A Lantern in the Balance

25th of Ymiden 719

Seated on the shores of Lake Lovalus, Rharne serves as the home of the Lighting Knights, the Thunder Priestesses, and the Merchant's guild. This beautiful trade city is filled with a happy and contented people who rarely need an excuse to party.

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A Lantern in the Balance

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25th of Ymiden, 719, 21st Break

The evening air was a cool reprieve from the onset of the warmer seasons. Patrick would inevitably find himself walking through the streets at one time or another. There was an ambience that night that defied the city. There was little in the way of city noise, of people chattering inside their houses or without, of rats squeaking, cats howling. It was there, to be sure, but it was as if the noises were far in the background, beyond hearing.

The Glass Quarter in particular was an Idyllic scene at this time, yet even the richer portions of Rharne boasted of activity of another sort. Decadent aristocrats and merchants sought diversion in that night life. Vices weren't unknown even here. And though it was certainly well policed, the general thrust of the policing was directed in such a way as to not upset those who they served. It was a tight balance, of maintaining order while allowing laws to flex.

As Patrick was walking along the streets, near the market (which was currently closed, but for a few illicit deals going down, of course), he came upon a bend in the street. There was only a few things out of the ordinary about this scene, that he would notice due to his competency in observing a scene.

The street lantern that was hung on a nearby pole, had been guttered out recently. A small curl of smoke rose from the doused light, rising upward through the sky. It was odd, the candle that was housed in the lantern didn't appear defective, but then what did Patrick know of Candlemaking?

These things happened, yet was it cause enough to raise his hackles?

There was less noise the closer he would get to the lantern, if he approached that direction.

As for the lantern? It merely swung in the slight breeze. There was also a few shards of glass that were beneath the lantern, perhaps that is what happened to the light.
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It was a simple task really; deliver the goods and then he was free for the evening. Patrick was asked by Daveth to deliver a couple cases of wine, moreso to help the bar that had been damaged last season thanks to those heretics. Things couldn't have been any more tense as of late however, as they made that event pale in comparison. What became one whimsical night of tracking down saboteurs, led him to meeting Ilaren before parting ways with her blessing on hand. Literally. Though he hadn't really explored it's powers fully, the Rharnian had found that they catered to his habits more than usual. Even so... the bar up in the Glass Quarter seemed to be recuperating, and it helps that every other business was neighborly about fixing it up again.

But that didn't trouble the Rharnian at all.

No the war and his current predicament occupied the mind of this struggling soul, as Patrick had managed to dig himself into a hole far to high to climb. Even now it felt as though the imaginative noose he'd tied closed in on him, imbuing a sense of paranoia as the trials passed with relative silence. Not a word from Faith... Not a word from Dominek... What the hell was going on? He'd reached out to the former hoping to make amends, with the belief that his efforts would finally pull through and prove his value. Yet nothing? Dominek on the other hand was equally just as upset with him apparently, but as a ghost anchored to him Patrick should've been able to see him anytime. That is unless of course he'd gone off to wherever he usually does, in which the Rharnian didn't bother questioning where that is at this point.

Not that it mattered now, though he was in a bind he could wiggle his way out. Somehow. The Rharnian sighed with hands tucked away in pockets as he strolled, a look to the first cluster of stars born within the night sky. Night had fallen and with no sun there existed no more light, and as the day receded so did the boon Qylios fed into him. His concerns and cares were a prevalent matter he soon refused to address, thus the unassuming demeanor he possessed in his stride carried him along the street towards Earth Quarter. Quiet were the nights as of late, this one especially, when he watched the signs of life recede. Make no mistake the taverns and joints in Rharne still boomed with business, but accompanying them was a sense of eerie when it came to passing by.

Perhaps it had something to do with his situation, and the fact he was yet again in over his head. The Shadow Network awaited a response from the 'emissary' no doubt, and since he had none to give that could only mean trouble for him. So much for being the hero and saving everyone he cared for, it figured he'd only go and make a mess for himself like he normally would. Yet to appease his benefactors he had an idea, a plan that could very well hopefully turn things in his favor. Patrick wasn't without things that they just so happened to ask for, though likely miniscule in comparison to the resources they could've gained from the war effort.

"Patrick..." The air practically sighed as a breeze passed, his stroll cut short by the fact something stood out now. It was darker here and when he looked up it appeared the lantern had been sabotaged, this assumption confirmed by the crunch of glass beneath his boot. A look past his shoulder showed that he was alone still, the earlier signs of life just about an echo now that he'd approached. Come to think of it he noticed the lack of light earlier but thought nothing of it, since so many other things were usually disregarded once night fell upon him.

Something about this wasn't right though... the lantern had to have been broken recently, as what fragile indications of life trailed as white smoke into the breeze. The Rharnian clenched his jaw as fingers fidgeted with the cracked band in his pocket, his eyes cast out into the darkness as he hoped to discern anything from within.
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1 Hidden Dagger and:
Ymiden's Band
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Article: Artifact
Description: This artifact is a pair of identical rings that has been etched with the Ancient Language. The symbols have a faint orange-yellow glow, as if the faint light of dawn is protecting you. One ring is to be worn by the Cursed at all times. To prevent the cursed from taking on the Sessfiend form, they are to give the sister ring to a unrepentant person and transfer the curse for that evening. By completing this transference, Patrick remains unaffected by Syroa's curse and under the radar from her attention. If he is unable to find an unrepentant person, he will either under go the change or lock all of the rage within his own ring. By penning up the rage within the artifact, he runs the risk of incurring Syroa's rage or releasing a stronger beast if the artifact were to be removed or broken.
The Nightwalker's Hat
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Article: Curious Headwear


Description: A pointed hat that is the color of olive, possessing no remarkable features at face value. However while it is worn it grants the wearer the ability to see clearly in the dark, perfectly so that perpetual night is a mere twilight's walk for the individual.
"Patrick", "Follower", "Ri", "Lush", "NPC"
Last edited by Patrick on Sun Aug 18, 2019 5:23 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 949
"Freedom is everything."


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The darkness held no secrets from Patrick, by virtue of his curious hat. As he peered into that dark space beneath the lantern, and into the building and all around, he found little to clue him into what was so off about this scene apart from a faded candle and some glass broken on the ground. Perhaps it was nothing afterall.

The broken glass was merely broken glass, and the lantern and guttered candle just so. Perhaps there was nothing more to it than that.

Birds called on the air. Strange for the city, at this time of night. Usually one only heard that sort of ambient noise during wilderness camping trips.

A cat somewhere in the distance yowled.

Elsewhere, a window could be heard to open, several in fact. They were all around Patrick, up in the stories above the ground level. Without warning, poisoned darts began flying out into the street, many of them clattering to the ground, but some nearly hitting Patrick.

If he tried the alleys, he'd find any one of them occupied by no less than two assailants, ready to block his way.

He was surrounded, and the SQ meant to bring him in, once and for all. THere would be no negotiation, at least no here, where he was still in a position of strength. They meant to take him unconcious, whether by hook or crook.

Still, darts that may be tipped with some kind of substance kept pelting the cobbles of the ground, flying dangerously close to Patrick's position.
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Something so strange as an extinguished lantern shouldn't have so easily drawn attention, as upon closer inspection it looked to be nothing more than what it was. For all he knew children could've been at play earlier before he arrived, and a simple misfire of a lodged pebble or two could've done the damage well enough. But the timing? It did seem a bit inconspicuous when he approached it, and briefly when he looked into the twilit avenue the other signs were there for him. The vibrant flutter of disturbed perches were enough of an indication, for this time of Trial was far unusual for birds of any sort to take flight so suddenly.

A cat muled into the night likely to chase off her lurking predator, given that they were privy for their rituals late into the evening. However... windows opening? All at the same time? Immediately he grew rigid and slowly elevated his head, just so the brim of his hat would reveal those that stood above him. While he could see well in the dark the distance of a couple stories up made things difficult, and so Patrick couldn't so much determine who it was that lurked above... but more so their angle just moments before everything took place. "They're aiming right at you!"

The warning was much like before... a faint whisper which lingered on the edge of familiarity. Regardless the indication for danger came a hair too late, as the clear evening sky quickly called for a chance of rain right afterwards. "Damn!" The Rharnian cursed within thought as he made a break for the nearest getaway, the streets likely being far too dangerous to tread it'd best be... No... Though dangerously in range of their projectiles, it was all too easy for him to realize what was going on now. It was them now, they had made their move on him. "I should've known! Of course they'd strike, now of all times." He had expected it to occur but the when had remained a mystery, though whether or not it was out of spite on his behalf or... no.

No they had to know, they were watching him after all. But truth be told there lingered a residual question, which was as to why go through all this trouble anyways? If they wanted him dead then this certainly seemed a little too extreme... "I don't have time to figure this out, I can't risk being in the middle of all this and expect to make a run for it." No. That was too easy. His urgent desire to escape quickly felt cut off now, the paranoia from before rampant but with a sense of eerie excitement within. Things had certainly gone to shit at this point now, if he was to be taken alive then that could mean... No. Clearly he knew things the Shadow Network would want, and that too meant the other side would want to take action in return. Therefore it was two fold now, he was a dead man walking at this point.

But to give in now?

"Fuck it!" He figured with a bite of his lower lip as dark eyes were cast ahead into the shadows, already aware of the silhouetted figures which awaited to greet him. While the darts were too much of a risk for him to dip and dive around, taking his enemies head on in the shadows had to be a better bet. Immediately his hands were drawn out his pockets with the palms clutched open, with a few soft cracks signifying the ample charge he'd release with his Palenon mark. Shame really, it was fun having this while it lasted. If he were a drunken fool right now, he'd likely feel damn near invincible and better in the mood for this; going down swinging felt like something any good drunken Rharnian would do at this point. While his lightning powers were quite exceedingly disappointing in comparison to a Defier or Exalted Palenon user, it still could've at least given him a temporary edge once the confrontation initially took place.

"I've got my dagger hidden within my sleeve," His right hand fidgeted as he ran towards whoever awaited him within the alley, "all it takes is to generate an ample burst... and then maybe." Sure enough his open left hand sizzled at the ready, the limb brought back as though he were about to ready a strike when he turned to discover his blockade. "Come get some." His eyes narrowed immensely as he went in for the initiative, while his heart immediately dropped knowing what he'd just done. None of that mattered anymore however, for this fight would be where he gave his all; even if it killed him before the end.

"Patrick", "Follower", "Ri", "Lush", "NPC"
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"Freedom is everything."


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Patrick and the Shadow Quarter weren't the only ones at the meeting place that night, though the knights weren't out in the open. Vivian had them turn up the night before, and they had spent the day waiting in the nearby buildings for the day to start. She had been assigned twelve knights, two of them being Palenon wielders, for the sting. She had also taken volunteers for the arrest, and she had positioned six of those knights as close to the meeting place as she could. The other six were stationed a bit farther out, so they could deal with anyone who was doing overwatch for the meeting. She wanted to get any archers or outlying guards if she could. Out of the Palenon users she had been given, the Favored was with her, while the one with Adored was with the outlying group, since she had Favored Palenon herself.

When Patrick showed up, she waited quietly until the Shadow Quarter showed up, since she wanted to catch them in her net as well. As she expected, it wasn't leaders of the Shadow Quarter who showed up. She hadn't, however, expected them to lead with what was either a kidnapping or a murder attempt. Fortunately, they weren't hitting Patrick, but she wasn't inclined to allow Patrick to be killed by these idiots. Vivian ordered the two knights in the same building as her out into the street, drawing Shiryu and following her knights out into the street. "Patrick Barnell! Agents of Shadow Quarter! You are all under arrest! Surrender without a fight, and you will not be harmed! Fight and I can make no guarantees about your survival!" she called into the night as the rest of the knights, and their volunteer allies, burst out of their hiding places to bring these criminals to justice, getting as close to surrounding the area as they could. They were all in their heaviest armor, and Vivian's own armor crackled with lightning and the crimson blade of her sword caught what little light they had.

For now, she kept her shield up and waited to see what Patrick and the others would to in response to the arrival of the knights. However, she wasn't stupid, and she had her lightning gathering under her feet so she could move in a hurry in case she needed she to react in a hurry to some action by the opposition. She was ready for a fight if it came, but she hoped to avoid one. Patrick would, hopefully, be smart enough to not resist arrest, but she was expecting trouble from the Shadow Quarter agents. Well, if it came to that, so be it. They were ready to force them into shackles if they had to.
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It was time.

Truth be told, Varlum was relieved to be going on a sting like this, for many reasons. One of the biggest was the fact that all he had done in the past cycle was prepare to fight Ellasin, work on the defense of locations, train daily without pause. This felt like his first normal trial in a long time, even if it was something crucial for the Knights. If they could stop Patrick from being taken by the enemies and capture some of the Shadow Quarters members at the same time? It would be a good days work and a lot of trouble avoided. The Shadow Quarter were a problem throughout Rharne, a problem that was difficult to catch and irritating to handle. Any information on them was valuable information, which meant taking in some of their members was as successful as a mission could get.

But, right now, in that moment? It was Patrick he wanted.

Trials upon Trials of work had gone into protecting Idalos from a threat great enough for the man and his companion to walk away, leave the meeting. When the nicest thing Varlum had to say about someone was 'at least he wasn't the one making threats and curses', it said a lot. Patrick was a coward and a traitor in Varlum's eyes, one who had tried to play the hero and gotten himself in the shit because of it. Now, as far as Patrick might be concerned, Varlum was the cleanup crew. He just wasn't likely aware that Patrick was one of the messes Varlum had been tasked with dealing with.

When Varlum heard Vivian make her call, he moved into his position, acting as a pincer against the group that was fighting. Closing in from the other side, Varlum stood in place with his smouldering axe in hand, jaw moving as he gave a low growl for anyone looking his way to see. The shining adamantite combined with the embersteel made the blade of his axe glimmer in the dark, the light flaming effect making the weapon slightly burn through the darkness. At his side, Varlum had both of his Spirits ready. Ivarn, the Diri that he obtained from becoming a Warden, floated in the dark and coiled. The draconic figure watched from Varlum's side, visible for anyone to see. He had simple orders from Varlum. If Patrick runs, Ivarn follows. At his other side was his bear of Ralaith, a spirit he had yet to name. Nobody but Varlum could see the bear, but just it's presence made Varlum feel stronger.

With those thoughts in his mind, Varlum readied his spark for whatever came next. It wasn't the strongest defiance spark, but nobody knew he had it that wasn't an ally. For a trill the Ithecal looked down to his hand, the shield of Taithir clear on it, because looking back to the assailants in front of him. Varlum was prepared, ready to take down every man here if that's what it took. As they waited for whatever move Patrick or the Shadow Quarter might make, Varlum stood ready, wearing his usual uniform of little to no armour. It seemed like a stupid idea, and in some ways it was. But he had countermeasures, and he trusted that whatever injury he sustained would be healable when they were a part of Faith's army. There was less risk than usual - and thus far he had been just fine.

Towering down on the people around, Varlum's eyes stayed forward, straight at Patrick.

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Private Nuccio of the Lightning Knights, filed into the open square along with a throng of other more tenured and highly trained knights. Some of these men he'd come up through the ranks with, in the hopes that his service would lead him to bounty and glory. They all gave each other eager side glances before pushing forward, into the square, to clear the perimeter.

"We gon catch this rat, Rand? Earn a bounty from the," The other soldier coughed conspicuously into his hand, "Right and proper authority in this Quarter."

Private Nuccio just glared at the other man, shaking his head as he proceeded into the square, shielding himself from the fire of darts raining down.

Meanwhile, an adored palenon, a Captain by the name of Sorel focused his skill at the mark by darting forth, upwards of the tall walls of the nearby edifice, from which a great many of the darts were falling. With one great blast of lightning, he neutralized many of the dart throwers on the upper levels, then coursed down back to the square in a flash of light.

"Round the corner! They are rushing the square! Dozens of ruffians!"

Sure enough, the Captain was right. A dozen and many more poured in through the eastern flank of the square, their clubs and broken bottles held high, ready to unleash upon the Lightning Knights.

Another burly knight, down beneath Varlum, looked up to the huge Ithecal, "Oy, we ready to wreck this crowd, milord? Don't think they're comin' peaceably..." He waited nonthless to follow Varlum's lead.

By the Adored Captain's actions, they'd managed to reduce the number of dart throwers on the rooftops, but there were still many around the perimeter, tossing them in all directions now, and not just at Patrick.

Nobody answered Vivian's call to surrender. Instead, a dart was thrown directly toward her, followed by several others. She had but moments to react.

Patrick, aided unexpectedly by the division of the forces of his enemies, found an empty pathway down the nearest alleyway to the left. Yet, Private Nuccio and his mates were running for him, intent on capturing him for the bounty and the glory of seeing the mission done.
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Patrick
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Patrick's intentions faltered as his footwork stalled to a halt, the startling appearance of familiar faces and sounds quickly filled the area. The knights were here now, and they'd come to arrest both him and those allied with the Shadow Network. "Oh great," he thought bitterly to himself, "first the ambush and now the cavalry's here." He scowled just a bit at the sight of the lot, as they stormed in to make short work of the entourage above. Now with darts flying everywhere it was likely nowhere would be safe, however the opening he'd hoped to create somehow came of it's own free will.

The two dastardly brutish thugs he expected to take on were instantly distracted, driven to either flee or take on the forces of authority now present. Two of the figures weren't hard to miss, namely because he knew both of them from the very silhouettes of the frames. Vivian. How long had it been since he'd last seen her? Almost two arcs? How quickly time carried the both of them, their paths separate quite separate from the moment they first met. Here she was now though serving as a loyal knight, while he on the other hand had become probably one of Rharne's most wanted fugitives. He didn't dare believe it possible but with the war on Ellasin, and the lack of association with sides, he certainly has made things far more complicated for him now.

Both the Shadow Quarter and the Lightning Knights sought to reel him in now, while he himself remained at probably the biggest impasse he's ever reached. Going to either side didn't sound like something he wanted to do, for what awaited him if he decided on which side for him to choose? Better yet why even choose a side when he could just run? The way was clear to his left now and all he had to do was just run, even if he could feel the intensity of Varlum gazing at him. From this distance it was difficult to tell but Patrick knew, good and well, that Varlum wouldn't be here on just Rharne's behalf alone. No... Varlum lashed out rather loudly when he followed Maxine out that Trial.

If that meant anything to Patrick, it spoke of how fiercely loyal he was to the cause. Both causes in fact, for he too served Rharne just as loyally as he did Faith. So what did that mean? Though the crackling sparks at his fingertips died away, Patrick looked to find that there were those intent on seizing him. "If they catch you it's over," Domine's voice echoed near him as he looked towards what was possibly his only escape. "Don't let them have you Patrick, the knights can protect you!" It was strange because it was like before, Dominek sounded awfully close by and yet Patrick couldn't see him. But why? Was he not anchored like before? The locket that'd reveal him was back at the house, where all the other useful things he could use right now resided...

But to hell with all of this, he wasn't giving in so easily when he had an opportunity. What sort of opportunity remained to be seen, but Dominek wasn't wrong about what he said earlier. Get caught and he might as well consider it over, therefore he put the next best thought into action; and he ran straight down the pathway that was free for him to take. "Sorry... but I'm not giving up just yet." For a rebel without a cause he held a lot of resistance, believing that he may yet still have something to contribute in this fight. He hadn't forgotten what it was he wanted, in truth this just all reminded him of what it was for. Fighting to survive, persisting to retain his freedom; it was all for the sake protecting those he loved. Those he wanted to keep safe were now considerably in danger, and without knowing if either side would hear his appeal...

He couldn't chance it. If he could he'd find a way to keep his friends and family safe, however the fact the Shadow Network wanted him either dead or alive now... meant there were others who could likely be in peril. Lexi, Dax, and Crowley were all at the Inn and no doubt unaware, which would be the perfect time to stage another incident like the one just now. He had to make sure they were all safe from those who'd use them, now that Patrick made it clear he wasn't giving in so easily. However the first issue to work through was losing those who followed in pursuit, and while Patrick knew the territory quite well these men were natives to Rharne as well. "They're onto you." Came yet another whisper of the dead brother, almost with an sense of eerie felt through the breeze.

Patrick didn't dare bother to look back, as he knew the warning had to indicate somebody tailed him. Therefore in his attempt to continue fleeing, the Rharnian would throw aside anything he passed to the ground. Barrels, crates, anything that could become an obstacle, he would knock over whatever was in his path; just to hopefully buy some distance so he could hopefully get away. "Lexi," he almost prayed in his thoughts, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Patrick", "Follower", "Ri", "Lush", "NPC"
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Vivian Shiryu
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Sorel proved to be an invaluable ally, tearing through the dart throwers above the group with ease and alerting them to the arrival of Shadow Quarter reinforcements. The new idiots charged in carrying clubs and broken bottles against armed and armored knights, and Vivian expected that go about as well for the thugs as drunkards attacking soldiers usually went. Before she could comment, she saw several darts thrown directly at her. Thanks to Three Sheets To The Wind and her sober status, Vivian's reaction time and speeds were greatly boosted, so bringing her shield up to block the darts was easy. Then, with the shield still up, Vivian gathered lightning under her feet and lept forward, slamming into the closest dart thrower shield force and knocking him out with the sheer force of the impact.

Her charge had carried her into a small group of Shadow Quarter members who jumped her sudden leap, but she could feel Patrick starting to leave the area. Hell, come to that, she could feel everything, everyone around around her. Roughly where they were at, how the buildings and rooms around her were laid out, all of it. She guessed it a part of her Mortalborn powers, but didn't stop to question it, instead bringing her shield around to slam it into the face of one of the thugs behind her before slamming the pommel of her sword into the side of another thugs head. There were two more still, but before they could react, Faris had caught up to them. Faris was Vivian's assistant, assigned to help her deal with Faldrun's agents in Rharne. She was trustworthy and skilled enough though, and the half-biqaj had slammed the guard of her cutlass into one of the remaining thugs before he could react to her presence. The remaining thug swung a club at Faris, but the more lightly armored Inquisitor dodged the club as Vivian slammed her shield into him.

Now that she had a moment to think, Vivian looked over to Sorel. "Captain Sorel, can you focus on the dart throwers? I'm going after Patrick. We can't let him escape, and I'm faster than he is." she called to the captain. "Faris, you're with me, cover my back." she said, before looking at her ex-squire. "Varlum! Lock things down here! I do not need any trouble following me." she said, before having Fins send a message to Schule over their link. "Not all the knights are trustworthy. Keep an eye on them, let me know if any split off." she said, before she gathered lightning under her feet and lept after Patrick. Faris had been assigned to Vivian after a knight had betrayed Rharne and attacked the market. She knew there were likely more traitors they hadn't uncovered in the knights, though hopefully none too serious. Still, that meant the only two knights she was wholly comfortable trusting were Faris and Varlum, and Faris could keep up with her better than Varlum.

Vivian kept using Rising Lightning to leap forward, hoping to use the extra distance from the jump to catch up to Patrick faster. He was the primary goal of this operation, and she had to be certain she didn't let him escape. The whole thing would be for naught if they failed to bring Patrick in, and she figured she had the best chance to do that without unnecessary violence. "Patrick! Wait! You're in more trouble than you know!" she called after him, hoping to get him to stop.
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Varlum
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Varlum was definitely not paid enough for this.

Everything seemed to happen at once, the shadow quarter making their attacks with weapons that seemed less than effective. However, knowing the sort of tactics a group like the shadow quarter would likely pull, he didn't want to be nipped by any of those darts. If there was a slim chance they were poisoned and that they got into Varlum's bloodstream it would be painful, incredibly so. While he believed in Faith's ability to heal it, there was nothing denying that he would be in immense amounts of pain.

When the man besides Varlum spoke, the Ithecal looked to him and nodded. "They certainly aren't coming for a drink" the Ithecal said, gripping his axe before looking out as Vivian called out orders to him. As she did, Varlum gave her a reassuring nod, readying himself to fight as he looked down at the knight by his side. "Make sure it's not you I have to rip to pieces. If you know of any knights with any plan of stabbing us in the back, make sure they're watching what happens next" he snarled, before holding his axe in his hand and taking a moment to inhale.

Then he charged.

"Take them down men, bring a few back alive and kill the rest! Target anyone with a fucking dart. Any of you run, I'll kill you myself!" Varlum cried out before rushing for a man on the ground, who's eyes widened for a brief moment as he watched the creature twice his size swing an axe down. While his hits were sloppy, Varlum didn't need to be clean with them. With the strength he possessed, Varlum could slam down nearly any target whether the hit was nice or not. The Shadow Quarter member crumpled immediately, meeting the floor with immense force as the Ithecal's axe plowed down with the body, before Varlum pulled it out and blocked off the direction from which Vivian came.

As a couple of members of the Shadow Quarter rushed forward, Varlum prepared his spark, ready to show his men why he was scarier than any of these scabby rats would ever be. His mouth widened with a roar and a stream of fire burst out of it, lasting only a few seconds but setting alight the two that had charged, causing them both to fall to the ground as the smell of burning flesh. As the Knights fought on, Varlum would assist anyone who was outnumbered, rushing in to fight where he could, biting through the shoulder of an enemy with his jaws and snapping the bones inside, before bringing the body to another Knight and ordering them to take him somewhere safe and keep him immobilised.
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