The Ghost in the Hunt

Mission Details:

The town of Talonia looked more like a place Belladonna would want to go for a vacation, thanks to the waterfall that the town had been positioned close to. She had heard that it was also a steeling ground for many mages who did not operate beneath the banner of any guild. That most likely included people who hadn't really seen any guild they could connect with, or those who had been disgraced from their previous guild, or more dangerously still, those who had a bounty on their heads. It was needless to say that this place was flavored with a tang of danger, but provided she kept her head low, she would not attract any unnecessary attention, right?

The mission she had accepted might just not give her the opportunity to stay hidden, but it was out of sheer curiosity that she had accepted it. Curiosity and the scientific desire to know more about the technology that prevailed in this part of Earthland. Belladonna had been very interested to know that there was a machine that did something with souls. The machine had the power to banish evil spirits, according to sources. So, it was odd that her source gave her this mission, because he, a man so completely covered that none of his features could be seen, informed her that he wanted her to look into the events surrounding the machine, and do something drastic to it if it was not only evil spirits it was invested in. Belladonna allowed herself a low chuckle. The mission was for a dark guild, but it seemed she might find herself doing some good. And that was pretty much what her contact had told her: "What matters is that we're doing the stuff that allows the good guys to stay good guys. That, or whatever appeals to your conscience."

Considering how bathetic the last part of his parting speech was, she waited for her accomplice to arrive. She was aware that she would be working alongside someone else, a woman like herself, but aside the fact that this person had been in the guild for longer than she was (and almost anybody had been in Errings Rising for longer than Belladonna), she knew next to nothing about her.

So, she would wait for her comrade, and hope that this woman would at least give her some space to carry out her scientific studies on the machine. Belladonna didn't like trigger-happy people much, a trait which virtually all the dark guilds were so full of. She sighed. Couldn't there just be some introspective dark mage that did stuff not just for the fun of it, but for some deeper reason?

Nibbling idly at the tip of one of the arms of her glasses, sitting on a park bench in a small square (the location designated as the rendezvous point) her eyes lazily trailed people as they passed by, noting with mild amusement how her Right Eye of the Mind identified the emotions of people as their eyes met. Of course, they all fell into three categories. What she found funny was how humans made so many assumptions based on a simple sense that could so easily be manipulated...

Beira made a mental note to herself to give herself a tour of this town, when she was through with her mission. It seemed like an interesting place enough, what with the market, the park, and even an arena. Although Beira was curious as to what sort of matches were held in the Arena, she was not particularly interested in doing anything violent... at least not just yet. There was quite a large possibility of her reason for coming to Talonia eventually devolving into a violent, if not bloody, endeavor. Humans, despite their pride in being rational, were not known for taking the most reasonable courses of action.

It seemed the job for today was simple: find a machine in some part of town that was turning evil spirits to mincemeat, and using said mincemeat to generate power. It sounded rather safe and even noble; after all, if the evil spirits were being such a problem, why not get rid of them, and at the same time, generate power for people to enjoy? Everyone benefited, except the evil spirits, of course, who at least found a way to be useful in death, where they weren't in life. But it raised a cogent question: if the power source was unlimited, surely there would be hardly an issue. But ghosts were not unlimited, and if this power company in charge of the ghost-energy-making machine began to run short on evil spirits, which it would eventually, surely their demand would clamor for energy, and they would find alternatives, which would probably not be of the evil variety. If that was the case, and Beira was sure it was, they would have to be stopped.

Of course, no one had complained, and the mission had come to the board of Errings Rising, and Beira, initially, had no reason to take it, until she saw the nature of the mission, and the fact that she was going to work with a guild member. So she took it, out of sheer curiosity, to meet the then newest member of the guild, as well as shut down this ghost-harvesting machine, if she determined it to be more harm than good. It would likely be more harm, she surmised, as Talonia was just a normal town, not known for any hauntings of evil spirits. Beira was sure there would be places with rather interesting cases of spirit infestations, so why this organization chose Talonia required a bit of investigation.

With most of her body shrouded by her trusty traveling cloak, Beira arrived at the park designated as the meeting point of the Errings Rising mages. The place seemed a little busy, but Beira quickly identified a young woman, of about a similar age as hers, dressed as though she probably might have come there to jog, if one chose to overlook the coat she wore; Beira could not be too certain as to whether Fioreans engaged in physical endeavors with such dressing articles, she knew next to nothing about current fashion. The purple-haired one was nibbling at her glasses and watching the antics of the milling humans with what looked, in Beira's opinion, to be delighted curiosity, or some such emotion. This was most likely the one. The Utgardian walked over to her and sat down beside her, offering a smile. "Greetings, stranger," she said. "A pleasant day to have, what's the term-- high spirits, isn't it?" If the woman was to be her mission partner, she would surely get the pun.


WC: 584
Total: 1120/7500

Belladonna's eyes rested on a young woman who approached her. As far as dressings went, this person was rather different from the run-of-the-mill Talonia denizen. Not many people walked about in a traveling cloak, in the city in which they lived. This yielded two implications: one, she was not from these parts, much like Belladonna herself; and two, she was probably a mage. Somehow, if you were to look for anyone with an outlandish dress sense, it just happened to almost always be that special ten percent that boasted of magical power. Belladonna's Right Eye of the Mind identified her has having cordial thoughts towards her... well, as far as her magic could identify it. This might just be the companion she would carry out this mission with. Silently, Belladonna watched her, hardly blinking even, until she had sat down and extended a greeting. Then Belladonna smiled.

"'High spirits!' That would depend on whether I should take your statement at face value or not. Either way, I reckon that we'll be having our senses full of spirits before today is done... and no, I don't mean alcohol. Greetings to you, too, 'stranger'... though I surmise that nomer might change relatively soon."

She extended a hand. "Belladonna Black, at your service."

The blonde lady seemed friendly enough, so it was likely they would get along fine, although some other yet to be revealed factors would determine whether they would work very fluidly together. Belladonna stood to her feet, her guild insignia more easily visible, now that she was standing.

"I would have loved to laze and watch all these people at their antics all day, but there's a bit of work to be done, my partner from Errings Rising."

Once the blonde lady identified herself as part of the guild, Belladonna would head off towards the mission destination, and attempt to compare notes. "So, there's this machine, right? I'm not really keen on busting it up or anything, but I need to know just what it runs on. I have reasons to believe that it was meant to get rid of evil spirits, but the current employers of its labor may be using other spirits undeserving of that torture."

Her green eyes focused on ahead, a subtle light burning behind them. "If that is the case, I'm going to shut it down permanently." The light faded, replaced by a glint of curiosity. "Hmmm, I wonder how that machine works, anyway." She suddenly turned to look at the blonde woman.

"I got a favor to ask of you, if you don't mind. I am interested in knowing just how this machine works. If I could study it a little just before we pop it, provided we even get to do so, you wouldn't mind obliging me, just for a moment, would you?"

By this time, they approached a building, which led into a small complex behind. A few people, about four or five, watched the two woman as they approached, their garb dark in hue, with various contraptions about them. Anyone versed in such knowledge would be aware that these people were ghost hunters by profession.

OOC:

The God Slayer was pleased; this was most certainly the one she was looking for, as the other woman did a bit of her own word play by manner of response. Beira studied the hand proffered to her with interest, then she took it and just held it for a moment before letting go, hoping that was exactly how to do the greeting. She was still quite ignorant of many of the customs and traditions of the day. "A delight to meet you, Belladonna Black," she replied. "I am Beira the Third, last daughter of Utgardr." One of these days, perhaps she would wrap her head around the culture of the times. For now, it was not urgent to do so.

Belladonna expressed a desire to continue to observe the humans, though she had to focus on the work that lay before the two mages. Beira rose with her, casting one more glance at the people in the park. "I agree with you on the matter of work to be done, friend," she replied, "but what I cannot see is what produces the interest you have in these people. Most humans are brutish and cruel, or ignorant and selfish. I have learned to bear them, but they are not particularly a thing of interest... at least not to myself." For the Utgardian, there was no need to show Belladonna her own insignia. The purple-haired one had already identified her as a guild member. "Shall we then be off?"

Belladonna seemed interested in crosschecking knowledge with her partner, something Beira was quite alright with doing. Even though this one seemed talkative, she appeared to be a cautious person. That was good. Most people Beira had met who were eager to speak had little in the way of consideration of strategies. "I think we are-- what's that Fiorean idiom-- on the same page, as far as knowledge of this machine is concerned," the Winter God Slayer replied. "I find myself surprised by your motivations concerning this mission; surprised but not displeased, for I myself did not think it necessary to try my hand at this venture, till I saw that it is some form of technology purported to vanquish evil spirits. Talonia is not a town known for the presence of the dead, so you are most likely correct. I do not think they have kept to using evil spirits exclusively."

Beira raised an eyebrow at Belladonna's request. "You are what people call a 'techie', then?" she asked, turning her head slightly to return the other woman's gaze. "Do what you will, then. As long as you do not take much time, I have no problems with you studying its witchcraft." To Beira, technology was no different from magic. Just that one she understood, and the other she didn't.

The men before the doors of the small building had strange equipment, and Beira made a mental note to herself to beware whatever they were. One of them drew forward and held out his hand. "Sorry, ladies, but this is private property." Beira nodded. "I am aware. But we must go in, for we have business within the premises beyond you." The man turned to look at his fellows with an incredulous expression, but he saw one of them staring at Belladonna suspiciously. "What's it, Graff?" he asked. The other man shrugged. "I think they're mages... that one seems to have a guild insignia, but I've never seen it before."

Beira's expression was deadpan. "How mighty observant of you. Now, may we pass?"


WC: 590 words
TC: 2235/7500

Prior to the point in time that the ghost hunters noticed them, Beira the Third, as she had introduced herself, piqued Belladonna's interest the moment she had heard that name. Belladonna couldn't boast of traveling to many places, but she had tried to make up for this by reading, and her interest in gods and demons had prompted her to study various lores, stories and mythologies. And it was possible, very possible, that somewhere on Earthland, there was some city, town or settlement called Utgardr, but the only Utgardr Belladonna had read of was supposed to be some sort of legend. She would have loved to ask Beira questions about that location, but she was aware that they had just met, and the blonde would almost certainly be unwilling to divulge personal information about herself. Perhaps later, if the two of them managed to form a bond.

Beira seemed sort of aloof to human behavior, like she was not used to it, which only further gave credence to the theory that Belladonna's new acquaintance and current partner was not likely from around these parts. She had a conception about human beings, which Belladonna found to be sadly true for many... perhaps even most. Still, there were still those that one could fight for. That aside, Beira also seemed to be not so conversant with human custom, at least Fiorean custom, if her behavior was anything to go by. And technology also seemed to be a distant concept for the blonde. Belladonna had laughed lightly.

"A 'techie'? No, I don't think I would readily call myself that, though you can say that I am deeply... interested in science, and as a result, technology catches my eye every now and then."

And now, at the current time, the two women stood before the two ghost hunters that had deigned to interact with them. Belladonna crossed her arms over her chest and pouted in mock offense. "Gee, Graff, didn't anybody tell you that it's rude to gawk at a girl? Besides, how does a fancy tattoo you don't recognize tell you that we're mages?"

The taller of the two ghost hunters, the one who had barred their passage, took another step closer. "Mages or no, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to leave..."

"Why would you want to do that? Everything's fine and legit in there, right?" she replied rather casually. The two men scowled. Belladonna didn't need her Benediction to tell her that the men were building antagonistic thoughts against them. She also felt that the whole outfit was probably fishy one way or another, judging from the men's reaction. So, she smiled at them playfully and waved, putting an arm across Belladonna's shoulder.

"Come now, there's no need to twist your undies into a knot. We were leaving already. So, ta-ta, folks."

So saying, she clicked a finger, and the two women simply vanished, like they were never there to begin with. Of course, the ghost hunters at the door were quite surprised to see them go like that, but the nature of Belladonna's magic ensured that such an event was often given little thought immediately after, like it was a commonplace thing. That way, no one would bother conducting a search.

In reality, the women hadn't gone anywhere, but were simply undetectable to normal senses. Belladonna held Beira's hand and led her towards a small door on the same building, but a little way aside. "No need for conflict, if you don't mind. We don't have to... ahh, locked." The door was locked alright, but that was not a serious problem to Belladonna. "A moment, please." She let go of Beira, touched the wall, then stepped through as if it wasn't there. A moment later, there was a click from the other side of the door, and it opened just enough to let Beira in.

The room beyond had two men working around some strange cages, which were all connected to an unseen point. So far, the men paid them no heed, since the room was large and they were not close enough to the door to notice the stealthy entrance. Belladonna grinned at Beira.

"Sorry I just took your hand like that. I'm aware some people don't like being touched and stuff, but I really..." She stopped in mid-sentence, a surprised expression crossing her face, as her hand rested on a cage right by the door. Then she looked at the cage, pulled her hand away and slumped to her knees, slightly paler than normal.

"Nggh! What on earth...?"

The cloaking Benediction failed, and the two men looked up and noticed the women. They ran towards them quickly. If anyone thought they were coming over to help, their conversation would swiftly drive such thoughts out of the listeners' minds:

"Wha...? How did they get in here?" "No matter," the other one replied. "Restrain them and get them into the cages. They can be explaining later. This is more energy for us." The first speaker chortled. "You got it, Lou."

Belladonna, meanwhile, now lying on her side, curled into a ball. "So... weak. Can't move... Sorry."

It was up to Beira to do anything to get them out of this situation.

Beira had nodded at Belladonna's response to whether she was, or was not, a techie. "Well then, I suppose I do not understand the meaning of the word properly. I must apologize for that," the Utgardian replied.

While the God Slayer was expecting there to be some rowdy occurrence involving the ghost hunters, Belladonna seemed unwilling to face them head-on, and while the God-Slayer didn't doubt her own ability to handle the humans before her, she considered that Belladonna's response was wise. It would be better to understand the exact nature of what the mages were going up against before bringing out the big guns. Of course, she was naturally intrigued when her guild mate snapped her fingers, and the two mages seemed to disappear. Afraid that speaking might undermine the concealing spell, Beira held her tongue until the two women were before the small door, and Belladonna spoke. Her curiosity only intensified when the purple-haired woman went through the wall to unlock the door from the other side.

"Oh, so you ALSO walk through walls?" Beira asked, fighting real hard to conceal her excitement. It was not in the nature of nobles to show their emotions readily... or at least, that was what her tutors had kept trying to hammer into her head. "You really must let me know what sort of magic you use." It was impressive to see that when the two mages had vanished, the ghost hunters neither seemed disturbed, nor were they subsequently apprehensive, like they expected the two mages to disappear, or somehow they had forgotten about them altogether. The magic of this woman seemed somewhat similar to hers, and Beira couldn't help but wonder if their magics were of the same, or at least, a related source. But all the questions and note comparing had to wait. The mission, as of then, still remained undone.

The Utgardian shut the door and locked it, before turning to Belladonna. She was about to respond to the other woman's apology for taking her hand, when Belladonna reacted strangely and fell to her kness. "Belladonna!" she said quietly, though the concern in her voice was clear enough, "what troubles you?" There was no time to get a response, as the two men in the room, who had, prior to this time, paid them no heed, now headed for them, talking about throwing the mages into the strange cages hanging around the room. It all suddenly seemed to make more sense to the God Slayer. Belladonna had touched one of the cages, and it had weakened her. Some of the cages had spectral forms in them, which meant that these constructions were most likely designed to draw out spirit energy and convert it into the power that ran the place. Not so clean a venture, if the ghost hunters were all for using live humans as energy sources.

Forming a dagger made of purple ice in her hand, Beira flung it at the chain which suspended a cage hanging almost over the men. The chain snapped, and the cage fell, almost on them, its strange bands bursting as it hit the floor. The first man ran round it, while the second used it as a step to propel himself over and beyond it. "Do you know how expensive one of those cages is?" one of the ghost hunters growled, as they closed the distance. But Beira had seen what she wanted to see. The cages were made of some feeble material, which was not a problem, seeing as whatever was in the cages would be too weak to burst out. Once broken though, the cages were as useless as deadwood.

The first man grasped at the Utgardian woman, but for all his trouble, received an elbow to the chin, which snapped his head backwards, sending him to the floor as he reeled from the whiplash. The other grabbed Beira's upper arms, but didn't expect a great level of strength from such a small person. Beira spun forcefully, forcing the man to move with her, before she stood on tiptoe, smashing her forehead into his nose as she did. He staggered backwards, flailing, and stumbled against the cage Belladonna had touched. He made a funny sound and collapsed, shaking like a wet rat. The first man was already rising to his feet. Hardy bastard. Suddenly, the handle of the door the girls had come in through turned, though it didn't open as the door was locked. "Lou!" came a voice from beyond. "What's going on in there?"

Graff and friends. How convenient. Perhaps Beira would just take out the large machine to which all those cages were connected. Though Belladonna had requested to be able to look it over, the Utgardian felt destroying it would be the safest thing presently to do. Dark purple mist formed between her hands, and the temperature dropped noticeably. Lou, who had been nailed by the elbow uppercut, tackled Beira just as she threw a spear of nether rime at the machine. As he slammed into her, she lost aim, and the spear sailed into the ceiling, severing a cable which branched to connect to half a dozen cages. The spectral figures in the cages let out an eerie cacophony as they felt their connection to the draining machine truncated, and began trying to claw their way out.

It seemed the door was about to be broken down, and Lou, in the meantime, was straddling Beira, trying to pin her arms to the floor. She had a trump card she could use, but she disliked using it against only one person. She'd wait until the other ghost hunters outside gained entrance, or the rabid ghosts broke their cages and came too close for comfort. Lou, for his part, seemed to be comfortable wrestling her on the ground, though every now and then, he cast a glance at the manic spirits. "How are you holding up, Belladonna?" Beira asked. "And don't worry about me. I think the both of us are enjoying this little romp."


WC: 1010 words
Total: 4119/7500

The initial feeling of vertigo and enervation was abating quickly, and Belladonna struggled to her hands and knees, talking in slow deep breaths. Her eyes were no longer swimming, and she could hear the ruckus that Beira was making while taking on the two ghost hunters. A second later, she could sense everything around: one of the men was already down, and the ones who had barred them passage earlier on had heard the commotion and were coming over. Belladonna had to carry her own weight and help Beira. Besides, she had never liked feeling weak and helpless.

Clenching her fists, she rose to her feet, swaying slightly as she did so. Her expression was sour, and for more than one reason. First, the strange soul-draining cage had made a fool of her, and she was feeling very vindictive. Someone was going to pay for that. Secondly, she had barely heard the discussion of the two ghost hunters who Beira was engaged with, but she had heard it. They had no scruples with using about just anybody for their energy production, and in Belladonna's book, that was a punishable offense. She looked up at the ghosts that struggled to escape the cages, and her suspicions were further realized: not every spirit was malevolent. By just looking at them, she could virtually see the 'evil' oozing out of them, thanks to her Right Eye of the Mind. So, they too, had to go.

There was a loud crash, just as she raised her right hand, ready to cast a spell. She turned and frowned in irritation, as the ghost hunters who had been outside came pouring into the room. "Much as I'd hate to spoil your date, we've got a lot of company..." In spite of her anger, she was mildly amused at herself at how her humor was still operational.

"Change of plans..." she thought, as she gestured with her left hand instead. Then, she stamped. In response, a glowing "arcane formula" appeared at her feet, and barely a second later, a mass of writhing black tendrils burst forth, most of them aiming for the ghost hunters. Lou would find himself lifted off Beira and hurled towards the nearest cage. Any ghost hunter who got ensnared would find himself or herself suffering a similar fate.

With a sense of disappointment, she noticed that most of the ghost hunters were hacking away at the tendrils, rendering some of them ineffective. So, she pointed, and some tendrils, which were not really busy, veered off and struck the cages that held some of the ghosts, specifically the ones that were not evil. Belladonna knew that they were desperate to get away, but if anything, they would attack the ghost hunters in their attempt to escape, giving the two dark mages more breathing space to gain an advantage against their opponents.

"Look alive, everybody! This is a free for all!" she yelled, as she ducked for a corner.

And truth be told, her words were rather accurate. For in a frenzy of fear, rage and vengeance, the freed spirits burst forth, about nine or ten in number, and began hurling glowing balls at anything they considered threatening. Belladonna laughed, because her plan was rather successful in her eyes. The ghosts did not target Beira or herself; much of their malice was aimed at the ghost hunters who had put them in the cages.

"What the devil...?! Quick, hunters! Let's put these spirits back where they belong! And can somebody deal with those errant mages before they cause more trouble for us?!"

Between the attacking ghosts and Belladonna's tendrils, it was a lot harder to carry out Graff's orders, but sooner or later, they would make a head way. Before they could accomplish such, however, Belladonna was bent on making things as difficult as possible for the ghost hunters. From Beira's earlier actions, she had realized that the cages were ineffective once they were not connected to the large machine. So, she picked up a sharp piece of broken cage, which could well be a makeshift spear, and fled further into the complex, aiming for the wires that connected the cages to the machine. As she did so, she yelled over her shoulder:

"Leave the ghost liberation to me, Beira. I can tell the ones which are not evil from the ones which are... Eeeeek!"

A blast seared over her shoulder from behind, missing her head by inches and striking a mass of wires ahead. Obviously, someone had fired a shot at her and missed, but the energy beam had just severed quite a number of cages from the machine. The explosion that ensued rocked the building, and several... no, quite much more than several cages dropped to the ground, shattering and releasing their inhabitants. With an unearthly wail, these new entries into the chaos (who obviously were not any of the "not evil" sort that Belladonna had earlier mentioned) unleashed a barrage of spirit fire at anything that moved and breathed.

The entire scene was a perfect description of the word "catastrophe".

To Beira's relief, her guild mate was able to shake off the effect of the soul-stealing cage, and get back up. Beira had feared that whatever enchantments existed on the cages might have permanent effects, or some similar hazard. So far, despite looking a little jaded, the purple-haired woman wasn't so much the worse for wear. And a good thing too. While the Utgardian had no problems with looking out for her teammates, she was quite aware that in a situation such as this one, in which chaos and danger reigned, the less people to look after, the better.

Whatever Belladonna wanted to do was put on hold, as the door standing between the ghost hunters outside and the room holding the strange soul harvesting device was transformed into smithereens, and Graff and his colleagues poured into the room, turning their weapons on the two mages. Beira was about using the spell she had planned to utilize, when black tendrils burst out of the ground, targeting the ghost hunters. It was certainly Belladonna's magic again. Its versatility was impressive, unless it was another magic type. As Lou was flung off the God Slayer, she rose casually to her feet, her expression one of mock disappointment. "Well, I'm still in the process of fully understanding whatever a date is, since you people seem to think it's more than just a day's designation on your calends," she said, "but I may safely conclude that you have indeed ruined my date. That being said...." Her voice trailed off as ghosts began bursting from their cages, going totally wild and throwing around luminescent balls, which Beira was sure were not in the least beneficial when touched. In any event, the ghosts seemed to know who their enemies were, and that was a good thing.

"Oh no you don't!" Beira intoned, clenching her fist and driving it into the gut of one of the ghost hunters who was keen on carrying out the 'handle the errant mages' part of Graff's orders before subduing the manic ghosts. The punched woman doubled over, but quickly recovered and swung her weapon at the Utgardian's head. Beira was sure she didn't know what the weapon did, though if she ventured a guess, its mode of action would probably be similar to those long range weapons Fioreans called guns. She'd read about their mode of action, and while impressed, Beira felt a bow and arrows would always be preferable to a gun, although that could just be because she was traditionally stubborn, and didn't like changing, especially when she was comfortable with the status quo. Ducking under the butt of the rifle aimed at her head, the God Slayer used her ducking motion to execute a sweep kick, knocking the woman's legs out from under her.

There was someone else behind Beira, aiming at her with one of those strange guns. Thanks to her sixth sense, she could easily discern him. Without so much as turning her head in his direction, Beira formed a solid ball of nether rime, about the size of a handball, and threw it over her shoulder. The makeshift projectile connected with his skull with a dull thud, and the man went down. Someone else was aiming close by, and Beira noticed it wasn't at herself. Spinning out of the way of a ghost hunter's punch, the Utgardian kicked the hands of the aiming man, causing him to misfire. Beira noticed that his shot narrowly missed Belladonna, but created new issues to be looked into: screaming ghosts throwing shiny stuff at everybody. And by everybody, there was no discrimination involved.

"Ungrateful wretch that you are," the God Slayer thought with no little amount of irritation, as she leaped out of the way of a ghostly orb aimed at her. Whatever Belladonna had said about being able to discriminate the 'nice' ghosts from the not-so-nice ones, Beira was not sure she totally understood. And as matters went, it was quickly becoming harder and harder to tell just which ghost was trying to escape, and which one was just trying to have her killed. With the unnatural shrieks of the ghosts, the yells of the ghost hunters, cages clanging and shattering, and an assortment of other noises, Beira wondered exactly what people outside the building who heard the noise would think, although she reasoned that no one would likely hear anything, as this facility was most likely to be soundproof, seeing as ghosts didn't seem to be the quiet, not-so-noisy sort. Well, with all the chaos, there was one thing to do.

"Anima Umbrae!"

If anyone was looking at Beira, they would notice that she just seemed to wink out of existence. Cloaked from the senses of those around, the Utgardian moved to a central position in the room, and prepared herself. Of course, she didn't have to be dramatic, but as someone who had been raised as royalty, who enjoyed receiving the respect that nobles were expectant of, it was only natural that she would learn to attempt to acquire this respect in the most dramatic way possible. She looked around her, trying to take note of whatever spirits Belladonna had said were not malevolent, but she didn't seem to see a difference between one spirit or another. She sighed. Collateral damage it had to be, then.

"Precept 91: Pulsus Mentis!"

Anyone who, by chance, happened to be looking towards the center of the room would see the Goddess of Winter suddenly appear, a stern expression on her face, and a bright greenish-white halo round her head. Then there was a flash, as the halo expanded outwards in all directions, smashing into everything within the range of the room, smashing windows, throwing cages all about, and sending everyone in the room flying into whatever obstacle stood in their way. In it all, Belladonna would find that the halo of force would simply wash over and past her, moving her hair a bit, but dealing her no damage.

"Silence, all! I grow tired of these frivolities."


WC: 1008 words
Total: 5976/7500

It was pure mayhem in the complex, with spectral explosions going off all around them, ghost hunters yelling and running to and fro, and of course, still trying to put down Beira and herself. The advantage of all the madness was that at least, the ghost hunters had more things to contend with. However, with the new turn of events, the two mages were also caught up in the 'more things to contend with' part.

It was now incredibly difficult for Belladonna to carry out any of her plans against the machine, what with all the disorder in the place. The tendrils she had conjured up near the door had been all but converted into calamari steaks, and most of what emerged from the arcane formula were pitiful stumps that flailed ineffectively, still trying to accomplish their mistress' bidding. The ghost hunters were having a little more success dealing with the ghosts, since that was their primary occupation, but the sheer numbers of released wraiths still made the success questionable at best. And at that point, one of the ghost hunters turned to look at her, and charged, wielding a strange glowing staff.

Belladonna had analyzed the ghost hunters enough to realize that for one such as herself, they would not be so easy to take down. She was not surprised that Beira was stronger than she was, as far as spells were concerned; after all, she was just a new addition to Errings Rising. Still, she would be damned if she was going to let Beira protect her all the time. She didn't come on this mission to be babysat. So, she braced herself, deciding to take him on physically. As her hand reached out to grasp the wrist of his bludgeoning hand, she kicked out fiercely at his unprotected shin. The element of surprise worked for her, and his charge became a stumbling hobble, making it so much easier to grasp his arm. She didn't bother striking him; because from what she'd seen happen between Beira and the ghost hunters, she could tell they were a hardy bunch. Instead, she quickly twisted his arm and in the same motion, snatched the strange staff from his grasp. The hunter reacted by wrapping his arms around her waist in a vice grip and lifted her off her feet.

"A bear hug?! Really?!!"

Do not be deceived; her mental humor was not proof that the move was not effective. In fact, Belladonna found herself gasp, as she felt her small body getting crushed in his grip. Unfortunately for the hunter, her pain only caused her grip to tighten on the staff. And seeing as it was still glowing, she quickly applied the luminous end to the exposed flesh of the man's neck. Almost immediately, his muscles relaxed, and a shudder went through his body. He tried to break away, but she pressed on, forcing the weapon onto him. From his reaction, the staff was much like those soul-draining cages, taking away strength of body in a single touch. If he was able to break away, he would recover, but if she did not permit him to do that... maybe it would be interesting to see just what effect this thing had on the human body. It might eventually kill him, come to think of it, and although Belladonna had taken lives in the past, her sense of justice (twisted as it might be) would not permit her to take his life, since she was not certain that he was actively trying to do her in. So, pulling the staff away, she kicked him in the gut, sending him staggering away and towards the large machine at the center of the complex.

What happened next was somewhat interesting, for while Belladonna thought he would recover and return for another round, on coming in close proximity with the machine, the man groaned loudly and collapsed, as if the staff was still being used on him. She looked at the staff, then at the machine, noticing some of the panels on the machine light up. Then it all made sense to her. The machine was more potent in its ability to drain out soul power than the cages, which was logical; it was after all, the source. Coming close to it was like touching one of the cages, or any other soul draining contraption. So much for studying the device. They would have to remotely destroy it.

At that point, she heard Beira's voice, and a powerful pulse of energy struck the entire area, thrusting everyone apart and about. Interestingly, she was completely unaffected, save that the wave tousled her hair further than it already was, sending some locks falling over her eyes. She pushed them aside and looked about. Many of the ghosts had been taken out, and virtually all the cages had been shattered. The remaining ghosts, now lacking a desire to fight, made good their escape through the shattered windows and doors. The ghost hunters, however, were still picking themselves up. Battered, shaken, bruised, but not defeated... except for the one who was closest to the machine. He was writhing, but slowly, his movements were getting weaker.

"The ghosts are gone. Get the mages," Graff growled.

"I'd tend to my wounded first, if I were you," Belladonna replied, gesturing at the fading ghost hunter. "Do something about your friend. I have a feeling he doesn't have long to live if you leave him like that."

Some of the ghost hunters exchanged glances, seeing reason in Belladonna's words, but Graff didn't seem to care. "You have your orders," he barked. "What the $#@% are you standing around for?!"

"So, he is nothing but collateral damage to you, is he?" Belladonna asked, her hands slowly clenching into fists. "You call yourself a leader, but you're lower than..."

"Enough talk!" Graff roared, as he fitted a gauntlet on his hand and charged, the gauntlet letting off a bright blue flame that tapered into a point.

Beira could swear something was wrong with this whole setup. Either nobody heard her except the ghosts, who had made themselves scarce, or the ghost hunters probably thought that Beira enjoyed flapping her gums simply because she felt like it. Her show of power didn't even cause them to give pause and weigh options. Beira wasn't the sort to show off unless she wanted to pass a point across. In this case, her point had been sorely missed, and the blonde Utgardian felt insulted by what she considered to be a slight on her person and her powers. That could not be borne

Before Beira could let hell in its coldest iteration loose on everyone and everything in the room except Belladonna, she noticed the man groaning near the machine, his movements and sounds slowly, but surely getting weaker at every moment. So, the machine itself was quite capable of soul energy absorption, merely using the cages as extensions of its own powers. It also appeared that, with the way things were going, the man closest to the machine would probably get his soul sucked out of himself and expire, a thing that Graff didn't seem to bothered about. Belladonna seemed angered by the man's apathy towards his fellow colleague, but Graff was done talking, as he equipped a strange gauntlet which projected what looked like an energy blade, and leaped forward, cutting the purple-haired woman off in mid-sentence.

Whatever Graff was, it wasn't totally inattentive to not realize that between the two Errings Rising mages, Beira was the greater threat. As a result, the burly ghost hunter made a beeline for the God Slayer, ignoring the fact that his other colleagues seemed quite divided between attacking the intruding mages, and trying to look to the well-being of their dying comrade. It was possible they also feared the mages attacking them if they tried to get to the man whose life was being sucked out by the soul-eating machine. Beira was almost certain, though, that it was Graff's wrath they feared more. Well, that didn't matter. The Utgardian was done playing, for her own part, and Graff would be the first to feel the effects of her wrath.

"Did you not hear me the first time, fool? I said, ENOUGH!"

With these words, the Goddess of Winter held up her left hand imperiously, as dark-colored mists swirled round her form. Just before Graff got within striking range, a shard of nether rime flew forth from Beira's fingers. The man held up his gauntlet-clad fist to deflect the projectile, but no sooner had it struck than he was frozen in place, covered from head to foot by purple-colored ice, his expression one of a silent cry of rage. "And there you shall remain," said Beira, gesturing with her right hand. "Precept 12: Flagellum Orci!" A beautifully-crafted black whip appeared in her hand, coalescing from black smoke and runes which seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Without turning, Beira flicked the whip backwards over her shoulder, as the length of the lash extended to wrap around the leg of the half-dead fellow beside the soul-eating machine. With an unspoken command, the length of Beira's whip receded to its original length, dragging the almost still form of the man to her feet. She looked at the ghost hunters.

"You may see to the health of your friend, or..." at this point, her expression darkened considerably, "you may dare my wrath, like your foolish leader." This being said, she turned to look at Belladonna. "Do you still desire to examine this machine, or shall it be done away with? You have the honor of making that decision, Belladonna."


WC: 616 words
Total: 7593/7500

Belladonna watched Graff as he approached Beira, but she made no moves to attack or resist him. There was something about the blonde mage that reminded Belladonna of textbook royalty. Perhaps Beira was some sort of queen where she hailed from, a place not likely a part of conventional Earthland, but somewhat more "traditional" in design. There was a possibility that all that "knighthood" chivalry and other similar behaviors were common in wherever Beira was from, and Belladonna knew that people with such mannerisms did not smile on others fighting their battles for them, unless they needed, or asked for it. Besides, Beira was more powerful than she was. Belladonna knew that she herself was no pushover, but the blonde most likely had it covered.

What happened next was very surprising, and, well... interesting for Belladonna. She had never seen a person frozen solid so quickly that their original facial expressions were preserved. She stared at Graff, who for all intents and purposes, appeared nothing more than a sculpture of purplish ice. An alarmed murmur rippled through the rest of the ghost hunters, who stared at their frozen leader in horror. Belladonna noticed the anger in some of their faces, but prudence seemed to get the better of them, for they stood still and made no movements. Belladonna slowly walked over to Graff and ran a finger over the smooth, frigid surface.

"This is not ice... yet at the same time, it is. It's a variant of ice magic, right? Must have pretty awesome preservative properties. This is amazing! You have got to let me..." Belladonna caught herself there. In her excitement, she had almost asked Beira if the latter would accept being "scientifically studied". But that was rude and improper, not to mention that even close friends hardly smiled on the thought of being studied in a laboratory. So, she adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "... uh, never mind that. Suffice to say, this is very interesting."

She said nothing after that, only watching as Beira pulled the dying ghost hunter out of danger. It looked like the royal, blonde, ice mage had a sense of decency about her that many dark mages didn't possess. Nothing stopped her from leaving him there to die; in fact, someone could have done so just to see how far the effects of the soul stealing machine went. This Beira of Utgardr would probably be a very interesting person to study... socially, of course.

The purple haired girl turned back and looked at the large machine. Studying it was out of the question; it wouldn't even allow her get close enough anyway. Something like it was better off destroyed, for, knowing humans, sooner or later, human beings would be put in there to power the area of town it supplied, and such unfortunate persons would most likely not be given the choice of when to take a coffee break. She raised a hand, then paused. Things were just about to get more complicated.

"Beira, it looks like townspeople are coming our way. And they seem not-so-friendly..." she said in a low voice.

She could have chosen to destroy the machine there and then, but she waited. Leaving an impression was much better than being able to, and yet not doing so. So, she continued, her voice still barely above a whisper, so that only Beira could hear her:

"Destroying the machine should put out the lights in the building. There will be enough darkness then to make good our escape, seeing as the windows are quite high up and narrow. If you feel like wanton carnage, you could use the cover of darkness to do what you want. I won't stop you. Hmm, they're here already..."

There was a clamor at the door in which everyone who was in the building had entered. Looking over her shoulder, beyond the ghost hunters who had also turned, Belladonna saw a small crowd of about twenty villagers, holding various equipment that could be used to deadly purposes, gathered at the door. They were all hostile, according to her Right Eye of the Mind, but they were definitely not as powerful as the ghost hunters, being common town folk.

"What's going on here? We heard noise and..." a portly woman at the head of the mob started, and stopped short when she saw Graff. The townsfolk needed no explanation: their power generating plant had been thrashed up, two complete strangers stood between them and the machine, and their beloved Graff was frozen solid. Belladonna could almost feel the hatred that oozed out of their eyes as they glared darkly at the mages.

"It's you skanks responsible for this?! Gett'em boys!" the woman yelled, as the crowd poured into the building. Without turning to face the mob, Belladonna cried in an ancient tongue, as she slapped her hands sharply:

"Hexa Bestia!"

Instantly, strange black balls of smoke erupted from an arcane formula that had appeared around Belladonna, rushing on to meet the first wave of the mob. Naturally, those behind stopped, but the first and middle row of irate villagers were not so lucky. Screams erupted from the townsfolk as they fell to their knees in pain, about ten or eleven of them. She was satisfied to see that the ring leader of the mob was among those affected.

"The evil doer, and the one who supports them, are guilty of the same crime, and all shall share the same fate."

So saying, she clicked her fingers, and a loud squawk followed, as the villagers who writhed on the floor were suddenly transformed into chickens. Naturally, panic hit the crowd, ghost hunter and townsfolk alike. This was the perfect time to make an exit. Belladonna said to Beira, "You can walk through walls, too, right? So, let's rendezvous somewhere far away from this crazy place, where we first met."

So saying, she pointed the index fingers of both her hands at the strange machine, and fired a powerful blast of psychic energy. The Primeval Schism tore into the machine, a mighty explosion rocking the building and filling the room with smoke. Instantly, all the lights winked out and the room was plunged into darkness. With a grim chuckle, Belladonna gestured and once again, cast the Transient Whisper on Beira and herself. Then she ran towards the wall closest to the machine and through it. Since no one would be able to see either of the two mages make their getaway, there would be no lynching mob running after them by the time the both of them made good their escape.

Sabotage, causing chaos, turning people into chickens... Belladonna was making quite the reputation for herself.

Beira watched with a passive expression on her face as the townspeople rushed in, makeshift weapons at the ready. She really wanted to ask them what made them think they could succeed where the ghost hunters had failed. Strength in numbers, maybe. With Belladonna offering to destroy the machine, it seemed there was little else to do. However, Beira didn't feel it would be so dignifying to just flee from the site of the mishap like a common thief. And while Belladonna thought she might be interested in creating carnage, the Utgardian was sure that if she wanted carnage, she would have started with the ghost hunters.

Her look of passiveness hardly changed, but a vein throbbed on her forehead when she heard herself referred to as a skank. But Belladonna seemed interested in flexing her own muscles, and the God Slayer felt interested in seeing what new thing the purple-haired girl's magic could do. And surprised Beira was, as the villagers caught within Belladonna's spell were transformed into, what, game birds.

"Chickens?! Really?!!" Beira said with a laugh, as the tension in the room increased. Of course, no one had an idea as to if the chicken transformation spell was reversible or not, except Belladonna herself, and given the way they had shown hostility to the two mages, Beira was sure nobody would want to ask her guild mate if or whether she would change the chickens back into humans. But at that point, Belladonna chose to make good her escape, thrashing the soul harvesting machine with a long range spell, and casting her cloaking spell on he two mages, before running through the wall. Beira had other plans.

She cast a spell, her Fabula Phantasmatis, and then began exhaling, reducing the temperature in the area with her Winter God Breath, though she did not inflict the damaging effects on the people gathered there. In the gloom of the dark room, made only more surreal by the dust and smoke raised when Belladonna had ruined the machine, a strange monstrous giant began to take shape, as ice slowly formed on everything present and a strange ghostly fog began creeping towards the people gathered. "If death is truly your desire," a demonic version of Beira's voice intoned from the midst of the light play, as the illusion made the sounds of objects freezing to brittle points rather audible, "then kneel here, and pay your last respects to the Goddess of Winter." At this point, whatever pretensions of bravery existed in the minds of the people broke, and they fled in a loud clamor, the chickens making their escape even more dramatic with the flappings and squawkings. Beira threw back her head and laughed, a very tickled gesture, though the illusion's effect made it sound ever more ominous. Then with a wink of black smoke and runes, she was gone. All that was left to mark her presence was the unnaturally colder temperature within the building, which soon dissipated, leaving the lone ice statue of Graff the Ghost Hunter.



WC: 508 words
Total: 9220/7500