The quest is a trip to the major cities of Chicago where children of the goddess Nemesis are rampaging and going against the very thing their mother stands for; these kids were independent of the Broken Covenant and Camp simply put Rouges. Burning the city to the ground seemed to be their intention by fueling riots among mortals, gathering in areas to attract monsters then loosing the on mortals, and punching and kicking through anything they considered in their way. Chicago hadn't been through anything this severe since the riots of 1968 and like those if not stopped the city was gonna Burn Baby Burn. Harmond is sent there by Nemesis as a favor to the goddess, though unbeknownst to him, he is going to finally find a balance between himself having to choose to be either Harmond or Dismond, Vi will unearth secrets about Jiminey (his surrogate father) and the demigods he failed to save, Blake will be adding more badass than anybody should legally be allowed to have, Nyxil is going out of a sense of duty and purpose to punish those who need to be punished and Luke.....well he is just along for the ride.
Harmond goes on this quest because when he was on the streets in New York he went by the name Dismond. Chicago is a ways away from New York but goes because he believes it is more than coincidence someone would use his "name". After asking permission Harmond sent on a quest to stop the Broken Covenant demi-gods in Chicago after asking Alex to defend his honor and name.
Force Harmond to choose who he is and live life without regretting his parents death or blaming himself for every single thing that goes wrong in his life
The questers will receive gifts as the quest progresses form various places
Harmond-A set of light armor that surpasses any man made armor to date but has the mobility and weightlessness of air itself; it's durability is like that of dragon scales making it hard but not impossible to penetrate. Has an ability called peacekeeper that activates under certain conditions such as a demigod or magical beast using his/her 369 power or an onslaught of magical energy. It pushes the armor to it's limit then suddenly he can activate the peacekeeper ability which shuts down all supernatural abilities for five minutes or deactivated at his command. It when under heavy assault and the belt strips him of his ability to make peace with people while active.
Luke-A set of full arm Asian gauntlets from the shoulder to his fingertips which add protection for his arms increasing his durability and power. The gauntlets have been passed down through a family of warriors dating back a few centuries and have been imbued by their spirits. The gauntlets would grant the wearer full knowledge of three fighting style martial arts from that time.
Vifera-A Belt that allows him to borrow one specific ability from an animal that he has a forged a very strong bond with like one of the wolf cubs he grew up with or the mountain lion who raised him for a brief period. He can only borrow one ability at a time and must return it before borrowing another ability and the ability is returned immediately if the belt is taken off; it is extremely difficult to cut or pierce it while the ability is active but it will be a normal belt when the ability isn't and won't be as difficult to cut or pierce. Though the belt does not drain energy the ability will slowly lose strength the longer it is in use giving a three minute time limit to each ability used. He can only borrow four abilities in succession before his body needs time to rest and readjust to being human again. Any abilities he borrows that cause a change in his physical make-up that are drastic (such as wings or claws) needs more time to grow out from his body but last longer than abilities that only slightly alter him (like greater sense of smell). (He is not becoming the animal he borrows the ability from. Example: Borrowing night vision from a hawk or claws from a wolf)
Blake-A hell-fire imbued shape shifting weapon which is linked to ancient Japan. The weapon changes into a different ancient japanese melee weapon every 24 hours and can freely attack with a limited supply of hell fire from the user. The weapon acts as a vessel for the child of Hades hell-fire ability specifically; which would lessen the cost of using the weapon but would still consume energy. (No giant weapons. It's not specific to any weapon family just melee weapons on a whole. For example, it can one day be a whole set of shuriken and the next it can be an odachi)
- Camp Half Blood: start of the quest:
- The grey sisters Taxi
- Rockford, Illinois
- Chicago, Illinois
Quest RolePlay
It is normal morning in every way, shape, and form and Harmond was starting off his normal routine with a bit of breakfast and then going to go for a jog. As he walks past the dining hall some demigods on the steps say a few keywords that catch his ear and make the day anything but normal.
At Camp
Harmond As Harmond walks past the dining pavilion he catches the end of another demigods conversation -CKENING! That any child of our mother could ever do something like this! I should find Dismond myself and beat him into a bloody mess if only to restore BALANCE! Harmond stops on his way up the step and glances over the yelling boys shoulder wondering what the fuss is about when the head line shouts CHICAGO RIOTS ARE SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL. "May I read that paper? The headline looks pretty interesting friend" Harmond says and reaches for the paper the other demigod giving it up with distaste for the article. Harmond reads through it his dyslexia reversing a lot of the words but he gets the main message someone is running around with his name and taking Chicago apart and he has a flare of anger that makes him crumple the newspaper by mistake. I need to go see about this! And fast he thinks taking off for the big house in a hurry.
Luke: He overhears Harmond shouting about the mess in Chicago. He raises an eyebrow curioudly as Harmond runs toward the big house. "That idiot does know he might die alone, right? Well, this could be fun, a fight to the death with nem's kids." He thinks with a grin spreading across his face. He shadow travels to the big house and sits at the front porch, waiting for harmond.
Vifera He is walking out of the woods near the big house feelin conflicted after hearing some news from a few satyrs while he was passing. Everyone accepted Jiminey back. Why is this such a problem! What happened in Chicago that everyone is trying to cover up! He looks up and sees a boy running fast for the main house and another popping up on the steps of he house and he raises an eyebrow wondering what's going on. He decides to find out and jogs over to the front steps getting there just before the boy makes it onto the porch himself.
Harmond Harmond leaps and glides up to the top of the steps his powerful leg muscles carrying him to the front door with ease. He notes the campers there but breezes pass them while he goes looking for Alexander I am going to get to the bottom of this! No one calls themselves Dismond and then blazes through a city sullying my name. He is almost to lost in his thoughts to notice Alexander and nearly bumps into him "Alexander, Sir! We need to talk about Chicago." Then he sits down and converses with him making his outrage known and persuading Alex to let him journey onto to a quest of this magnitude. He leaves the house under one condition: That he bring along at least three other skilled campers whose skills can work on groups en masse. Immediately his thoughts go to the two outside the house and he decides to ask a camper who is a child of one of the major gods; an with this in mind he steps outside and looks left and right before speaking "Hello. Names Harmond. You gentleman looking to get out of camp for a looking for a while?"
Luke: "Of course. I already know where you're heading. Can you fight or are you just looking for people to hide behind?" He asks, raising his eye brow at harmond, trying to figure him out a bit.
Vifera "I will lend my aide. Inside I overheard you guys speak of traveling to Chicago. I have business down there to attend to." His amber eyes go from one boy to the next wondering if he agreed to this to hastily out of a desire to know more about Jiminey but figures it is too late to back out now.
Harmond Harmond pauses to consider how they overheard him from inside but pushes that to the back of his mind after hearing the question the standoffish one asked. "If I needed someone to hide behind I probably wouldn't have asked you. I can fight well on my own but where I am heading I will need more than just these two hands. My name is Harmond. Will you help me?" He says this from a place of sincerity but with authority showing the Luke kid this is a request but that he is also unknown as of right now.
Luke: "So long as Fido here doesn't bite me then i'm onboard." He grins smugly at Vifera, not forgetting their little altercation before all this.
Vifera Vifera looks at Luke without blinking for a while then turns back to Harmond and nods his eyes still an unearthly beast like hazel since the fight a few weeks ago but his mind a totally different thing altogether.
Harmond He senses some kind of tension between the two besides him but thinks nothing of it walking briskly down the steps towards the cabins of the big three kids. I have to get my stuff before we leave. Gonna need some cash and clothes he thinks to himself before realizing he never got the names of the boys behind him. "Yo! I am Harmond. I said it before but neither of you gave me you names."
Luke: "I will tell you when you tell me your reason for going toward the strongest cabins."
Vifera Vifera walks behind the two boys but catches what Harmond says and realizes his rudeness "I am Vifera Savage child of Cybele" he says with confidence. I can sense strength emanating from this direction and the other boy just spoke of strength. I wonder what his plan is?
Harmond "Two things. First, you ask a hella of a lot of questions and that may get annoying in the future. So stop that. Second thing, I am heading this way to find a child of one of Zeus, Hades or Posiden. Why? Because we may or may not need one of them and I would rather have what I don't need then need what I don't have." He finishes his statement just as he enters the inner ring of camp half blood and into the space of the Elite among demigod.
Luke: He rushes toward the Hades cabin and knocks down the door, screams and shouts can be heard from him then....silence. He flies from inside the cabin and lands with a shallow slash across his chest. Getting up, he eats a piece of.ambrosia he has stored in his jacket. "Ok. Ok. I get it. No entering unnannounced but you are helping anyway." He says as a dark figure appears in the doorway of the cabin, using the shadows to conceal itself, it stares in Vi and Harmond's direction. "Oh this is my friend, Blake."
Vifera Vifera stares momentarily taken aback but not at all surprised but the sudden appearance of someone else "Harmond I must fetch a few items from my room before venturing with you all. I will wait by your cabin for you to make your there." then he sinks into the ground slowly his eyes still on Luke disappearing into the earth.
Harmond Harmond nods to Vifera as he sinks into the ground and looks back towards the strange people he maybe questing with in the future. "Hmm alright seems as though we have everyone we need to start this quest. Now I need both of your names before we leave and then I need to go and pack some stuff." He stands there waiting for a response.
Luke: "I am Luke. Son of Hypnos, yada yada yada."
Blake: He disappeared from the doorway and appears behind harmond, slinking from behind him. "I am Blake."
Harmond Harmond isn't one to scare easy and guesses where Blake will appear as soon as he sees the shadows shift his diamond blade appearing in his left hand the tip pressed to Blake as he slinks closer. "Both of my weapons have the ability to hyper extend stretching to more twenty five feet and with more force than a bullet. We maybe on the same team but you aren't trusted just yet. Catch my drift." He finishes not having turned around once and his sword disappears his ring solidifying into diamond again "Well now that introductions are out of the way I think all of us have some packing to do. Chop chop." Then he turns and walks pass Blake and in the direction of his cabin not looking back to check if they are following or not. "MEET ME AT THE DINING HALL! ME AND VIFERA WILL WAIT THERE FOR YOU!" he shouts back after remembering it.
Blake: His face is 50 shades of apathy as he walks to the dining hall, dragging luke along before he can fall asleep.
Harmond Harmond changes clothes packing for cold weather with a leather jacket, some blue jeans and a white tee a book bag slung over his shoulder with a couple of things he may need. He notices Vifera on the side of the house and waves to him urging him to meet at the dining hall. He meets up with Blake and Luke a couple of minutes later. "Let's get some food and head out. I say we take one of the crazy taxi's for greek mythos. The ones driven by those sisters."
Blake: He nods at Harmond's words and backhands luke who fell asleep.
Luke: He falls onto the ground and holds the left side of his face. "ALRIGHT. I'm up damn it. I agree, call the damn eyeless triplets."
Vifera Vifera wonders in his head Who are thee eyeless triplets? Why is there a taxi services for demigods anyways?.
Harmond Harmond nods and picks his bag off the floor walking towards the entrance of the camp his goal becoming clearer in his mind. I have to get to the bottom of this! I wonder who this guy is and why is he doing this?! He tunes out the rest of the group while lost in thought and mumbles to himself out loud because of it.
Blake: He reaches into his coat for a moment and takes out a drachma, throwing the drachma at the ground past the entrance, he recites the words that bring the gray sisters. "Stêthi, Ô hárma diabolês!"
Luke: He watches as smoke starts to erupt around the drachma, he stares at the mumbling Harmond and prepares his gauntlets in case he needs to literally smack some sense into him.
Harmond Harmond looks up when he notices movement and raises his eyebrow as Blake starts speaking in a language that sounds incredibly familiar. Then he notices Luke string at him and putting on gauntlets and he wonders if he will have to fight one of them before everything is said and done. Shaking his head he glances at Vifera and notices him completely enraptured by the process even mouthing the words as Blake says them.
Vifera Vifera is completely captivated by the ritual taking place and his eyes widen when a taxi arrives a few seconds later three very old ladies talking fast and loudly in the front seat. I don't think I am getting in. Time to head back. Vifera makes a move to head back into camp when he catches Harmonds eye and decides to walk to the car. I feel the same vibe from him as I did from the father wolf of the pack as I was young. Though faint I feel as if he maybe an Alpha.
Blake: He stares back at them all as he gets into the car and glares at Vifera for that little attempt to leave them at this point, already giving up before danger has begun to spell itself out for him. He looks forward in the car and listens to the chattering of the monster cab drivers as they say something about chicago. A plan hatches in his mind but he cant initiate it just yet, everyone needs to get in, so he glares at themm all with authority, his eyes saying to hurry up.
Luke: He watches as blake files into the car silently, wondering why he hasnt said anything officially yet other than the summoning. He shrugs, putting his still gauntlet covered hands into his pockets, going in after Blake the moment he gives them that look. A look that seems funny coming from a guy who looks and acts like an emo but from what Luke knows Blake could kill them if he wanted to.
Harmond Harmond hops into the car blatantly ignoring both of the people he is in the car with and waits for Vifera to get in. These twos have serious issues now it is a definite. Gonna have to fight them. I'll ask them what the hell is the problem when we hop out the car.
Vifera Vifera is walking to the car when he catches the glare from Blake and smiles showing his canines and his lack of care for the murderous intent he feels coming from the boy. He smells like death. I don't like either of them very much and I still have to keep my guard up around this Harmond character.
Blake: As soon as everyone is in the car, he tosses an extra drachma to the gray sisters and watches as the one with the tooth bites down to check authenticity. He tells them to head to rockford first since he remembers that rockford is close to chicago and it may have been targeted. As soon as the crazy cab starts speeding towards the direction of rockford, blake takes a peek at the sisters and spots the one with the eye. He makes luke blast the three sisters with sleep waves which makes the car start to spin out of control. He takes the eye and demands that luke wake them up and watches as luke smacks them awake. As soon as they realize blake has their eye they start to freak out. Constantly chattering about how they need the eye begging for him to give it back. "QUIET! I want to know. Like perseus before me. And that poseidon kid before.me too. I need information. For our quest. Are we enough to fight this. And no protesting to my request or this eyeball will becomung nothing but a memory to you three." He manages a sickingly sweet but dangerous smile as the sisters calm down and start to ramble on about the city that shares the winds. They mention a dangerous man of shadows, matted in blood and dust. A raggedy child, fighting for protection of those who cant protect themselves from the demigod world. As soon as he pieces together who they mean, he tosses the eye back and lets them continue driving toward rockford.
Vifera Vifera is having trouble breathing, thinking, or moving while in the car realizing it is his first time and it is going to fast for him to process anything. He hears Harmond ask hi if he is alright but he cant muster the strength to reply though his claws come out and he stabs them into the seat as the car spins out of control. He breathes in quick and short breaths feeling panicked confined and close to the death in the crazy car ride. When will this end!
Harmond Harmond checks on Vifera as the car jerks but hears everything exchanged between Blake and the sisters before thinking in his mind. He meant that! He meant every word! Whether monster or beast you never speak to anyone like that. Harmond clenches his fist in frustration and sits the rest of the ride in silence.
Tensions are high as the demigod teens enter the great state of Illinois Blake hiding a master plan, Luke in it for the ride, Harmond dealing with the monsters on either side of his mental door, and poor Vifera who just wants to touch land again. As they pull in the three conscience sees traffic on the other side of the highway leaving Chicago and entering Rockford and all of thm feel the trouble because of it. For the first time the whole trip all of them agree that something Must! Be! Done! As they think that, another boy, playing a crucial role in the journey. Fights his own demons across Chicago searching for answers to questions unknown and to slaughter the traitorous demigods he have unleashed bloody hell on earth.
Rockford, Illinois
Blake: As soon as he steps out of the taxi, he looks around the city and he notices a few fires, the sounds of people crying and screaming and a handful of monsters rampaging throughout. He tilts his head and unhitches one of his swords in anticipation, looking back at the cab, he waits for Vi and Harmond to get out since Luke fell out onto the ground, completely knocked out.
Harmond Harmond hops out of the taxi from the door that he is on and immediately begins stretching getting all the kinks in his body with his eyes closed stopping hen he smells the smoke. How long was asleep! he thinks looking around the carnage we are only in Rockford how bad will it be in Chicago. Then he summons his obsidian blade and launches it piercing a hell hounds leg while it is sprinting in the opposite direction of a fire.
Vifera Vifera hops out of the taxi on all four of his limbs holding back the dry heaves he is feeling in his chest. Never again shall I ride in another vehicle he only just barely moves out of the way of the taxi a it speeds off somewhere else. Then he opens his eyes and realizes all of the violence and wreckage of the city his brain having a hard time registering the screams. Both of his hands go to his long sword the celestial bronze covered in vines that writhe showing his anger "Let's go hunt. The bastards that caused this must pay!" He looks towards the Hell hound Harmond pierced and he dashes towards it jumping into the air and turning his blade upside down burying it to the hilt into the back of the demon animal "Suffer" he says lowly.
Luke: He groans as he gets up, partially woken cause of sounds of a small explosion. He gets up, standing next to Harmond, he stretches and loud pops can be heard as he cracks almost every part of his body. As soon as his eyes rest on the mound of hellhound dust with a savage on it he turns away from the sight and notices another hellhound running through the fire toward him which makes his eyes light up immediately. "YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!" He screams now that one of his dreams has the chance of coming true. He pounds his rings together which cause his hands to become covered by clawed gauntlets. "Fido. You can sit this one out. You too peacemaker. Blake you better stay out of this. That thing is mine." He tells them all, a smile on his face, the last sentence emphasized by him dragging his thumb across his neck. He tenses up and speeds toward the hellhound ready to take it head on. He slams directly into it which sends them careening into a building. The hellhound tries to take a bite of his torso but he wasnt having it. He put his claws through the roof of its mouth and his other claws into its left eye. He pulls his left hand out of the monsters mouth and stabs its right eye, rendering it completely blind. The hellhound trashes and tries to bite him without reservation, it was pissed. He gets cut by one of its teeth but smiles even during the pain. He finishes it off by stabbing both his claws into its side and runs forward as his claws trail down it body making flesh ribbons as it explodes into dust. He dusts himself off and flashes a small smile toward them all as he falls asleep on his feet and starts to snore.
Vifera Vifera hops off of the mound of dust and mutters "but I am the savage one." before swinging his sword clear of dust and looking at his own body. Hmm I wonder then Vi thinks briefly and the monster dust starts to move floating off of him and onto the pile of dust. Dust and sand are lethal but he is bought back to the present when the screams reach his ears again and he looks around at all the demigods with him. "What is the next step?" directing his question at Harmond.
Harmond Harmond unsummons his blade and thinks for a moment "We have to get to Chicago. The area is bad and it will get worse, unless we kill it at it's root." Harmond reaches into the pocket inside of his jacket and pulls out a map scanning it for a moment "We need to follow this street until we hit the subway station. Prepare yourselves gentleman. The sounds of chaos and screams gets louder from here." Then he draws both of his weapons and takes off at a jog for the subway station noticing Vifera fall into pace behind him and some sort of dirt or dust flowing into the sword holsters on his waist. I wonder what that is for but he thinks nothing of it and continues running eyes peeled for another monster.
Blake: "No. We have someone to find. We need him." His first official words to any of them ring with the sound of authority. "We need him to do this. If you arent adverse to it.....harmond, is it? We need to find the place where the most kortals are in danger here."
Harmond: Harmond stops just as he settles into his groove and walks back "...Fine we will try it your way. I am going based off assumption anyway." He looks towards Blake "How will we find that though?"
Blake: He gestures around the corner to an unknown street the sign having been ripped off. The screams are the loudest there and nowhere else. "Like you said, boss. The screams get louder from here."
Vifera Vifera follows Harmond as he moves towards Blake walking side by side the child of Hades presumably discussing the person they are trying to find after hearing Harmond ask "Who is this guy we are looking for". He thinks to himself The line about the screams was only significant when Harmond said it the first time. It was almost mockingly the way Blake said it back. There is still much I need to learn. Speaking of learning. Vifera looks back and notices Luke still sleeping which causes him to sigh heavily before making a vine unwind from his sword holster which slithers across the street, wraps around the other boys leg and pulls, turning around once he finishes trying to move the sleeping demigod.
Blake: He walks toward the screams with a nonchalant stride, he is visibly disinterested not even disturbed by the bloody howls and the sound of monsters and people alike being cut down. "I've meant to ask, Harmond. You seemed upset in the taxi. Why?"
Harmond Harmond responds while facing forward being watchful of their surroundings "If I am being completely honest. It is because I don't like your attitude and I feel an asshole type vibe from Luke. He called Vifera Fido Vi let it slide but I wanted to punch him." He pauses and stares down an alley catching movement from the corner of his eyes "I won't tell you to change yourself but at least be fucking cordial! It will be a long trip if you don't." Then he catches movement again and sees particles of sand floating in the air spaced out thinly so you have to stare hard to see it.
Vifera Vifera lifts the sand out of his sword holster and throws a couple handfuls into the air holding them in the air with his mind. Tedious but bearable. I could keep this up for a decent amount of time before becoming winded. With the sand in the air and surrounding the group it is as if Vifera gains another sense able to detect disruptions in the sand. I wonder who is it that we are looking for. Where is this person we must find.
Blake: "Cordial? I am friendly, but we are a long way from me being warm and Luke calls Vifera that, cause they fought." He informs Harmond in a matter of fact tone not yielding to an attitude change, especially when it is not advised, he needs to be cold and disinterested in these situations and not overly nice. "My attitude is right for the types of things we do, we will kill people today, even if they are our enemies, if i was all warm and bubbly i doubt i would have the stomach to do such a thing, but i do due to my attitude. As for Luke, he is nice once you get to know him." He turns his head to look at Vifera. "I hope you manage to be able to use that in a fight and not just for barely visible show."
Vifera Vifera's eyes widen and then narrow Hmm maybe I should extend the field....though it will cost more energy. As he thinks this and is expanding the field something passes just overhead disturbing Vifera's sand field and alerting him to presence. Vifera looks up, startled to see a flock of sty bird flying towards a rooftop some feet away seeming to be raining sand and dust particles. Looking closer he makes out the shape of giant ants scaling the wall of the building in a hurry seeking to get to the top and end whatever is causing the disturbance and harpies surrounding that building as well. Looking around him he sees hell hounds on the rooftops of several buildings near this building one in the process of running towards the edge to initiate a shadow travel. Vifera doesn't waste anytime and breaks into a run leaping past the leaders of the group and landing on all fours taking off fast enough to keep up with the birds. His sand flows behind him like a tail until it reaches him and pours back into his holster filling it to the brim again with sand.
Harmond: Harmond nearly can't comprehend what he is witnessing because he had never seen so many monsters in one place at one time. This only stops him for a few moments when Vifera brushes past him, leaping over his head actually, and rushes towards the building in the distance. Someone might be in trouble!! and with that in mind he breaks into a run his swords out with a thought and his blood pumping. Glancing up at the birds Harmond is reminded of his fight with the vulture kid and fires his sword at a nearby building swinging into the air, his goal getting to the building as fast as possible.
Blake: "Hm." He jogs to the building, as soon as he gets in its area, he picks up a few pebbles, the throws one up and shadow travels onto the side of the building, falling, he throws up another one doing the same thing repeatedly until he ends up on the rooftop, slashing at some giant ants and a few of the other monsters, he waits for the group to hurry up.
Luke: He follows blake's example and end up in front of a harpy, he yanks at her wings and starts punching rapidly until, in her weakened state, she plummets down to the rooftop and explodes underneath Luke's fist the moment they hit the ground.
Harmond Harmond fires his sword again and ends up piercing a Harpy through it's wing the body holding out long enough for him to latches onto the body of the ant next too Blake. Harmond cuts off one of it's antenna and it responds by scuttling up the roof faster in an attempt to throw him off but Harmond nearly laughs at the attempt and is still on the ants back when it climbs over the lip of the roof. Harmond firing both sword through it's brain and turning it to dust before running forward and jumping into the fray noticing a lone demigod holding his own against the hoard. He is caught off guard when Vifera pops up next to him roaring like a mountain lion and launching into a furious attack using his claws and his sword in a combination of beast and man. Not to be outdone he narrows his eyes at a nearby roof and remembers a hell hound was supposed to be popping by soon.
Nyxil: Nyxil made his first mistake of the night: while dodging another swooping harpy, he slipped on the half-inch of monster dust that layered the rooftop. He had intended to swing wide with his right-hand chakram and cut the harpy as it passed, but the unexpected fall threw off his timing; weighing his options in a heartbeat, he chose to throw the chakram behind his back instead of catching his balance. Suddenly the frenzied swarm of harpies surrounding him saw him fall and cast aside their caution, descending in upon him like a tornado. Nyxil summoned a shadow spear up from under himself while rolling away from the first of the harpies, which impaled itself with a shriek. Another met a similar fate a moment later as it dove head-first into Nyxil's sword, narrowly raised as he laid on his back. A third raced forth, only to be decapitated as Nyxil somersaulted toward it and slashed while springing into a backflip. He struck a fourth that had been coming from behind as it passed under him. A fifth met its demise as he landed on it at the height of his flip and drove it to the ground, sword piercing its neck in the process. All the while, a blur of light in the shape of a wolf ran circles around him. The first of the stymphalian birds to reach the rooftop immediately set its sights on Nyxil, only to be bitten out of the air. Daybreak glanced about in search of other immediate threats once the bird exploded between his teeth, but instead noticed instead with a start that other demigods had appeared. Did you call for backup, Daybreak asked Nyxil across his empathy link while intercepting another bird on his way toward Blake. I though we were doing well. Nyxil spared a glance toward the subject of his pet's attention and smirked, but was forced to turn his attention to a lunging hellhound before he could say anything.
The hellhound never makes it to Nyxil as Luke tackles it and Blake comes in behind him to stab a few holes in it. Blake throws his sword into one of the harpies and cuts the wings off another as Luke bashes a stymphalian bird and tears off its wings. Blake throws his sword into the air and luke throws one of his rings as they both switch weapons. Blake smashes some giant ants as Luke starts to hop from harpy to harpy, bringing them down with a slash to the wings. Blake takes his focus off the monsters and heads toward daybreak and Nyxil.
Blake: "The cavalry has arrived. You may thank me later." He says with a smug smirk toward nyxil, he bends down to daybreak and tilts his head. "He hasn't killed himself yet, so i guess i have to thank you. How though?"
Nyxil: More oth thaht shteak from your manshthon, Daybreak says through a mouthful of stymphalian bird. For some reason the chewing got in the way of his purely telepathic speech. The bird explodes into monster dust. A second later, Nyxil notices three giant ants crest the rooftop and throws his sword to Daybreak. The wolf catches its handle in his mouth and darts toward the ants, dodging under the jaws of the first and slashing off one of its legs. Nyxil draws a chakram to each hand in the blink of an eye and shadowtravels into the air to imitate Luke's stunt.
Blake: He doubles back to luke and grabs the ball and chain that is hidden in his jacket, he starts to swing it until its becomes nothing but a blur in the air, he swings it toward some of the giant ants heading towards daybreak "I got you. Nyxil is no help at the moment, so why don't we team up. I'll give you a steak for each grounded monster you kill. I'll give you two for each airborne monster you kill. If you agree, bark once or do whatever you do to convey acceptance." He says all this as a stymphalian bird and a harpy speed toward his back. He jumps as they speed under him, he swings the ball and chain to wrap around the harpy, he jumps from the harpy to the stymphalian bird and wraps it in the rest of the chains length. He unhitches his 2nd sword and calmly stabs both monsters.
Vifera: Vifera is thrown off by the strong scent of another wolf and breaks his rhythm for a moment pausing in the middle of a flip; his sword balanced on his foot and one hand on the roof supporting his weight. His eyes narrow at the wolf and he sends it a message telepathically What pack are you blood too and from where do you hail? While motionless a styphalian bird attempts to pierce him with it's beak from behind but disturbs his sand while passing prompting Vifera to spin on that hand and kick his foot downward. His vines wraps around the body of the bird and it squawks allowing him to drive his blade through it's mouth of the bird blowing it to dust when Vifera follows through going from the handstand to standing.
Harmond: Harmond was right about his earlier prediction and a hell hound shadow travels onto the roof of the building they are on still in a pounce like how it shadow traveled. Harmond runs past Vifera while he stares at the wolf they met on the roof and tackles the leaping hell hound in the air stabbing it through the chest with both of his swords. The blades go though the hound and his force carries both of them off the roof Harmond letting out a yell of excitement as he freefalls with the massive creature. They are between both of the buildings when Harmond launches his swords stabbing through two passing harpies while the hell hound turns to dust. Harmond connects with the skyscraper across the street feet first and runs across the glass whooping like a mad man suspended by two bird women until he jumps off swinging back to the skyscraper with his companions on it. Before reaching it Harmond increases his strength with his power and pulls his arms down hard sending the harpies careening towards their roof like kamikazes and dives through the window of the twenty third floor finding it occupied. He gets up and brushes the glass and debris off of him before nodding to the civilians and getting directions to the emergency stairs; which causes the alarm to go off attracting more monsters to the area.
Blake: He smacks his palm to his forehead in annoyance. He understands that the alarm is beneficial but the annoyance stems from how are they going to get the civs out without getting them slaughtered. As he hears more and more monsters coming, he walks toward the edge of the building and beckons for the dead to rise, past and present. He watches as skeletons rise up out of the ground and closes his eyes in concentration to make more and more of the dead rise. He beckons them to slaughter any and all monsters heading toward the building before he jumps down and before he hits the ground he wrapped the ball and chain around a few of them and shadow travelled them onto the rooftop. The small force he has on the roof are told to go to the 23rd floor and protect the civs as they escape. As soon as all this is done, he starts to slaughter the remaining monsters on the rooftop, he bounces from shadow to shadow, taking out all the giant ants, bringing the stymph birds and the harpies to the ground for Vi to get a hand in this fight, finally covering himself in diamond as he comes crashing down on a newly arrived hellhound, flattening it into dust. "Back in my younger days this would have killed me." He stalely jokes. Waiting for vi to kill the grounded bird monsters.
Vifera: Vifera's attention shifted from the wolf to the bird women and birds as Blake threw them and felt a kind of kinsmen ship with Blake because he was sharing his kill. With a smile he drops to all fours and jumps at the nearest harpy literally diving through her chest with his claws and rolling on his shoulder. He pops out of his roll on a knee and throws his great sword to the left hard letting the vine extend from the sword until it reaches a decent distance. Upon getting that length Vifera pulls and the sword corkscrews spinning through the necks of three stymphalian birds just getting up groggily from being thrown onto the building. His sword comes back full circle and he catches it with his right keeping the momentum he spins from his knee to standing and cuts through the harpies Harmond sent after feeling them disturb his sand barrier. With all of the monsters on the roof dealt with he sheathes his great sword and retracts his sand back to the sword sheaths on his side his claws reverting back to normal gloves and shoes.
Harmond: Harmond nods respectfully to the dead that pass him before he exits onto the roof crunching through monster dust until he reaches the rest of the gang. "Lots of questions to be asked and lots of answers needed" he glances from the darkly dressed newcomer to the kind of invisible glowing wolf creature then continues "But we need to get a move on. If it is this bad down here it is worse and Chicago...and me personally." he smiles at everyone on the roof "I am hungry!"
Blake: "I can get some food brought here if you wish. may take a while. It's good, Daybreak's slobbering swears by it."
Nyxil: Daybreak skids to a stop in confusion as an unfamiliar voice surfaces in his mind. That... hm, that wasn't normal at all. Normally his telepathy was only one-way for all people but Nyxil. Daybreak shifts in discomfort, almost dropping his sword. A moment later, Nyxil shadowtravelled to his wolf's side and cocked his head. The message had carried through across their empathy link. Eh... Hello? Silence. Nyxil's words reach Daybreak, but don't pass on to the stranger. Daybreak's hesitant thoughts reached their destination though; I am blood to the Mistress Daylight, and I was born on the shore of the river Eridanus. But I am from Colorado, mostly? Nyxil turns his attention back to the battle, only to notice that it had started to wind down while he and Daybreak were standing around confused. He sits down cross-legged on the half-inch of monster dust as the newcomers gather up, remaining silent. Daybreak lies the sword he had been carrying back at Nyxil's feet, then plods back toward Blake.
Vifera: Vifera hears the wolf's reply and he nods taking the information in As we are not kin or of the same pack my thoughts will seem alien, I apologize and will stop if you wish me too. However I must introduce myself, as is custom in my pack, I am Vifera. Blood of Cybele and Son of Savage. My pack is the entire forest in which I was raised and I hail from the Valley of North. Is the man with you your alpha or pack leader? As he speaks Vifera moves the monster dust around him back forming a clean spot of roof to join the mysterious demi god in sitting cross legged on the floor; across from him with his eyes closed as if sleep.
Harmond: "Nah man I would rather go and get it if only to get off this roof and away from the dust on the ground. Maybe find a place to crash unless we are going straight to Chicago like this." He walks to the edge of the roof and sits on the lip of it, that part of the building raised a foot or two higher than the rest of the building. "Before that though" he looks at the guy "Who are you and why does Blake and Luke know you. As to not be rude however, my name is Harmond Landon and i'm a son of Harmonia." Harmond manages a friendly smile but is still on edge from the monsters and is cautious of this silent stranger; considering the fact that Luke and Blake are associates with him.
Nyxil: Nyxil lies back to hide a smirk from the Cybele kid across from him and stares at the sky. Nah, Daybreak responds with amusement, He's just a Colorado Boy with some titles. Suddenly an image surfaces across Vifera's link depicting a tall, fur-cloaked man fleeing down a hospital hallway with a hesitant pack of wolves trailing behind. Dead laurels were tumbling from the figure's head. For a fleeting moment as Daybreak's thoughts dance in his mind Nyxil's eyes betray a melancholy focused at the afternoon sun, but his expression is hidden by the way he's laying. The moment passes when the second new kid introduces himself. Nyxil sits back up he's smirking again, thorny laurels poking out from his messy hair. "Nyxil. Son of Nyx. Blake and I go back," he says, then continues instead to his friend with a raised eyebrow, "So why'd you bring these three?"
Blake: He bends down and pats daybreak. He looks up at nyxil with a smile. "I didn't bring them. Luke brought me. Harmond is on a quest, and we need you, Oh monster magnet, king of being close to death, ruler of all ways of dying!"
Vifera: Vifera thinks about asking what that was but decides against it feeling it was more too personal a memory to talk about with a stranger. To keep the conversation pleasant he asks a questions he was actually thinking about Is the food the death child speaks of really that tasty. I would like to eat but I have seen him eat in the dining hall and I don't think we share the same taste. He finishes with a smile in a joking manner.
Harmond: Harmond tries to be friendly but feels the same vibe from the kid Nyxil that he did from the other two and is immediately pissed off but hides it behind a smile. Damn it other one with a cynical and dickish attitude plus he seems to be putting on some tough guy front with that smirk. I really would like to punch him right now. but he says nothing and instead looks over the lip of the roof. Then he remembers an important detail "You guys let's move. The alarm is still going off and I don't know if police are still running but if they are, they're on their way here and even I would have a hard time talking our way out of this." He waves towards the dust covering the roof, their weapons despite being hidden with mist to mortals, and the large wolf and his shadow controlling master who has a crown of laurels on his head.
Nyxil: Daybreak sends an image of a pile of juicy steaks on a platter to Vifera, slobbering shiny spittle at the memory. Nyxil rolls his eyes and gets to his feet. A few sparks cackle from Nyxil's sword blade as he sheaths it. "Alright, Daybreak, enough of that. We have a long day ahead of us and I don't wanna be hungry the whole time. Anything coming?" The wolf shakes out of fond recollections and sniffs the air, then bows to say no. Only mortals; all the monsters are dead or moved on. That was at least a hundred, right? I think more. Is that good for a half hour's work? His ears perk up in satisfaction as he walk between Blake's legs. "Not what matters," Nyxil says as he goes over to lean on the edge of the roof. "If this is how many we're seeing just passing through on the way to Chicago, then you're right-" he nods toward Harmond - "We need to get moving. I'd shadowtravel ahead on my own, but I can't kill monsters and hunt rogues at the same time. ...That is what you're here about, right? The gods don't have a bounty on my head or anything?" His tone makes it clear the question was very genuine, but he puts his back to them and takes out a cigarette all the same.
Vifera: Vifera licks his lips and rises to his feet prepared for a meal but his face curls at the smell of tobacco hoping the stick is not lit. "What's next?" he asks the question out loud but he speaks to Harmond his eyes landing on him out of recognition of the leader of the group and out of habit of following his own packs leader. Though the times are serious his thoughts drift to Ksenia and forgetting that he speaking to Daybreak mentally he sends that image to him; Ksenia drawing the sunset on her pad utterly focused in her work and unaware how beautiful she looks in the current sunlight.
Harmond: Moves to the lip of the roof and looks over the city feeling kind of like batman, thinking a bit before answering Vifera. "We make a move to the diner or whatever the eatery is and afterwards head towards the train station and buy a one way to Chicago or if it really comes to it steal a train to Chicago." He thinks this to himself With the way things are going that is what is most likely to happen anyways. Then he turns to Nxyil "I started the little adventure we are on now and our goal is to stop the rogues and find the bastard who is using my name to sow carnage. I have a single idea who he is but even if it is not the person I am looking for he has to be stopped whoever he is...and no...the gods don't have a bounty out for you....I think." When he finish he turns to Blake "Where can we get the grub".
Blake: He was on his phone the whole time they talked, which kinda makes him a monster magnet, more than he already is. His eyebrows raise when he is addressed and he closes the phone. He walks over to the lip of the roof and points out to a close building, a restaurant, a family owned restaurant. "Just over there, family runs it." He says as he steps off the roof and plummets down to the ground, only to shadow travel onto the roof of another building, beckoning them over.
Harmond: Harmond sees Blake's jump and gets ready to jump himself happy for the chance to feel some exhilaration again but hesitates I need to slow my heart rate I could spark off during the jump. and as he slows his breathing for a moment Vi runs past him on all fours and dives off the roof. Harmond watches him the whole time worrying Vifera could die because he isn't touching any earth but his fears are calmed when rocks and debris swirl below him in a tornado and catch their master easing his decent to the ground. Harmond follows suit and takes a few steps back knowing he will need to have momentum then he sprints off the roof jumping off the lip with his hands extended and eyes closed. He opens them suddenly and summons his blades to his hands firing them into a buildings nearby and taking another swing into the air hitting a flip when he reaches apex on his swing. I miss defying gravity with Ini. I wonder how my lil mentee is doing but he shakes the random thought out of his head and fire his swords again stabbing into a building across the street from the restaurant and retracting the swords slowing his momentum to a halt; before he extends his swords to the ground touching down around the same time as Vifera. "This place is...quaint. I like the homely feel." he says out loud to no one in particular.
Nyxil: Nyxil was reaching for his lighter when the image flashed into Daybreak's mind - and, by extension, his. He flinches and the cigarette slips from his fingers, falling to the street below. As quickly as Vifera's thoughts end, they are replaced across the three's shared link by a sunny day. A brunette girl in an orange Camp Half-Blood tee, narrowing her eyes, voice like sweet honey: "Wait, I don't know you. Why don't I know you?" A smile like the sun... Daybreak cuts off the link with a wimper once he realizes what was happening. Suddenly Nyxil slamms a fist down on the rooftop edge and shadowtravels to Blake's side. Daybreak's tail and ears droop as he follows in a blink of light.
Vifera: Is about to walk into the store with everyone else when he feels Nyxil and daybreak touch down where they are but immediately he sees daybreaks position and looks from him to Nyxil accusingly. You okay? And where is Luke?? he ask daybreak in a concerned sort of voice feeling protective of the wolf due to it's tail and ears in a submissive position. Another question pops into Vifera mind when an image is sent to his brain of a girl with brunette hair smiling to someone but not him, the image is a bit blurry but the girl is similar to Ksenia. He holds his thoughts to himself for the mean time but his hair stands on end on his arms and legs and his teeth bare slightly.
Nyxil: Probably acting useless and tired somewhere, Daybreak comments. The wolf clearly doesn't think very highly of Luke. ... Start filtering your mind a bit, scruffy demigod. Doing it for you will tire me out. You would be wise not to ask about that... image... that slipped through. My master isn't fond of prodding. With that Daybreak trots back to Blake's feet and lies down on them, planning on being annoying until he was fed. Nyxil sighs and breathes deeply for a second, then continues on like nothing had happened. "Do we really have time for food?"
Vifera: Vifera is left with his thoughts and decides he must practice strengthen his mind to gain better control of it since he is no longer in the forest as he was. He is snapped out of it quickly when Harmond walks past him, ready to eat, and enters the store but he remembers they are missing a party member on the roof of a building. I hope this will work. I have only ever used this power once. This new mindset and power is owed to him so I will give him a taste of it. Without moving from the spot he is standing in Vifera kneels down and presses a palm to the earth with the thoughts of travelling through it. It yields becoming soft and he holds the process there expanding his conscience through the ground, almost losing himself in doing so an image of Luke flashes into his mind and he feels for him. He finds the boy on the roof sensing him through the rock he is resting on and Vifera reaches through the street his arm crossing several miles and grabs Luke's leg, the arm made of the same stone the building is due to the partial travel. Once he has the boy in his hand he pulls dragging him through earth as a child of his mother would use it to travel and he comes feet first out of the ground Vifera stumbling backwards and breathing heavily from the experience trying to rein his mind into his body again after literally expanding past it. Reality snaps back into place after a few moments and Vifera rises to his feet lifting the older boy as if he weighed nothing and walking over to the door with the rest of the party where he receives an awed look from Harmond. "It was nothing" Vifera says with a small smile proud of himself.
Blake: He picks up daybreak, smirking slightly. "Alright alright. Let's go." He steps into the restaurant, walking past harmond but not before he kicks Luke's head in order to wake him up. As soon as he steps into the doorway, he places daybreak down and two icy lances appear in the wall above his head. "That food better not be cold." He speaks as two people embrace him and wave harmond and the rest inside.
Luke: A sharp pain wakes him up and he rubs his eyes, noticing he is off the ground, he realizes that one of them is llifting him, he scrambles free and nods at Vifera in thanks. "Thanks for not leaving me behind." He says quickly as he follows blake inside.
Harmond: Harmond walks in still reeling from what he saw Vifera do but his mind goes blank when the smell of the place hits him and his empty stomach is suddenly bought to life again after the adrenaline and battle mode left him. He steps aside to let Vifera through and surveys the restaurant checking his entire surrounding for escape routes, possible enemies, and hostile energy but finds nothing and he drops his guard for the moment the tenseness leaving his body upon exhale. About to join his comrades at the table he notices the woman at the cash register is a very pretty person and decides to go and charm her flashing her a smile before approaching and getting one in return I missed hanging around girls. I hope she is entertaining. While his comrades sit and converse he uses his powers to make her feel a bit more at ease and it gets her to talk openly with him as if they've been friends for years and he gets lost in the conversation and her voice.
Nyxil: Nyxil's eyes narrow as the rest of the new arrivals to his expedition march on all smiles into a sit-down restaurant. He follows them in just until they turn a corner before his annoyance finally gets the better of him and he stops, leaning against the waiter's pedestal. While the wait staff lead the others on, he shot them a scowl and gestured Daybreak back. Sheer, frustrated disbelief drips from his tone. Daybreak. Daybreak, they're... Fuck's sake, they're going to have a bite to eat instead of stopping a... Seriously, the hell? Nyxil sighs with a palm to his face and vanishes. Daybreak spares a couple glances at the restaurant kitchen before teleporting into its back rooms with a flash, then departing with a steak in his mouth a moment later.
Blake: He walks up to the girl Harmond is talking too and interrupts, rudely. "I don't need you corrupting Harmond." He says as she aims a small icy dagger at his heart, he looks down at the dagger and smiles viciously at the girl. "You never could do it when we were kids and you won't do it, you love me too much." He says this as she hugs him and he sighs before leaving her with harmond once again. He goes into the kitchen and helps pull cart after cart, all filled with food. He brings a big tub of steaks out and places it in front of daybreak. "Chow down." He sits at the head of a table and beckons for Harmond and the rest. "Gentleman we must assess the situation. We are in a slight predicament."
Vifera: Vifera grins when the food comes out and starts eating quickly but smiles through a face full of food when Harmond is interrupted by Blake the girl suddenly making an ice dagger from thin air and positioning it at his heart. Vifera thinks a fight will break out until the dagger dissipates and the girls is hugged by Blake. Harmond laughs about what just happened, brushing it off in a very suave manner, and ends the conversation when Blake calls him over probably finally giving into hunger because of the smell of the food. He swallows but before he can speak Harmond intervenes "The massive amount of monsters or the fact that the city is shut down and probably the transportation." Harmond reaches for a chicken wing covered in honey mustard and bites it before continuing "We all know the predicament but we need to talk solutions and how we will get to the city". Anger briefly flashes across his friends face and Harmond says lowly "Because the bastard using my name is starting to piss me off" he tears into the chicken angry and chews probably not even tasting it just getting nutrients as he is lost in thought. The mood of the table is tense before Vifera speaks up "Well, as we have nothing but the clothes on us and some money between us should we not use public transportation for now? I have heard of metal tubes who carry people through these cities underground...I think the name is a traise"
Blake: "Yeah. The subway. Better than staying out in the open." He grabs a beer and chugs it down before saying the second thing on his mind. "Ok. Strength assessment. We need to discuss this. In terms of power, only Vifera and I know that Luke is the strongest."
Harmond: Harmond does nothing with this information but internally makes a mental note to check this swallowing before speaking "How is that relevant to the current situation? As long as all of us can hold our own against at least forty decent sized monsters solo, and all of us can, it makes no difference to me." Harmond wonders what makes Luke stronger than himself other than sleeping a lot feeling almost insulted by the bold statement but he change topic because something is nagging him "Vifera are you vegetarian?" and he is shocked when Vifera nods happily and eats a piece of celery on his plate of wings.
Blake: He notices nyxil's vsence but pays it no mind as he stares at harmond. "You don't seem to understand. Luke at full power is on par with a god. Him sleeping powers him up, ironically."
Harmond: Harmond eats a fry but smiles a small and sarcastic smile "That is fantastic but which god. Because a minor god is still divine too. So like I said, whether or not someone is better than me in an area is trivial. What matters is that you pull your weight." Harmond rises from his seat and throws his jacket over his shoulder dramatically "And hold your own." He grabs a toothpick from the counter and winks at Xena with a smile before leaving "Thanks for the meal" he says before he walks out of the store.
Harmond, Blake, Nyxil, Vifera, Luke and Daybreak make their way to the train saving victims of the riots while at the same time erasing monsters who came at them or stepped to close. Nyxil went his own way thoughts on his comrades for the quest rather dim scouting ahead while a mental battle of whether or not the quest is worth it. Harmond continues building feelings of resentment and hate for the coward using his name to wreck such havoc and contemplates taking another's life for the first time. Luke is asleep with dreams of doing outrageous things while Vifera thinks of Ksenia and how she is doing lost in lover boy fantasies. The last companion on the epic adventure being Blake who's mind is a mystery to even the narrator (haha) however all of them advance wanting to see this through till end. After scouring the city they reach a deserted and partially flaming street and look for working cars, Harmond able to hotwire them, and the boys converge there pulling handles for unlocked cars and looking inside some for damage; unbekowst to Vifera that all his questions will be answered at the price of more. A shadow falls over them all cast by the looming building in the background the name of the business fitting Fated Inc
Chi-town or Bust
Vifera: Vifera has nothing to do while they search for cars and does what he always does when he has nothing to do which is play his flute the soft melody quickly filling the air till all of them can hear it. Vifera's eyes close while he plays so he doesn't notice the homeless man turn over and look at him shock written across his face.
Blake: He stares blankly at Vifera, listening to the music. "That is a graceful melody, Vifera." His head jerks to the side as he notices the man walking toward vifera. "It seems as if your music attracts others."
Vifera: Vifera is deep in his own world only slightly aware of his surroundings when Blake speaks to him but he only looks up when Blake says his music attracts others. He turns his bright amber eyes to the homeless man a few feet away from him and tilts his head to the side wondering why the old man seems familiar. He continues staring, forgetting he social norms Ksenia taught him, and doesn't break eye contact with the man his curiosity about him to great to do anything but stare.
Harmond: Harmond is about to grab a car door when the music from Vifera's flute stops and prompting him to look up immediately wary of every movements and sound he can hear. The silence remains unbroken and he turns around looking for Vifera and the rest of his party; noticing very quickly that Vi is seemingly sizing up a homeless man which he doubts Vi knows. He hops over a car and lands near Blake in ear shot of the still silent Vifera and Homeless man but he whispers to Blake just because of the tension in the air. "What is going on right now? Who is that? Does he know Vi? Did you notice him at all it is like he wasn't there right?" more questions than he ask out loud filter through his mind but he doesn't ask them when Vifera opens his mouth and begins speaking "Hello. I am Vifera. Who are you?" is the only thing Vifera says to the man and he waits forgetting to breathe wondering the response Vi would receive
Blake: He glances at Harmond but still keeps an eye on Vifera and the man, guessing that Vifera seems to trust this guy. He answers Harmond's questions as quickly as he asks them. "Vifera is attracting the homeless. I have no idea who he is, neither does Vifera apparently. I didn't pay much attention to our surroundings. he could've been around us this entire time, that or he is a monster or a demigod. Who knows?" He shrugs at his last sentence, not particularly worried.
Vifera: "I am Vernon and the pleasure is mine. Your flute is well made and you play beautifully but I would like to know? Where did you get that flute?" He speaks in a pleasant manner and Vifera feels a kinship with him so he tells him happily "My guardian Jiminey made this for me. He also taught me how to play." Vifera glances at the man and notices a wooden shaft exposed in the folds of his belongings and knows on sight that it is a flute like his. "Who made yours Mr.Vernon?" he ask as soon as he sees it a tingling running down his spine the answer already known.
Blake: "See? Everything is alright." He whispers to Harmond.
Harmond: "Oh yea say that about the wild child who was raised in the forest for most of his life and just met a homeless person. We don't even know if he has a gun!" Harmond loud whispers but his eyes widen when the homeless man reaches behind him and his sword is suddenly in his hand. He calms down when he realizes it is just another flute that from where they are standing looks exactly like Vifera's; he looks on and they go on to speak some more and Harmond hears the word Jiminey tossed around a bit. The man sheds a tear telling Vifera something and Vifera's face clouds as if some secret was revealed to him about this Jiminey person he didn't know beforehand. As they watch on Harmond looks around for Luke but pauses seeing movement from the corner of his eyes which draws his attention completely as it seems to have been extremely fast and really large. "Blake did you see that?"
Vifera: "I had known Jiminey was sent away from camp because of a failed mission but I-I had not known any of this. Why would it stop you from going back to camp? Please come see Jiminey with me!" Vifera wants to live at camp with Vernon, feeling as though he and Vernon are brothers through Jiminey despite what transpired but Vernon shakes his head firmly. "I am far to old to go back and because of our trip to camp I gave up being a demigod I had never even known my divine parent. All I had was a weak ability to bring my imagination to life." he lays the flute next to him and removes his belt "If you would really like to do something for me Vifera. Take the flute back to Jiminey and." he passes the flute handing over the belt almost reluctantly "You, you keep this belt. Put it on and you will know why you are the perfect one to use it."
Blake: "Luke will handle it, Harmond." His words hold truth as you can hear the distant grunts and barely hear the impact Luke's fists make against something. "Vifera, are you sure you want to take something like that from someone unknown." He spares a glance at the man. "If that belt doesn't kill him, I can offer you places to stay for the rest of your life."
Harmond: Harmond watches closely when Vifera starts putting on the belt but is distracted by the sounds of a scuffle growing closer and more grunts being heard and an occasional snort of breath. His full attention is drawn towards the belt when it glows more than glows it shines making everything around it bathe in light as if it was daytime. He coves his eyes from the brightness and waits for the glow to die down before finally being able to see Vi again though around and above Vi he sees, for lack of a better word, animal spirits that roar and show the fierceness of the wild. Vi looks around like a changed man and Harmond is about to go up and talk to him and ask him how it feels and if he is okay when almost in slow-motion a car passes over head. He sees the tread on the tires as it passes overhead and looks ahead of it Vifera and the old guy sitting in it's crash course for the building. Harmond yells stretching out his hand and firing his blade hoping in someway it will help, hopefully pull the old guy out the way, hit the car and stop it. He isn't fast enough and neither are his blades when Vifera looks up and sees the car; he is still dazed from receiving the power and watches, helpless as the car comes down and kills the old guy on impact. Like a tomato bursting open red splashes from both sides of the car and up the wall covering Vifera in spots of blood but he doesn't register it shell shocked. Harmond turns around and prepares to fight whatever monster threw that knowing he is unable to do anything for his friend at the moment.
Luke: He pops into view as he is sent careening into a building, by the twin of the monster that threw the car. A 7ft tall cyclops looms over him as he groans, still somehow asleep through all this. The cyclops raises its club over Luke's head, unhappy that its opponent is just some lazy sac of flesh, it slams its club down only for it to be stopped before impact by Luke's hand. Luke gets up, still holding the club, he stares the cyclops right in its eye before slamming his fist against his head to bring forth his clawed gauntlet. He looks at the confused and frightened cyclops and sends a clawed fist right through its eye, watching intently as it explodes into dust.
Vifera: Vifera is frozen solid, unable to do anything but stare, the old man who was there Vernon who he had felt an almost instant kinsmen ship too had died tragically directly in front of him. He isn't even aware of the monster walking towards towering at eight feet carrying a club and wearing a loose fitting robe with an intent to kill the demigod rendered motionless. As the Cyclops lifts it's club to kill him Vifera just looks up and stares at it but something in his body is still working, his instinct and will to stay alive still burns brightly in him, and that shouts at him to move. The cyclops brings down it's club and Vifera moves taking a quick step to the right at more than double the speed he would but he is still took gone to notice that. His claws come out from his hands and his CB gauntlets glint in the light; the club making contact with the ground after his claws are unsheathed. With his club on the ground Vifera leaps at him and drives his right fist into the monsters neck and the cyclops rears up with a scream of pain. Vifera pulls back his left fist an repeatedly drives it into the neck of the cyclops over and over again until it's life ends and it becomes dust. He falls and hit the ground on all fours growling lowly.
Nyxil: Silently Nyxil drops from the rooftop of the building now bearing the bloody wreckage of a car. He lands on a lamppost to break his fall, then steps off it, finally giving a sign of his presence when his shoes scuff the pavement. Daybreak appears in a soft flash a breath later as Nyxil, dark expression obscured by his hair and pulled hood, strides without a word toward Blake, stepping through the pooled blood left over from the dead man and passing the other questors wifhout a glance, and swings an untelegraphed suckerpunch at his friend's face. The motion shakes his hood loose and reveals an expression of stern anger burning in his eyes
Blake: He takes the suckerpunch knowing that Nyxil must have a good reason for attacking him. He holds his cheek but still keeps his eyes on Vifera. His voice has a curious tone to it as he splits his attention between the two "What was that for?"
Luke: He runs to vifera, noticing him growling like a pissed animal, he notices Nyxil punching Blake but pays no mind as he stops short in front of Vifera, creating a wave of sleep to knock him out.
Nyxil: He rolls his shoulder after the punch and turns back toward the splattered blood. "This's on you," he says, soft enough not to let the others hear but cold all the same. He stares at the blood for a moment. The crimson liquid starts to seep into his shoes. A moment later he continues in a commanding tone, loud enough for everyone to hear him "Luke, don't let him wake up. And you, the leader. Whatever your name was. Turn around and go home. You shouldn't be here, and neither should that one. Call the cab and go back to camp. Blake, those demigods from the restaurant. What were their names?" As he talks Daybreak gives up on scavenging the car wreck and comes back to Nyxil's side, then drops the coin in his mouth into his master's hand.
Blake: "Yes this is on me. I should've moved when i heard those sounds. Luke sounded too active for it to be minor." He sighs softly "I would tell you their names but they aren't important. This quest is personal Nyxil, Harmond has to do this and apparently the gray sisters say that it needs to be all of us. Or we're screwed so nobody is going anywhere." His focus is now directed down a random street but he manages a tone of finality in his voice. Letting nyxil know that he won't consider anything else. "If Harmond wants to leave then he can. If he wants us to leave, we will. This is his call."
Vifera: He recognizes Luke running over to him and in his primal state of mind after using the power of the belt he thinks to himself Not this one! He is not to be fought! You are in the same pack! He is your clansmen!. The last thought shakes him from his stupor and unexpectedly he is on two feet again and he opens his arms wrapping Luke in a hug for nothing more than support. "He died right in front of m-" he can't finish because the smell of blood in the area is too strong.
Harmond: Harmond is about to run over to his friend but sees him wrap Luke in a hug; believing Vifera is back to normal he turns to Nyxil and Blake. "I won't! Like Blake said this quest is personal but more than that I refuse to let his death hang above my head, without doing something to avenge him! Vi only knew him a couple of minutes before he died but he wouldn't have met the man without this quest and there wouldn't be monsters in the city if it were not for Dismond" he spits the name out while speaking pissed off but thinking clearly and needing to vent. "I don't know about you but going home with my tail between my legs is not an option and won't be! Ever! My back is clear of scars though I have them all over my body because, I refuse to run from anything and I won't do it now. As the gods are my witness I, Harmond Landon, will find Dismond and End this or mark my back with my own blade!" He looks Blake and Nyxil in the eye in turn before finishing "So this is for all of you questing with me. We fight until we fall or you leave now! ARE YOU WITH ME?!" he shouts at the end and his voice echoes trough the street bouncing off of the buildings and into the sky as if he was asking the gods the same question. He stares Nyxil down daring him to tell him to leave again.
Nyxil: As Harmond rants, Nyxil skips the drachma across the pool of blood, kicking up a crimson mist that immediately glimmered like a rainbow from the light of Daybreak's body next to it. The coin vanishes into the morbid rainbow as quickly as it caused it, and in its place a disturbingly red-tinted iris message appears. Nyxil clears his throat, and a figure in the image hunched over a desk looks back at him. The figure - a young man around Nyxil's own age, is surrounded by tvs and paperwork floating in midair chaotically, and his disheveled business suit seems to match. He quickly tells someone on his bluetooth to hold and tosses aside the papers he was writing, which drift about in the air instead of falling. "Leon, there's two demigods running a restaurant nearby. Get them out of the city, or force them out if you have to. Just do it fast and quiet. Any other demigods left in this city after three minutes, knock them out and drag them away." Nyxil mutters. Leon nods and starts to speak, only to be cut off by a voice in the bluetooth in his other ear. He puts up a finger to tell Nyxil to wait, but Nyxil just waves a hand through the message to cut it off. Without waiting for Harmond's speech to finish, he pulls his hood back up and starts walking off down a road. "We're moving," he orders, talking over Harmond's shouts, "unless you all want someone else to die, or have some other way to get to Chicago that's faster than my route. If you aren't going to Chicago right now, then go home," raising his voice further just as Harmond finishes. "Because unless you haven't fucking noticed, because you have no idea what you're doing and want to lead a fucking revenge quest in the middle of a fucking war, you're four walking monster magnets and you're trailing monsters, so why the fuck are you walking around in a populated city for any longer than necessary getting people killed? If you don't actually give enough of a damn to fucking think about the shit you're causing because your pride-driven personal shit is why you're here, not the fact that dozens and dozens of people are dropping dead a city away, then GO THE FUCK HOME BECAUSE MARCHING FOUR LIVE DEATH FLAGS AROUND TAKING YOUR SWEET TIME WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD JUST GOT A COMPLETE STRANGER KILLED. Tell me, if this is so personal, then what the fuck did you personally have against that random man, huh, because you are the reason he's dead, and say all the shit that you want about avenging him but at the end of the day he wouldn't've even been here, and those monsters wouldn't've been here, if it weren't for the fact that you couldn't be bothered to take any of this seriously. Nothing about this is personal. People are rioting, in the thousands, and dying, but you fuckers stopped for food and stood around drawing monsters until somebody died. This isn't about you. You don't matter in any of this. Hell, nothing makes you the leader- hell, unless you expect me to believe an oracle sent you, specifically, to stop all this, then you aren't even on a fucking quest, you're just here for your pride. And so far all you've managed to accomplish is getting an old man turned into red mist. Now get your head out of your ass and keep up, "leader"." He only stops talking when he turns a corner, not looking back to see if anyone actually followed. They could tag along and get to Chicago quickly, or they could refuse and let more people die as they kept fucking around miles away getting full of themselves. That was their call.
Luke: He grabs Vifera and shadow travels to nyxil, Blake, stone faced as ever, mirrors him, grabbing harmond, using a shadow to get to nyxil's shadow, putting them right by his side. "Cut the tantrums. Either way people die whether we hurry or not. Who knew the old man was gonna be here, obviously he had an idea of everything goin on. He saw monsters, he stayed. It's all our faults. You wasting time with your bullshit and us just moving slow. Many people are gonna die. You know that. I know that. Peacekeeper and fido know that. Blake knows it the most. So let's go. Before you going off on your own adds another name to the morning obituaries. You want us to move? You want us to get in gear, you'll get it. Hope you can keep up." Luke says angrily.
Harmond: Harmond can feel his anger rise at Nyxil's words and the child of peace was not feeling very peaceful but just as he was going to say something Blake whisks him behind Nyxil. It stops his original statement because a new thought enters his mind If he is so pissy why the hell is he in the city. What the hell was he doing here alone. Did he plan to take on Dismond and his gang alone. Even if he would get less people killed and attract less monsters he was not going to be able to do anything alone. He wants to talk about us letting the old man die but where was he!. As he was thinking his weapons were flashing in and out of his hands very quickly sometimes half materializing but feeling his resolver his weapons end up gripped tightly in his hands. He opens his mouth to let his thoughts pour out but he is interrupted again when his swords start to glow brightly. He stops trying to figure out why they are glowing and when he does the swords come together crossed at their midsection and a glowing symbol of a scale appears above his swords. "I will admit that an oracle had not sent me. That the old man died because we attracted monsters. I would even go so far as to say I am not the leader. Ha it not been for me though none of us except you would be in the city. I could care less what you have to say about me, my pride and the reason I want to kill Dismond but you are here for the same purpose so what qualifies you to lead us. The grey sisters said we may meet you but not that we need you. Besides as far at this glowing symbol is concerned I guess Nemesis, mother of Dismond and the others, agree with me." He pulls his swords apart and send them away with a thought turning them back into rings "We'll follow you to Chicago but just remember you were starting this solo and you could go about it the rest of the way solo if you wish. We don't need you in the group if you are going to call out bullshit and complain the whole time." With that he falls silent and out the corner of his eye he sees Vifera smile a bit.
Nyxil: He keeps walking, not responding or looking at the others for a while. “We’re not here for the same thing, so drop that idea right off the bat. I’m not here to kill some fucker, I’m here to do what we’re supposed to. Tell me, has it even crossed your mind that an entire city being destroyed by monsters is a little bit bigger than two people? So the next time you talk about going into that fucking warzone to kill one asshole who pissed in your cereal or something and not to do your fucking job for that city, don’t be surprised when you wake up next week in the infirmary with a concussion.” As he finishes they arrive at an area where a stretch of traintrack is raised over the street. With a short start he runs up the cement support in the middle of the road and grabs the edge of the track, then pulls himself up. An old passenger traincar sits a block further along the rails. Every inch of the thing is covered in dust and rust, and it clearly isn’t attached to any engine. The wear on the rails themselves proves that this is a line that hasn’t been used in at least a couple decades. He nods in the car’s direction at the other questors below and heads toward it.
Harmond: Harmond just got confirmation from the goddess Nemesis he was here doing the right thing by killing Dismond so he just let Nxyil's words slide deciding the son of Nyx is just a person you should avoid. Now I see why Nin wants to beat the living hell out of this bastard. I want to do the same but as long as we are on this quest, I won't lay a hand on him. One team and all that bullshit. He reaches the platform and in one jump clears it, overshooting his intended landing space because his thoughts are elsewhere but looks back down at his teammates just incase anyone needs help up. He has to lean back suddenly when Vifera does the same but had gotten a running start and jumped on all fours sliding to a stop on the raised platform. He smiles a bit and then continues waiting for Blake and Luke, Vifera doing the same with him and a thought crosses his mind that Luke may have fallen asleep again. Looking at Vifera confirms that they were thinking the same thing and doing causes his smile to widen until he is chuckling to himself; the craziness of everything that has happened today finally catching up with him.
Blake: Luke's body lands onto the platform with a resounding thud and the echo of jingling weapons. Blake jumps up and grabs the platform, pulling himself up, he glances at harmond and vifera, confused at the smiles on their faces as he picks Luke up and tosses him over his shoulder. He follows nyxil to the car. "Are you two alright?" He asks walking away, not really looking for an answer.
Vifera: Vifera sees Harmond shake his head and follow the others so he follows suit but just before he is about to catch up a roach skitters across the tracks. He calls out to it with his mind and then sets a napkin that had a piece of steak in it on the ground, which he planned to give to daybreak originally, but the roach thanks him happily and soon a line of ants come by and pick at the food as well. His belt lights up again and he feels a bond with the ants and the roach and comes to understand a bit more about the belt he got from Vernon. Then he runs up to Harmond and Blake and excitedly explains what just happened then Harmond replies "Vifera...you just made friends with a roach and a colony of ants. You are a special dude" then he laughs.
Blake: He stays silent, not really moved by Vi's sudden friendship with a roach of all things.
Harmond: Harmond still thinks the roach is funny but his smile fades once he realizes he is going to be stuck in a train car with Nyxil. He makes Blake tolerable and Luke likable at the same time. I won't let him get to me though. and with that though he hops into the train car before a thought occurs to him. How the hell are we going to get this bucket of rust to move. he looks at Nyxil but doesn't ask the question deciding to just lean against the wall of the car and rest, maybe copy Luke and squeeze in a quick nap. Vifera hops on but the look in his eyes let's him know him and his belt are going to keep everyone but Luke awake.
Nyxil: Nyxil lies down leisurely in the car's wide freight door, back against the metal doorway and one foot hanging out in a pose that looked a lot like a runaway in a movie. A quick look outside to make sure no monsters were tailing them, and he bangs against the side of the car. At once a half dozen wispy figures rise from underneath, coalescing into young women and peering curiously at the passengers. One, a short-haired girl with glasses and a suit (also made of flowing wind, of course), gets daring after a second of looking and flits in, floating playfully as if on a breeze. She drifts around the questors one by one until arriving at Luke. She studies his sleeping face for a second then pulls a (confusingly air-based) pen and paper from her pocket, writing down notes. A few others follow her example and drift around the others, examining them all closely and writing things. One playfully floats alongside Nyxil outside the car, immitating his posture and smiling at him, but he pays her no mind, pulling out and lighting a cigarette. A second of boredom later and the wind spirit notices the blood on his shoes, examining them closely and writing things.
Blake: "Anemoi. Analytical little things, aren't they?" He drops Luke onto the floor and watches as he wakes up, eyes still closed but he swings at the anemoi around him.
Harmond: Harmond is interested by the fact that they are women and looks over the figure of the one taking notes in front of him; he blows her a kiss and winks but he does wonder what exactly they are doing on the train car and why. He sees each of them making and taking notes but that he also ignores instead watching Vifera as he reaches out suddenly trying to catch one. He misses by a hair and the spirit taking his notes starts scribblings furiously either insulted by Vifera or terrified and ready to move along. He looks towards Blake "I can see they are analytical but what are they doing here and why?" he keeps watching Vifera who has now made of game of cat and mouse trying to outmaneuver the wind spirit. He feels a breeze and realizes Vifera won by summoning a small tornado near her feet spinning her in circles much to his own amusement He is like a puppy or a baby. It is strange. He turns his attention back to the spirit in front of him mimics her scribbling looking up at her every so often to see a small smile written across her face.
Blake: "I suggest you ask the son of nyx who suddenly became the son of aeolus and nyx with how he has some kind of control over wind spirits." He watches the wind spirits and motions for Vifera to stop toying with one. "Don't piss them off, things can get hectic."
Vifera: He looks up and with a chastised sigh stops spinning the wind spirit, who immediately starts taking notes again with a huff. "Well that is...New? So Nyxil what are these" Harmond begins and pauses to look over the spirit taking notes on him and flash her a smile "lovely creatures?" Though Vifera wants to get the train moving or play with his belt he is also curious as to what the spirits are doing here and why.
Nyxil: Nyxil exhales a puff of smoke toward the spirit at his feet, but to his disappointment the smoke parts around her transparent form. "Anemoi... Aurae kind, not thulae. Breeze spirits. And," he continues, turning the cigarette between his fingers, "They're not mine. Eye in the sky pointed me toward the Chicago situation 'cause he wanted it fixed, not for work, but he's sent aura 'interns' to write tomorrow's Aeolus News Network headline anyway. Something about needing a cover for using network funds. Either way, they're going to be our transport." Harmond's comments make the spirit studying him blush - the thin fog of her body thickens a bit in her cheeks, at least - and she starts to respond, but gets cut off as Nyxil bangs on the side of the car again. The poor spirit that had been writing about Vi takes the signal eagerly and shoots outside with surprising speed, then starts to swirl around the car. The others reluctantly file out and do the same, their bodies losing shape to become more free-flowing gusts of wind. The car creaks and shakes for a moment, then steadily picks up speed. Before long buildings are shooting by outside. Nyxil gazes absently out at the city, cigarette to his lips as the nexus of winds enveloping the traincar blow his hair.
Blake: "Smoking kills you faster." He says staring at nyxil with a blank face but seemingly glowing golden eyes.
The group takes off finally on their way to Chicago aided by wind spirits sent by a friend of Nyxil. Each knows what lies ahead but views it differently. Nxyil is doing this for reasons known only to him duty bound by need to correct mistakes at the hands of the magical world. Luke is asleep. Blake is there to put an end to not only the quest but the people on the other side. Vifera is messing around with his belt. Harmond...Well Harmond is there for reasons that he still has to figure out for himself; his thoughts twisted on whether he wants vengeance or retribution.
I been working on the railroad
Harmond: Harmond is disappointed to lose his light company but he nearly jumps off the train when he looks at Vifera "Vi...what the hell is up with your teeth!!". He looks at his friend with five inch teeth coming from his top row of pearly whites like a beaver squirrel hybrid. Vi tilts his head to the side as if he doesn't know what Harmond is talking about but the wild boy smiles his teeth shrinking back to normal "I was learning more about the belt my friend. It is truly magnificent." Vifera puts his hand to the belt and a look passes across his face before Harmond can put his finger on it.
Nyxil: Nyxil holds his cigarette at arm's length and squints at it in mock curious confusion. "Oh, really? I had no idea. Silly me, here I was thinking only riding a broken down train into a monster pit of a city to fight a couple dozen armed half-gods did that," he says with a smirk, then puts the cigarette back to his lips. He settles back a bit and he closes his eyes to sleep as the traincar goes into a tunnel, leaving the group with nothing but the light of his cigarette and the click-clack of the rusty tracks.
Vifera: Vifera is curling his nose at Nxyil's cigarette smoke when all of a sudden the world is plunged into darkness. He thinks for a moment and his eyes adjust the dark and everything in it becoming visible as his eyes gain night vision. He looks at everyone but his eyes rest on Nyxil Nin is also a son of the dark goddess. Night vision is apparently something they are born with. I wonder at what age he realized he realized he was different and was it because he could see in the dark...I won't ask him this because he has a strange attitude I am not yet used too. Vifera is content with his thoughts until he remembers daybreak is here Daybreak. What do you think we can expect to happen? These monsters grow tiresome but stronger ones are appearing like the ones wh- he can't finish the thought but wants a fellow wolves opinion.
Blake: "Vifera. It isn't wise to stare at people like us." He glances at vifera in the dark only being able to see due to his lenses allowing him to be able to see in the dark.
Harmond: Harmond chuckles at Blake's chiding getting used to his and the rest of the groups strange but kind of comforting attitudes. Maybe this is Stockholm syndrome he thinks but doesn't worry about it because he opens his eyes then he has to ask himself if his eyes are actually open. Darker than dark in here. Perfect ti-NO. Shit I may have just jinxed the group. I NEED A PIECE OF WOOD!. he calls to Vifera "Vi I need to knock on your scabbard." and Vifera passes it to him probably with a strange face or two. Harmond knocks on the wood three times and slides it back with a thank you Hopefully that worked otherwise the monster will attack and I will be the only blind one. Fuck not again.
Blake: "Harmond why are you freaking out. It's just the dark or are you scared?"
Harmond: "I an not freaking out but we are demigods and magic is real in our life. I just didn't wanna jinx us by saying a monster would attack the train while I couldn't see." He then folds his arms and closes his eyes at peace with the world again. But seriously...what if a monster does attack. he thinks despite trying to look unphased.
Blake: He reaches into his jacket for two more lenses. As soon as he reaches them he grabs harmond and forcefully opens his eyes, placing the contacts on his eyes. "You can see now."
Vifera: Vifera watches the struggle with a smile and watches as Harmond looks around the train with a new look to his eyes. It's like a baby getting to know it's existence. Harmond must be seeing the train with some sort of night vision. What were the things placed in his eyes though. Is it possible that Blake....has powers to touch eyeballs and give them night vision?!. Vifera looks at Blake with a sort of wonder thinking his god parent must a great one but looks away quickly knowing Blake will probably ask why he is staring again.
Blake: "Are you okay now?" He asks, keeping an eye on harmond.
Harmond: Harmond is still marveling over the fact that he can see his hands in the dark now but hearing Blake snaps him out of that. "Ye-yeah thanks. Um please don't forcefully hove contacts in my eyes again though. That was terrifying." he grins "Beyond that though I have questions like one...why are Vi's eyes glowing and two why do you have contacts that let you see in the dark?"
Blake: He tilts his head and turns toward Vifera. He stares at the belt then Vifera and looks back at harmond. "He adapted. Raised in a dark place possibly, very dark. He had no choice but to adapt, i assume. I, on the other hand, can't afford to be blinded Harmond."
Vifera: Vifera nods at Blake's words "The belt let's me call on animals I have met in my past. Those that are still alive at least. The one I thought of and am borrowing is an owl I named watcher. Not very friendly but he wanted to catch a very large mouse. I helped the natural swing of things and now....Watcher is a very large owl.". He thinks back to the forest and tries to remember more animals he had met.
Blake: "If i had known. I would have brought my bear for you."
Harmond: Harmond rests against the door of the train car barely listening to their conversation but he looks at Blake after that statement. "Just when I thought you couldn't surprise me anymore...you pull out the fact you have a pet bear." he shakes his head "Actually considering the fact I know a guy with a wind horse named whoosh I should not be surprised." He pauses thinking "I kinda of want a dog. Just a simple well trained dog."
Blake: "I don't blame you for wanting to avoid complications. A bear is hard to handle but he is just a cub. If you want a dog, I can get you one or will you just wait for your parent to give you one."
Harmond: "I was just thinking out loud ma-" Harmond is cut off when the train exits the tunnel and everything is light again "Hey, lights are back on". That turns out to not be such a good thing when a loud thud connects with the roof of the train car; then footsteps. "Hmph, took them long enough" Harmond mutters when something that could be a hand or claw digs into the roof of the train car and starts peeling the rusty metal backwards.
Blake: He looks up and shrugs, not disturbed by this in all honesty. "I wonder what kind of monster this is."
Vifera: Vifera looks at the roof surprised by the events taking place and stands stretching his limbs wondering why a monster would even consider attacking us. "It smells like a cat...and bird poop." Van keeps staring at the roof of the train car but looks down quickly before rust enters his eyes. He misses the moment when the monster finally peels the metal all the way back but, he has to press his hands to the ear because of the screech it let's out.
Blake: He looks up at the monster with a blank expression, tilting his head when he notices that the monster is a gryphon. A diamond spear materializes in his hand and he sends it through the gryphon's chest. "I bet there are more than that."
Vifera: Even with his ears covered Vifera can hear Blake and he makes eye contact with him to confirm this. "I can smell three more of these monsters." and it is upon hearing this that he notices Harmond look up. Harmond then says "Well it is about time we got off this train anyways boys" and then he fires his sword at a metal object which pulls him through the roof of the train. Vifera can't help but agree with him because he had been battling motion sickness quietly this whole time. He gets on all fours and sprints to the back of the train jumping off to hit the ground running.
Nyxil: Nyxil wakes quietly, immediately alert but not moving. He looks up at the griffon blankly as Blake put a spear through it, and notices that the aurae that had been propelling them had vanished. They can become intangible, he thinks, so they probably just backed off to watch. With a sigh he gets to his feet and draws two chakrams. A quick mental update shows him that Daybreak had taken the form of an eagle and was fighting two of the beasts far above. As Nyxil holds the empathy link open, he sees through his partner's eyes one of the griffons try and swoop down at Daybreak, only to pass straight through him. Daybreak returned to corporeality in his wolf form and fell onto the griffon's back, sinking his fangs into one of the monster's wing before turning back to eagle form to face the other. Nyxil cut off the link and immediately threw a chakram through the opened roof without looking, finishing off the griffon Daybreak disabled. Its dust remains rained into the car like glitter. Nyxil shot Blake a glance and a shrug before running up the traincar siding and jumping onto the roof.
Harmond: Harmond found himself careening upwards after attaching himself to some tower-like structure used by trains a long time ago. He calls his sword back as to not interrupt his impromptu flight and finds himself getting a lot closer to the other three griffons a lot faster than expected. To adjust this he leans back just a bit and rockets past the griffons who look up as he goes above; one taking the initiative to fly to him. Luckily Harmond was just running out of speed and slows to a stop before gravity pulls him back down and onto the neck of the griffon who flew towards him. He knew the creature would begin bucking if he didn't do something so he laid a hand on the head of the proud animal and used the powers available to him to calm the creature. Seeing as it didn't try to buck him off again Harmond let's out a whoop and presses a leg to the griffons side who immediately flies to the ground. Oh right, even if I calm it doesn't mean I can control it. Now it will calmly lead me to the ground...and inadvertently death. If only..... Harmond begins shouting at Vifera, hoping his friend hears him and talks the rather calm griffon into not killing him. Vifera is only just now skidding to a stop after hopping off the train and hasn't even looked up at yet however.
Blake: He stares down at Luke, wondering why he is so persistent in his laziness. He grabs the ball and chain from Luke, hopping up to the roof, he starts to swing the weapon in wide arcs. He swings near two griffons, goading them into coming toward him. As soon as they come toward him, he jumps and throws the ball and chain around the wings of one, pulling it taut until the griffon starts to plummet. He pulls and swings, with all his strength, the plummeting griffon into the other one and proceeds to slam the griffon onto the train roof, directly in from of him. A diamond spear materializes in his hand and he throws it into the head of the immobilized griffon.
Vifera: Vifera feels a shiver down his spine and knows something is wrong when he looks up at his friend on the back of a griffon. He can hear Harmond shouting and catches a word of help before it is too late to do anything to save him. Vifera can't teleport in front of the animal and he cannot teleport to Harmond because there is no earth around him. Vifera does the only thing he can do and runs, dropping to all fours, pounding the ground like a lion racing for a kill. His body morphs to that of a mountain lion but still he is not fast enough. Just as Vifera reaches Harmond the griffon hits the ground in an explosion of dust and Vifera is knocked off his feet and thrown backwards from the force. He hits the ground hard and his vision swims but he gets up groggily against the pain and stumbles over to his friend. Vifera pauses and his vision swims harder, threatening on unconsciousness, when he sees Harmond impaled through the chest on a rod that came exposed in the attack. Vifera's nostrils are filled with the smell of copper heavy blood when he scrambles closer to Harmond and he drops to his knees unable to speak. Harmond just laughs and coughs blood before speaking "Hey, take my rings.." he coughs violently before taking a rattling breath "And give them to Ini. Before you do that.....kill that Dismond punk." Harmond laughs before coughing violently again "Maybe it's my mom showing through Vi." his eyes pierce Vifera's soul "But right now I. Am. At. Peace". Then Harmond's eyes close and his lips droop into a melancholy smile; one that was full of more peace than sadness but more sadness than joy. With his eyes misty Vifera fumbles to pull the rings off Harmond's fingers and eventually pulls both of them off, putting them in his pocket before his hands clam up. He stares blankly at the body for a few moments before leaning his head back and letting out a long howl, a howl for a member of his pack, a howl of lost that even humans can feel when done. Vifera breathes in to continue this howl and though his eyes are closed a tear slides down the side of his face...the death of a second person to much to bear on his mind.
Blake: "Vifera pick yourself up. No use in crying over the dead if you don't live long enough to truly grieve." He shakes his head at Harmond's weakness, having thought he was actually strong enough to lead. He summons about 10 skeletons but allows their bones to drop, they float into the air and become spears of diamond, each and every single bone. He launches them all at the gryphons, until the whole area is littered with corpses, feathers, blood, bones and beaks. He jumps from the train car and pulls Vifera from Harmond, staring at him with annoyance. "Stop your damn howling before more come. He's dead, accept it. If he could die with a smile on his face then there is no sadness. But since this quest was for him i assume we need him in some way or another." He raises a hand, forcing Harmond's dead body to respond to his will as a child of Hades until it rises up and stands next to him, lifeless, un-moving, waiting for Blake's command. "We press on. I could see behind his lies of peace, Dismond isn't dead and he could possibly elude us so i'd think that would register on Harmond, if it doesn't, i won't give him peace for the time being. No soul in the underworld is at rest when their body is tampered with, leaves behind a terrible legacy." He says all this rather quickly, more concerned with what is coming for them rather than Harmond dying. He walks away briskly and hops back onto the train, Harmond's corpse following close behind.
Luke: He witnesses Harmond's demise and Blake's usual reaction towards death on a whole to others who aren't close to him. He mutters under his breath that it could have been avoided if he wasn't so lazy. He shakes his head, knowing it solves nothing. Peacemaker will just have to deal with how they will run things now. He glances at Vifera and holds out his hand for him. "Come on, no use crying about it now."