. They each swung with their respective weapons but missed their mark. The bee dove in to strike at Allyssa, but she used the end of her bow to poke the angry flying insect away. The assassin had been surprised to see the attacks come from people that she had assumed would still be picking themselves up from the ground, but their ill timed strikes allowed her a moment to recover. She simply dropped her bow to the ground and drew a pair of short swords. Green oil collected along the serrated edge of the blade in her left hand. Allyssa used both swords in a strike against Ischarus. However, Ischarus was able to fend of both attacks with a quick maneuver of the shield strapped to his left hand. None of the deadly green poison found its way on to Ischarus’ skin. Ischarus pivoted his sword quickly from a defensive posture to an offensive one. “Thin Zecka Egro.” The familiar spell he used as a platform for assault came to his lips with ease. Magical sparks leapt down his arm and surrounded his blade. His sword was poised to release a deadly electrical force upon impact. Ischarus spoke as he swung. “Surrender now and I’ll guarantee that you do not die.” His sword floated through the air with a deadly precision. A split second before the blade hit home the stored electrical energy jumped from his blade across the minute gap and into Allyssa’s body. The steel followed the strike quickly, and Allyssa felt the burn of the electricity meet the tearing pain of Ischarus’ sharp blade. Charis swung again, but her attack missed its mark once more. Her summons, Arash, found better success. The giant holy bee was able to latch onto Allyssa’s arm and drive its stinger home. Allyssa had now managed to have been assaulted from both sides and both arms were in burning agony. Allyssa looked once more towards the center of the amphitheater. She saw the illusion that Semeion had presented. The magical mystical cloud had been offered up, but to her perception of the events the cloud had been ineffective. The king lay dead and her arrow had found its home in spite of the magical mist. As she took in the sight, a smile came across her face. The smile caused Ischarus and Charis to pause. It was an unusual smile that clearly had a dark meaning behind it. “Death is no fear of mine. I have accomplished my mission where others have failed. The Queen of Avarice will welcome me into her midst! I will rule over those who have failed her this day!” Allyssa dropped the blade in her right hand and turned the poisoned sword around in her left hand so that the point extended downward from the pinky finger side of her grip instead of upward from her thumb side. Before Ischarus or Charis could react, Allyssa gripped the pommel of the sword in both hands and drove the poisoned blade into her own chest. The blade sunk deep into her heart, puncturing it badly before also puncturing her left lung. A smile of relief crossed her lips as she spoke for the last time. “You will not have the victory over me that you hoped. I have succeeded and will be welcomed by my queen. You cannot keep me from her.” Charis turned in horror to Ischarus as Allyssa died between them. Ischarus held out a hand, stopping Charis from healing her. “She chose this path of death for herself, Charis. What would healing her now accomplish?” Charis didn’t listen to Ischarus’ gesture. She knelt beside Allyssa and spoke the words of healing that had always dwelled inside of her. “Bondras-tol Egro.” The yellow healing magic collected on her fingertips, causing them to glow. As she extending them over Allyssa’s chest and touched her skin just above the entry wound for the blade, the yellow healing magic left her fingers and passed into Allyssa’s body. Allyssa’s body refused to be healed, however. Charis had never had her magic return to her unused until now. The yellow glow lifted out of Allyssa’s chest and returned to Charis’ fingers. “She’s already dead?” Rhema had approached, and she was followed by a growing crowd of interested bystanders. She stood behind Charis and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t heal everyone, Charis. Allyssa took her own life and wanted to meet her queen. In spirit, she was already dead when she found herself trapped and surrounded. When she missed with her first assault and Ischarus retaliated with a decisive blow, she must have decided that she didn’t want to risk capture and imprisonment. She wanted to be with her queen.” Semeion also spoke. He had gathered with the crowd and had brought a few of the king’s royal guard with him. “Too bad she was wrong. The king’s just fine. She didn’t accomplish any part of her objective. Lord Ironblood and King Rupert live unscathed. I do not think that her queen will be as pleased to see her as she thinks.” Several guards pushed forward through the crowd and took their place over the body. The one near Allyssa’s head spoke with a stern voice. “Make way, people. The king’s guard will begin an investigation and anyone interfering in that investigation will open themselves up to further inquiry. If you want to observe, I’d recommend that all of you take about twenty steps back and make a path between here and the amphitheater. Anyone not following this order will be arrested and questioned regarding their role in the assassination attempt.” The crowd immediately moved, except for Semeion, Charis, Ischarus, and Rhema. Ischarus looked the guard directly in the eye and spoke quietly. He hoped his words would go unheard by the crowd. “Sir, we intercepted her because we were on her trail. We were only aware of the realistic severity of this attempt moments before the king took the stage, which is why your men could not be informed. But we are investigating the cult from which she comes. Might we have a moment to search her body before she is taken away? I promise to share anything we find with your guard, of course.” The guard looked at the crowd. They were largely obeying and posing no threat. “Well, you did save the king’s life. You may proceed, but I want to see all that you find.” Ischarus nodded and knelt down to the ground. He reached through several of her pockets and found only a single scrap of paper. As he unfolded the paper he read the message aloud. “Allyssa, meet us in Shiftedburg after the assassinations. There is much we must discuss. Pahk.” Rhema’s face drew pale. “Shiftedburg! Why, that’s a suburb of Fingerdale on the complete opposite side of the city as Huetown!” [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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