Exile [Invite Only]

Team Ichor was a strong one, with a rather powerful darkness user and a celestial mage with a decent amount of potential, and even a golden key in her collection. The word 'Ichor' had a meaning that referred to the life force or blood of immortals, and the term had a unique ring to it that both the young vampire and the blind man had both been able to agree on. Though Lucius was cold and reserved at first, Kaya somehow still managed to overlook his rather violent behavior and accept him as a friend. Even though their first meeting had not gone well, with her trying, and failing, to drink his blood, and him stabbing her in the arm and then blaming 'reflexes', the two had eventually met each other on jobs, and during those times, had gotten to know one another.

The same went for Astrid. Kaya had first met the Ace of Topaz while volunteering to help out with a blood drive. Later on, the vampire had found the silver-haired violinist drunk and in the alleyways one night, and had to use Sagittarius to drag her fainted body home. Despite that, Astrid eventually sobered up, and in her sleep had mumbled some confusing things. Though awkward, the moment at least helped the two get to know one another quite well, and right now, in the underwater town of Oahu, the three were hanging out at Astrid and Lucius's house.

It was nice to have some friends to hang out with. Just as Sagittarius had promised her long ago, she indeed did have the ability to find close companions, and it was nice to know two humans who did not judge her too much for what she was. Being a vampire was not easy, but despite the midday hours, when she typically felt drained of energy and sleepy, she made time for her comrades. Like now- chilling out with the two siblings, laughing, and telling jokes and stories, as if nothing could possibly go wrong.

That atmosphere was pleasant and peaceful, and for once in her life, the youthful vampire truly felt at ease and comfortable. She never would have expected what was to come- the sudden scent and presence of nearby troops in full battle regalia, and the harsh voice of Ignite, a phoenix and 'pet', or helper of their guildmaster. Bright red eyes suddenly widened as she was startled by the brisk and threatening warning. She knew of Lucius's true identity as an undercover criminal, but it was not like he was hurting anybody in the guild, was he? They had no right to try to arrest him for any reason if so, unless... was it that annoying invisible and almost nonexistent council enforcing such stupid 'rules'? Elyx surely would not order a guildmate to be arrested, but it seemed like something the Magic Council would do.

Kaya stood up from the chair she had been relaxing in and clenched her teeth and fists, feeling a flash of anger at the thought. "The hell do they want? Lucius hasn't done anything, has he?" she murmured, referring to the present, not the past. She was the first to speak, but like hell was she going to sit by and let them take her teammate. "Just stay put... they won't touch an Ace's house, surely. Maybe they'll go away..."

Lucius Foss ☺ Golden Phoenix ☺ B-Rank
I   c r e a t e d   a   m o n s t e r   a   h e l l   w i t h i n   m y   h e a d

Lucius originally thought this day was one of the better ones, though lately everyday has been feeling like hell, sometimes it was a little less torturous. He actually felt like getting out of bed, and feeding his self-starved stomach with food and tea. Kaya even came over for a visit, his teammate in Ichor, which was just the two of them. Though he probably would never admit it, and probably doesn't even know himself, she is one of his only friends. Or I suppose you could say only friend if you didn't include his sister. They all were having fun, the two girls were laughing and talking, the assassin occasionally chiming in to make a snarky comment. Most likely to make fun of one or both of the two of them. Though he didn't really laugh himself, a smile occasionally spread on his usually grim and pale expression. This time was nice, though he figured he would probably go back to not want to do anything and wanting to be alone with his self-deprecating and dangerous thoughts. He tried to live in the moment, which was hard for someone like himself, who was always over analyzing and trying to figure out what would come next before it came close to happening.
But I suppose he jinxed himself, it wouldn't be the first time he's done that. He was hoping this day wouldn't come, thought he expected it and tried to prepare himself for it. The assassin cursed to himself silently after hearing the pet of the guildmaster command him to come out of the house. He scolded himself for having naive thoughts, thinking that anything good could ever happen to him. He was basically cursed from birth, to ward away anything that could possibly make him a little bit happy. For a while he had this time with Astrid, and even Kaya, that of which he took for granted. Fate was forcing his only bit of light out of his life, like it was it was trying to torture him on purpose, give him no hope in life and living. Taking the last bit that he had left and crushing it, as if he wasn't already contemplating ending himself already. This didn't really help. But besides gripping the handle of his tea cup harder, he didn't show any emotion on his expression. His crimson eyes moved towards to noise of his sister's cup falling to the floor. Though he couldn't see it, his hearing and other senses improved in his sight's absence, so he was able to pin-point where it fell.
He listened to the other girls talk, mostly to themselves out of shock for this sudden change of events. It went from the most joyful time Lucius has had in a while, to a more grim occasion that he was dreading the arrival for in the matter of seconds. The boy took a deep breath and placed his cup on the table, though taking a second to find the coffee table. "It doesn't matter if I've done anything, I'm a wanted criminal. Even if I haven't done anything here, it doesn't change that I've committed injustices in other places. I'd be surprised if they did let me off the hook" he said in his now natural gravelly voice, replying to Kaya, who wasn't really talking to him, but muttering to herself. Dropping his proper posture and slouching up against the back of the couch, he acted like this situation didn't bother him. Which of course wasn't true, it was quite the opposite actually, but he wasn't to keen on showing his weak emotions. Even though that's all he has been doing lately whilst being depressed and totally miserable. He was just acting as he always did in situations such as these, the only calm one within the storm.

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Kaya's expression of anger changed to one of worry as Astrid spoke, and then Lucius himself replied to her. The despair and fear in Astrid must have been painful, as the vampire judged by the ace's tears and the cup that fell to the floor. The Coming Storm seemed quite passive about the entire situation, responding calmly and then leaning back in his chair without anymore words.

Instinctively, Kaya reached for her celestial keys, gripping a specific silver one. They did not have much time, but she would not be treated as if she was resisting, surely. She had other plans, for one. "Open, Gate of the Gryphon! Come forth, Ascalaphus!" she announced, swiping the shiny silver key down as a bright light formed in front of them. Eventually the light took the shape of a feline with wings, and by the time the light broke away, like glass, a small-sized griffin remained. He had the head and wings of a tan and white barn owl, with various black speckles on his feathers, while the rest of his body, ears, and tail were shaped like some domestic cat with white fur. "Lucius, take Ascalaphus outside with you. He'll grow and you can ride him to the portal and get out of here," the vampire instructed quickly. The small barn owl cat could grow to the size of a lion, and could carry at least one or two people and fly. There surely was a back door to the house, or at least a window would do.

Things had quieted outside, though not for very long, as finally there was a banging on the door that startled the young celestial mage, followed by a crash. Instantly, the scent of the phoenix, Elyx's pet Ignite, and the human soldiers washed over the area. Jumping to the doorway, the vampire narrowed her red eyes and gazed at the troops surrounding Ignite. "Hey!"
By nature, the human soldiers would look at her, and more specifically, at her unique vampiric gaze. Her bright crimson eyes seemed to glow for a moment, and the various soldiers who made eye contact would be frozen in place, unable to move or take orders, at least for the time being. "Lucius isn't here! What's the big idea, destroying the door and invading the home of an ace?" the young mage demanded, attempting to stall for time. "And what's this talk about a Coming Storm? Why the hell would there be one here? You're not... trying to accuse Lucius of being one, are you?"

Kaya was a decent actor, and every word she said was uttered sincerely and with a mix of surprise, irritation, and worry, in both her expression and her face. Hopefully, Ignite would give her answers and not try to push forward. For now, the soldiers were not something to worry about. Nevertheless, she had to stall for more time, or else Lucius would not escape. If arrested, what would they do to him? Imprison him, banish him, or torture him? Or worse, they could kill him.... it was a life or death situation in Kaya's mind, and not one she planned to play around with.

"Something is going on out there" would be an understatement. Neyvahn could hear it all from the bed in Astrid's room, and it wouldn't take supernatural hearing to know what was happening. What could have been an army was here to collect a fugitive, a Coming Storm. Was there really- Oh wait...

Neyvahn almost completely forgot that there was a psychopathic killer living with Astrid. Her brother, Lucius. The bakeneko had his fair share of moments with Lulu, none of them necessarily good. Even as a cat, Lulu wasn't really the best of people to Neyvahn... although he has seen the way Lucius treated Astrid.

The sibling-ship the two had, anyone who saw it would probably never guess that Lucius was a killer. All they'd see would be a loving brother, one who cares deeply for Astrid. They'd see playful banter and a gentle smile... one that didn't belong to that of a psychopath, one that belonged to a man that felt. Neyvahn had lied to himself that Lucius was no more than a hollow, murderous mage that felt no remorse. What he saw during his time in Astrid's house illustrated a completely different person. Lucius smiled... but he also cried. Well, not so much on the outside. Lucius had depression, he knew what pain felt like, pain that hit deeper than any blade could touch.

Lucius caused Neyvahn unbearable pain... but it was something that Neyvahn would possibly have to look past. He could probably go into a thought invoking conversation with himself that explored the philosophical wonders of the human mind... but now wasn't the time for that. Neyvahn was inside Astrid's house with a Coming Storm completely surrounded by armed forces holding malicious intent.

Did he want to get himself involved? He could... but what good would it do? Neyvahn would get pummeled to the ground, not to mention he would suffer a ton of backlash. They were dealing with a legal guild's forces, packed with too much power for one mage to handle... but there were four of them...

No, it wasn't enough. Neyvahn could sense the amount of energy surrounding the house. They were indefinitely outnumbered... Perhaps they really should just hand over Lucius? Neyvahn didn't want to get on the world's wrong side. He already had enough enemies.

"That's weak talk," Kei interrupted. "All it takes is uneven odds to get you to step down?"

Neyvahn snarled a little bit as the ruckus continued. "This is Lucius we're talking about, Kei. Do we really want to side with him?"

"That's not what you should be focusing on. Do you really want to side against Astrid? And what about what you were just thinking earlier?" Kei played back the voice in Ney's head. "Lucius caused me unbearable pain... but it was something that I would have to look past."

The silver cat reluctantly hopped off the bed and made his way out towards the living room."Dammit, Kei," the silver cat thought.

"I know you love me, brother."

Neyvahn crept through the rooms and watched as the two girls desperately did what they could. It was a tricky battle, that was for sure, but they might be able to pull through. All they needed to do was delay the horde long enough for Lucius to get away. If that was the case, then they'd need a distraction... Perhaps thinning out some of the troops would cause a ruckus. Neyvahn was pretty sure that the guild troops didn't know he was there. The most they would assume was Astrid, her vampire friend, and Lucius. That and they may not expect a physical retaliation.

That's when the door got bashed in... literally. A huge presence made itself known and Lucius was running out of time. Neyvahn cursed to himself before carrying his small feline body towards the front door. By now, several armed soldiers were through the door. Maybe Neyvahn could sneak around their legs and through the front doors. If he could cause a ruckus outside of the house, near the front door, then he might give Lucius enough of an opening to escape out the back... it was risky, but then again, everything was when it came to these people.

Neyvahn did what he could to move out of sight, weaving around the soldier's feet towards the front door. Once he got there, he muttered "Minimi Birihani" under his breath. A guard heard the mutter and jerked his head downwards... but there was nothing there.

Meanwhile, Neyvahn was holding his breath while the soldier stared right where his body was. He would have seen him had the light not been bent around his body. Ever so quietly, Neyvahn continued his way out the front door and behind the outer line of fighters. He could barely see Astrid through the front door... standing in front of their commander... Would she see him when he shifts? Possibly. Nevermind that though. Neyvahn was going to give Lucius as much time as he could.

All Neyvahn needed was to make himself known.

Lucius Foss ☺ Golden Phoenix ☺ B-Rank
I   c r e a t e d   a   m o n s t e r   a   h e l l   w i t h i n   m y   h e a d

Lucius was tempted to just continue to sit there, finish his good cup of tea and let Ignite capture him. What would they do? This is a legal guild but it doesn't always stop them from doing the same things he does in the name of 'justice'. Would they put him in jail, or simply end his life of endless torture to those around him, through beheading or hanging, or however executions happen these days. Some of his inner selves told him to just sit and relax, just wait for them to come and end him. Better than having it to do it himself, did I say he was considering that? But the other parts of him wanted to do as instructed (for once) and get out of here. Not that any of him wanted to live, just because they didn't want to see what Astrid would look like if he just sat there, waiting. Seeing his sister in anguish was even worse than being in it himself. For always having quite the ego, though not as much now, he has always cared for his beloved sister more. Probably explains a little bit why he is always so protective of her, so used to doing what she has been doing for him for what? The past month? Maybe more, he doesn't keep track of time anymore, it's not that important to him.
Releasing a silent sigh from his lungs as his sister and friend jumped into action to save him from this situation. He stood up and he looked where the summon of the celestial mage was, well, summoned. A gryphon as Kaya said, he knew what it was just because it was a popularly known creature. He wasn't ever one for liking any type of animal, mythical or not. Though it has always been rather mutual, animals weren't really fond of him either. Unlike humans, they didn't often fall for the silly masks he put on, and could often sense his actual soul. The darkness that encased it is was they disliked. So Lucius usually left animals alone, and they did the same. Though the same doesn't really go for that stray cat that he heard pitter-patter out of Astrid's room.
Staying quiet he walked over to where he heard the creature was, and upon kneeling down he gently grabbed the feathered beast. Standing back up, though not all the way so he could sneak out of there without smacking his forehead on a door frame like the agile assassin tended to do. He walked around slowly as to not run into anything, he went back to where he was sitting to grab his cane. Which in this situation you think he'd leave, but considering it also is a sword and gun that could possibly save his life, he was going to take that little bit of time to grab it. Though it was hard to hold his cane and Ascalaphus at the same time, he managed. Walking with no sound as he always does, he walked towards the back entrance or exit in this case. Opposite of the commotion. Which he was feeling guilt because of leaving, not for anybody else then Astrid. Usually he is with her fighting, but now he is running away like a coward. Though, that's all he has been doing lately. And he absolutely hated it.
But he couldn’t let his emotions get a hold of him, not now. He didn’t have time to curl up in a ball and eat away at his own pride. Right now he had to concentrate on getting out of there without getting into a fight with any of the guards and especially not the phoenix that was demanding him to do the opposite of what he was doing. Which he was now determined to not do, though he was considering it earlier, and some parts of him still shouting at him to stop and give up. Saying there is no hope for existence and that he should just let the guildmaster’s pet to kill him. Not that it would be to hard for Ignite, considering her rank. Ignoring the shouting of his inner voices, he continued on.
Making it to the back exit, he quietly knelt back down and set the cat bird on the wooden flooring. He felt around the door for a little bit, trying to find the door knob. Upon finding it, he turned it and pushed open the door. He walked out, the creature leading him along. Closing the door behind him, he sensed that nobody was around, and Kaya’s summon must have also, because he grew up to the size of a lion. Taking a deep breath he got onto the back of the large beast, and he pulled his long muscular legs up so they didn't drag. This was a rather new experience for the eighteen year old, like I said, animals don't like him. So he's never ridden one before. Though he wished his first time doing so wasn't in a situation like this, he tried not to think anything of it. He flicked his long black hair out of his face before gripping on tightly to the feathers of the gryphon. Speaking silently to the creature, though feeling rather stupid in doing so, he leaned towards where it's ears are "Well Ascalaphus, let's get out of here"

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Ascalaphus twittered softly and happily as he grew and as Lucius climbed onto him. Once the lion-sized Gryphon was certain that the man he was ordered to protect was safely on his back and secure, the Celestial Spirit flapped its giant wings and began to quickly take off into the sky. Before long, they were soaring above the streets of Oahu, and would be at the portal in seconds. They were already well out of range of the spells from the army below, and though Ascalaphus could feel the heat from the flames of the bird-shaped fire thrown, he was determined to outfly it, already having a headstart. H-Rank range was roughly less than 300 meters or so, right? Even at D rank speeds, in the time it took for Ignite to launch the fireball, he had already moved beyond that range of fire. Once he reached the portal, the barn owl feline would gently land on soft paws, and lower himself to allow Lucius an easier time of getting off. The portal was right there- he could make it!

Kaya took a step back as Astrid told her to stop. What was the Ace of Topaz doing? They had enough time to stall the phoenix, who was in no way as calm or gentle as their guildmaster. Astrid did not have the power to take on Ignite, did she? The vampire highly doubted it, and clenched her teeth as she listened to her silver-haired friend confront the redhead with little to no fear in her eyes. So bold... but to what ends? Hopefully, Lucius was already making his way towards the portal with Ascalaphus.

The flames quickly came, and Kaya flinched backwards and blocked with both of her arms to avoid any massive burns. She was not directly confronting Ignite... so surely her 'guildmate' would not harm her along with Astrid? Only time would tell.

Lucius Foss ☺ Golden Phoenix ☺ B-Rank
I   c r e a t e d   a   m o n s t e r   a   h e l l   w i t h i n   m y   h e a d

The dark wizard tightly gripped the smooth feathers of the feline avian beast, he closed his blind crimson eyes to protect them from the wind. His silky black hair whipped behind him, he hugged the sides of the gryphon with his long and muscular legs. He couldn't see a thing, so all he could do was trust Ascalaphus to take him where he needed to go. The mage felt the fierce heat of the phoenix's flames hit him, but nothing much to really bother him, and the slight heat was quickly covered up by the cold wind that blew over him. While being flown away, he could feel a strong aura flood out, even from how far away he was. Though it was quickly going away to more he moved the opposite direction, but he recognized it. The silver aura of his sister, though unlike her usual kindness, it was filled with anger. He wasn't sure what pushed her, but he was slightly glad he wasn't there anymore. Only slightly, he still hated himself for having to run away. And even though his sister was in such an enraged state, he worried for her. She was fighting against someone who was H-Rank, that was quite a gap. Though he did have a lot of faith behind his sister's ability, could she really face somebody that strong, even at full strength? He pushed away the thoughts, he couldn't worry about that, not now.
But to be honest, what else could he think about? All he was doing now was fleeing, leaving his only friend and sibling to fend for themselves for his sake. They could've just turned him in, like the first Coming Storm deserved. But no, they weren't know for their disloyalty. Though weren't they being disloyal in doing this? Choosing him over their own guild? Why would they do that? It could very well get them banished for association with him, and helping him escape. He grinding his teeth and clutched the creatures feathers harder. Why would they do this, he doesn't even matter. He couldn't even protect himself anymore, he wasn't used to being blind, even with all his training. Something he was taught though, the weak fall, and don't even deserve to be around. Cause their so pathetic. He was that now. So why? So many questions flooded his confused brain.
Lost in his thoughts, and being forcefully pulled out when he lost all his breath do to the bird diving. He guessed he found the portal then, hopefully they could leave safely without and interruptions. Though knowing his luck, it wouldn't work out in some fashion. He lowered his head so it practically rested against the bird's head. Figuring sitting up would either make him fly off, ripping off some feathers with him, or slow down his ride. Neither sounded that good at the moment, so he went with the better option.

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