main plot The Taste of Death

[Voidus]

She had taken a wide birth around the city before, but now her wings ate the miles that lay between them. The ground beneath her blurred, colours beginning to merge together into a muddy river of brown. The sight usually inspired pity in her for the creatures doomed to spend their lives wallowing there, never knowing the joys and freedom that the sky brought. But today she felt only rage. Rage towards the ground that had spawned the enemy, rage towards the creatures that dwelt on the ground for sheltering the enemy, but mostly she felt rage for the enemy himself. The one who had died and then returned. Who plucked at her mind and sought to control her. Who had killed so many of her Kindred when they'd roamed the city.

She crossed the miles in seconds, a streak of light across the sky that brought with it a terrible, scaldingly hot wind in its wake. She reversed the flow of gravity once more as the city began to unfold beneath her, slowing her flight in an instant. The force of her bodies passage crushed against it, but her eyes gave no sign of discomfort as they scanned the ground below. Injuries meant little compared to finding the enemy.

She scanned the streets and buildings below, amber eyes seeking the source of her fury. They latched onto one of the larger structures and she instantly felt a sudden burst of hatred within her. The building was not the enemy but she hated it just as much.

Her mind flashed back to the first time she had seen the enemy, he had been standing atop a building like this one, trying to climb his way up to the sky. Trying to claw his way into her domain and claim rulership.

This building was a reminder of that day, a reminder of the rage she had felt then, but still not enough to explain the hatred she felt towards it now. It was unnatural, it was sudden and inexplicable. It was the enemy.

She let out another loud screech over the city, her cry echoed across it just as the gust from her passage caught up and began to blow through the streets, slamming into buildings and any unfortunate enough to still be caught out.

I will find you. I will hunt you. We will have life once more. And then you will die.

She accompanied the thought with a sudden blast of allomantic power of her own. It was a power rarely used, her creators had given it to her for a different reason. But she would risk their anger for this. An intense soothing slammed into the ground below her, robbing the emotions of those who had yet to be evacuated. She had yet to find where the enemy was, but he was in the city somewhere, that was enough.

She could only take emotions, not give them. But that was enough to send a message. She took everything from those below her, all their hope, anger, joy, sadness. She would leave only two things behind. Fear and regret.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laurelai watched Lita smile in response as she received her reply, but then her expression shifted and her hand reached into one of her pockets before pulling out the coin that the Stranger had given her. She examined it for a moment, then began rapidly sending another message.

Coin is getting hot again - maybe because we're getting close to PlasmaCore? Either way, something is happening, or will happen soon. Get ready.

That would mean that there was still the possibility for danger up ahead, even given their present company. Or possibly because of their present company. She didn't think she'd be able to survive a fight that included three of the leaders of the DA, even if she was just a bystander.

She nodded back to Lita, sending one final message before pocketing her spike and preparing herself for what was to come.

Stay close.

She felt the Alley shift beneath them one final time as they arrived.

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Voidus cast a glance behind him as they walked, keeping an eye on the three who were following along. He caught a brief flash of movement from Lita's hands, an Alleycant message of some kind, but at that he directed his attention forwards once again. It wouldn't be polite to eavesdrop if they were discussing something private. She would need a little space after all, she'd probably grown accustomed to it during the years of his absence.

Distractedly he shifted the final Alley in front of them, the one that would take them outside the Plasmacore building. Hopefully with enough time to end this before too much of the city was lost, or he'd likely have to endure complaints from other guilds about why they hadn't acted sooner.

Their surroundings shifted as the dull gray bricks were replaced with cobblestone walls, a pair of older buildings looming over them on either side to form an Alley. Voidus was midway through his next step out onto the streets when he noticed it. An intense wind was passing through the street, far hotter than it should be for this time of year. Far hotter than was normal at all for the city in fact.

New creatures from this Vortex? He wondered, eyes tilting up to see if anything else was spilling out of the building. But what he saw was not what he expected. Project Phoenix? How in the world did it get here?

As he thought it over he felt something, very faintly and obviously not directed in this area, but a faint tugging sensation.

"Someone" He said, turning towards Mac and the Stranger. "Is letting out an undirected Rioting."

The two of them would know what that meant, it was one of the triggers. Someone had summoned one of the DA's unique creations.

"This may cause a small complication." He muttered, staring upwards.

 

Quote

Sorry, this was already a long post and mostly written when I saw yours come up. Will react to Bellatrix next post.

@Ax's Boyfriend

[I think I am here.]

15 hours ago, Sorana said:

Lena laughed when she heard it. Alask was looking so serious, that she made a grimace to have him smile and continued to eat her pancake.

"Now tell it, to destroy the building."

She told the man and waved at him with her pancake.

“I already did,” Max said. A pancake. She was eating? “I already did that, I promise. Please,”

The Soothing hit him and he blinked, and suddenly he wished he hadn’t, the Phoenix was going to destroy them all, kill them all. A potent sense of fear spiked him when he realised he might have doomed them. But, he could undo it, right? He barely had enough of his reserves, but he could try.

—-

The Soothing hit Alask. It was such a powerful soothing, that suddenly Alask was a passenger in own body, the two spikes that made him so vulnerable to emotional Allomancy were being exploited and suddenly he was under the thumb of the Phoenix, possessed. His body suddenly went very still, unmoving.

@Voidus

—-

Lusk smiled as the Vortex was closed. They’d done it. But the AlleyStorm hit and he heard a mighty screech from outside.

The Phoenix.

The Soothing hit Lusk and he stumbled back, seeing the flaming body of the bird rising, flying over the clouds and flying over the city, tendrils of flame erupting from its form. And it was coming for the building, it was heading straight for the PlasmaCore building. “Storm it we need to leave!” He shouted, pointed outside. 

“Or we’re going to be melted along with this stupid building!”

@Silva @Ark's Boyfriend

—-

The Soothing hit Wes and he yelled in terror, knowing he was trapped in this building. And the Phoenix was going to kill him, destroy him. He had so much to live for! He ran to the door and tried opening it, but it was locked and he ran back to hje open elevator shaft he’d climbed up to get to this floor. He looked down. Quite a drop.

[+Sorana]

Lena looked at the man, at the emotions playing over his face. The situation had been so funny, so interesting, but somehow, she just didn’t care anymore. It wasn’t even boring. She just didn’t care. Lena finished eating her pancake, then looked at the man again. He was still clutching the woman and she tilted her head to the side. It had been a while, since she had the time to experiment a bit, but the situation was perfect. She was calm, nothing was really happening.

Walking over she counted the woman’s pulse again and sat down out of his reach. Carefully she started to make notes on how the poison had affected her, how fast the different symptoms had set in. The woman had been hurt badly, but still she’d had expected her to last longer. Maybe she had been weakened by something else before the explosion.

“Now to you.”

She looked at the man and started to look through her bag. She needed his head to work, so something softer was better. There was the paralyzing one she had prepared for Alask – no, she knew that one too well. But she had a new one, a soft and gently one. Based on the hairs of Thaumetopoea processionea. She’d created a pulver. If breathed in it might cause something like an astmathic attack, as it irriated the trachea - and the skin, she figured it was beautiful on skin. Nice red pustules, itching and hurting. Harmless, but hopefully fast, perfect for self-defense.

She inhaled and kept her breath, while she dumped some of the powder on his less injured arm.

@I think I am here.

=================

Quote

Spiked character no. 2 for you.

Mike grinned when the Vortex vanished and was about to jump in triumph, to hug Seom, when it all vanished. Fear, regret that he had let them here, and then even that changed. He knew the feeling, when wolf took over, or snake bit in his foot, but it wasn’t wolf, instead his body didn’t change, simply stopped mid motion and stood there, doing nothing. Squid wrapped herself around his arm, comforting him, while Mike at the darkness surrounding him, at the animals who moved closer to him. They were all here, all of them. His prison, whenever he lost control over his body.

@Voidus

@Ark's Boyfriend

================

Zokora stopped talking into her comm, afraid that she was giving the wrong orders, that she was messing it up. That they would die because of her. She was responsible, if she lost it, they would die. Guilt crushed her, when she remembered all those she had killed, their faces, the way their bodies had sagged. She sobbed and looked around, saw a woman walk towards her, a knife in her hands. A man, strong hands outstretched, reaching for her throat.

“Go away.”

She whispered,

“I am sorry, I am so sorry, but please, leave me alone. Just leave me alone.”

Her hands drew her knives and she blocked a thrust from another man, stepping up to her side. They would kill her. Fear had her hands shake slightly while she tried to talk to them, tried to reason with them.

“It was a job, nothing personal. I only followed my orders.”

@AonEne

==================

Althea felt someone reach out for her hand again. She was still hurting, but less than before. Painkiller. Max had given her a painkiller. She tried to breathe, but her lungs only partially followed her command, her heart beating a strange rhythm. Something had – happened. Max was still holding her, his body tense. He was hurt, just like herself he was hurt and she tried to move, but her body failed her, only twitching slightly.

“Don’t… leave…”

She whispered, if he died, if she had caused him to die. It was her mistake, she had asked him to come along, Vesuvius had been her problem, not his. He was only here because of her, because of her stupid title and her guild. And now he was hurt and he was dying. Fear chocked her when the memories came back, how she had seen him die, how the sword had pierced his body and had left him dead on the floor. Max. He was her everything, she couldn’t loose him again, not him. She would sacrifice anything, everything only to keep him, to stay by his side. Her hand closed around his and she wished she was stronger, wished she had brought more stormlight to get him to a hospital, to make sure he would survive.

“Don’t die.”

She begged him, her voice shaking from fear, from the guilt that she had accepted him coming along. If only she had been stronger, had been more comfortable with going with Devaan. They had promised themselves to survive this, to not die, and now he was here, his body injured and tense, and he was dying, so much fear, so much regret, even his embrace wasn’t able to console her, because she was about to loose him, because –

Soother.

An enemy. He had followed her into a trap, someone was influencing them.

@I think I am here.

Quote

Althea missed the Phoenix arriving.

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Sorana

[Sherlock Holmes]

"The phoenix?" Seom asked, then saw Mike freeze. "Uh, Mike?" She shaked him. @Sorana

Edited July 11, 2019 by Ark's Boyfriend

[I think I am here.]

4 hours ago, Sorana said:

She inhaled and kept her breath, while she dumped some of the powder on his less injured arm.

“Hey!” Max said and tried to move his arm around, tried to throw the powder off of it. His arm began to itch, and he rubbed it against his leg, and when that wasn’t working he rubbed it against the abrasive surface of the rocky sewer wall. It went okay and he looked to the woman, the evil woman who’d done this. When this was over, maybe a day or a month from now, when everything was all fine and he and Althea were healed, Max swore he would find this woman, and make her pay. Her, and that associate of hers, though he didn’t seem to be doing much.

“Don’t... leave...” he heard Althea whisper and he held her tight, moving his good arm in annoyance because it so itchy, but he found some pimples on it where he’d itched and he continued to scratch it, only Althea’s voice distracting him again.

“Don’t die.”

No, I’m not going to die, he whispered in her mind. We’re going to live, you and me, and we’re going to go back to our house, and we’re going to sleep, and when we wake up everything will be fine. Like if this was a bad dream.

[kenod]

Kumiko opened the door, stepping out on to the roof. She looked around, switching to Cat, and gazed into the distance, trying to spot whatever was making that sound. Seeing a spot of light in the distance, she moved closer to the edge, curious. Looking at it, she saw a bird, glowing with flames. She frowned, wondering where it had come from. She couldn't remember hearing about anything like this. Still, it didn't look like one of the creatures the Vortex had created. It had a ... beauty to it, something that the monsters roaming the streets lacked. At that moment, something slammed into her. Her emotions vanished, only fear remaining. Her breathing sped up, memories flashing before her, the crash, the hospital, the city full of Epics. She knelt down, grabbing the ground to stabilize herself.

===

KanMien walked out of the alley and looked up at the building. They felt themselves wondering how Kumiko was doing, and shook their head. Focus on the current task first, they thought. Suddenly they noticed a strange warmth and frowned, looking around. They saw Voidus talk with Mac and the Stranger, probably discussing the warmth as well. ...Or not, they thought when they heard them say something about rioting. Looking around, they saw something in the distance, a large flaming bird. They frowned, it seemed familiar for some reason... Their eyes snapped open when they found it in KoTiel's memories. The Phoenix. KoTiel hadn't seen it themselves either, but they had heard the stories. "Harmony," they muttered. They grabbed their phone. They needed to warn Kumiko, tell her to get out of the building, flee as quickly as possible. However, before they could call her something slammed into them. They grabbed their head and fell to their knees, phone tumbling out of their hands. They could feel it, the mass of emotional allomancy, they could feel it grinding against their mind. Their breathing sped up, and they laid down on the ground, their only thought on trying to outlast the Soothing.

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So is the Soothing continuous or just a single burst?

Also, would the Alleystorm affect non-Investure abilities, like Epic abilities?

 

[xinoehp512]

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It should. All magic in the Alleyverse is the same.

 

[kenod]

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I wonder how though. It could be useful though, especially since we now have two Phoenixes to deal with.

 

[xinoehp512]

Quote

For most, I think, it would just make things more powerful. Something to note is that it can occasionally cause warping in those with hemalurgic spikes, although that should happen much less in the Alleycity.

 

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

“Hey!” Max said and tried to move his arm around, tried to throw the powder off of it. His arm began to itch, and he rubbed it against his leg, and when that wasn’t working he rubbed it against the abrasive surface of the rocky sewer wall. It went okay and he looked to the woman, the evil woman who’d done this. When this was over, maybe a day or a month from now, when everything was all fine and he and Althea were healed, Max swore he would find this woman, and make her pay. Her, and that associate of hers, though he didn’t seem to be doing much.

“Don’t... leave...” he heard Althea whisper and he held her tight, moving his good arm in annoyance because it so itchy, but he found some pimples on it where he’d itched and he continued to scratch it, only Althea’s voice distracting him again.

“Don’t die.”

No, I’m not going to die, he whispered in her mind. We’re going to live, you and me, and we’re going to go back to our house, and we’re going to sleep, and when we wake up everything will be fine. Like if this was a bad dream.

Lena observed him rub his arm, made a quick note, and then continued to observe what he was doing. She grabbed another pancake and continued to eat. It would get worse for a while, and then after two weeks, it would have healed completely. The pancake was good. She needed to remember to add almonds more often.

============

There's a soother.

Althea replied and smiled despite the fear, despite the regret, that she'd accepted him to come along. A dream. Nothing but a bad dream. She liked that thought. To go home, close her eyes and forget what happened here. Here. Someone was eating and she moved closer to Max.

How many are here? What's happening? Did they capture us?

Her smile vanished when the fear was back, strong, stronger than anything else, even stronger than her regret. If someone caught her and Max, if it was about the guilds. She couldn't sacrifice Max to protect her members. But she'd sworn an oath, two oaths. She had to protect them both. Her hand closed around his and she wished it was over, really nothing more than a dream, a nightmare. And when she woke up, everything was over.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Sorana

[Voidus]

Laurelai turned towards KanMien, wondering what she'd noticed. But before she could say a word she felt it, a sudden wave of Allomantic power rushed through her, suppressing her emotions, forcing them back down until almost none remained.

She wished she hadn't come here, this had been a mistake. So much destruction around the city and she thought that she would manage to survive it? She thought that she could be an effective spy in a city filled with swords that severed souls, knights with the ability to turn you to stone, men and women who could hurl a coin through your skull with nothing but a thought? She was too far out of her depth. She needed to run. To get out of there before Voidus remembered what she'd done to anger him. Before he killed her.

Then she felt the power twist deeper still, forcing its way beneath the surface of her mind and into the depths. She felt it pulse rhythmically and felt a counter-pulse from two points in her arms, two bright piercing points that seemed to resist against the intrusion. But even stability spikes had a limit, and she could feel them slipping, losing ground.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She felt the fear spread out beneath her, the two legged creature froze in panic or ran from the sight of her. As it should be. These ones did not try to resist her, did not threaten to usurp her dominion or challenge her authority. They were not like the enemy.

From a number of points below she felt a strange cracking sensation, as though the power she'd unleashed had broken through something, and felt a sudden connection to a number of minds. A connection that would only be possible with others who had been gifted powers. Her Kindred.

For a brief moment a flash of fear took the edge off of her rage, her wings faltered as she realized what she had done. Her creators had forbidden her from commanding her Kindred unless they gave her permission, she had not been permitted to do so on her own. Should not even want to rob her fellows of their wills. But she had it seems accidentally seized control over a number of her Kindred in the city, and she could feel several others on the verge of shattering as well.

But then her rage flared up again, burning as bright as the flames upon her body. Her creators no longer held sway over her. She was the sovereign of the skies, not them.

She held herself aloft moving towards the building that she hated, but her eyes still scanned the ground. She wished to see the enemy, broken and afraid, fleeing from her shadow as she swooped down upon them. Instead she saw something else, something that was unexpected. A burst of bright fire lit the ground, before lifting up into the air. Her eyes focused in on the flames immediately, narrowing in challenge. Her children were a great distance away, this could not be any of them. And if it was not one of her children then that left only the option of a rival.

The flames began to fade to a darker colour, a black flame outlining a shape that she was familiar with. Her shape.

Talons stretched beneath her as this rival approached, but for a fellow creature of the sky she gave it the courtesy of waiting for it to speak before rending it apart.

You knew my father. The Rival spoke. Were friends with him. He saved you. Will you accept me too?

The Phoenix regarded it unblinkingly, trying to recall any figure like that of this rival. She remembered nothing of any other rivals, not since she had been a tiny hatchling. But she did remember another creature who had tried to speak with her. Another whose voice rang with a fire of its own. Could this Rival be a Hatchling of theirs? That one had understood. He had understood what it meant to live.

Accept? She asked back. No. Accepting comes after. Proving comes first. We are hunting. We are living. Join the hunt and maybe we will accept. Show that you live.

With a sudden gust of wind and heavy wingbeats she set off towards the building once more. If the Enemy was in the building then she could destroy both at once. If not then she would continue destroying until she found them. Perhaps the Rival would understand, perhaps they could live as well.

She cut off the surge of emotional allomancy, allowing those below to feel once more. But she kept a hold of the tethers she'd already formed, the minds that she was already connected to. She gave them all a single request.

Find the Enemy.

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita felt the heat of the air immediately upon re-entering the city, and for the first time in what felt like ages, she forced her tin down, down to a meager half of the near-flare she'd been keeping up for hours. The Coin in her sock continued to burn against her ankle, and her brassminds were accepting the spillover heat slugglishly. Not much room left in them now - she'd have to tap that heat soon, or figure out how to get rid of it another way.

Suddenly, KanMien dropped to their knees, clutching their head. Laurelai ran towards her, and Lita made to follow suit when --

Fear. 

Lita froze, suddenly deep in the grip of the terror she'd been carefully keeping at bay for the better part of five days. 

What am I doing here? She felt herself sway a bit, leaning against the wall, suddenly possessed by the desire to become as small as possible, to hide, to run. Run away from these people, from this place. She was nothing, no one, a mouse who had wandered into the lion's den. And soon, when they grew bored of her, they would take her deep into their twisting Alleys and break her like spun glass. 

There was an odd, internal pressure within her, as though she were a ripe plum and someone was pushing their finger against her skin. Pushing, pushing, trying to get in. Lita shrank down further, huddled against the wall of the alleyway in an attempt to keep away from this...thing. This force that wished to overtake her. It was so strong - she couldn't keep it away much longer. Lita felt her mind bend around the intrusion, almost breaking, almost, almost --

It was gone, as quick as it came, and Lita was glad she had already sat down, for the return of her other emotions would have sent her to her knees. She drew in a long breath, coughing, and lifted a shaking hand to her head. Lita pulled herself up against the wall and staggered over to Laurelai and KanMien.

"Are you alright?" She asked, voice coming low and shaky. Lita looked toward the three DA leaders, hoping they might know what was going on. "What in every hell was that?"

@kenod @Voidus

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, Voidus said:

Find the Enemy.

Quote

I suppose that's Max? Or is it plasmacore because of the hate Max rioted?

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Sorana

[kenod]

KanMien found themselves lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Allomancy must have stopped, they thought. They tried to get up, but failed. They tapped some Zinc, and felt some semblance of focus returning to them. "Emotional allomancy," they muttered to Lita. "Soothing, probably the Phoenix. Though why can it... Right, Brass." They shook their head, slowly standing up again. "Got to warn Kumiko," they muttered. "Phoenix is coming." They grasped around, looking for their phone. Grabbing it, they called Kumiko. "Get out of there," they said. "Phoenix is coming to the building."
"I know," Kumiko said, her breathing sounding labored. "I can deal with it," she said, trying to sound confident, but failing.
"Kumiko..." KanMien said, sounding annoyed, but also concerned. They sighed. "Alright," they said. "I trust you on this one. Just ... make sure you come back alive, alright?"
"Alright," she softly said, and then hung up.

Back on the roof of the building Kumiko put away her phone, and looked at the Phoenix rushing at it, as well as the Alleystorm behind it. Slowly, a plan started forming in her head, and a smile appeared on her face.

@ZincAboutIt

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Edit: Said plan does not secure the safety of the people inside the building. I'd suggest evacuating asap.

Also, someone asked this before, but does the barrier still work, and if so, how long will it hold out against the phoenix?

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by kenod

[AonEne]

Quote

On 7/10/2019 at 8:26 AM, xinoehp512 said:

Ene, where did the TUBA soldiers that came to the PlasmaCore building go?

I don't know.

Fear and regret, you say? MMMMMMMMM

13 hours ago, Sorana said:

“Go away,” she whispered. “I am sorry, I am so sorry, but please, leave me alone. Just leave me alone. It was a job, nothing personal. I only followed my orders.”

Baker Pi took a step back, then motioned toward Twevle and the rest. "Do any of you know what she's talking about?" None did, so he looked at the man who'd shown up and begun talking with her.

@Sorana @BringerofShadows ***

Deteca stopped moving as a wave of heat swept the streets. I don't suppose DAHR sensed my intentions through some strange application of Investiture and is coming for me, she mused before another wave slammed past the first. This one, however, cut past any physical sensation and sliced at her emotions until only utter fear remained. And regret. She gasped, falling without knowing it, falling like a dropped coin. Falling like Dieka. Dead on the ground - all your fault - you should have done what Mom asked - and now Mom might be gone - forever - they're gone, all three, forever - FOREVER -

It stopped.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

Intense heat and an incredibly powerful Soothing. Deteca had to admit it could be multiple things, but one came to mind before any other. She had never witnessed it - had always been on a Shardworld doing TUBA's work - during its earlier rampages. But this...this had to be...the Phoenix.

[Voidus]

9 hours ago, Sorana said:

Quote

I suppose that's Max? Or is it plasmacore because of the hate Max rioted?

 

Quote

It would be a very confused mix of images about both, she's not being particularly coherent right now.

 

[+Ark1002]

12 hours ago, kenod said:

Quote

I wonder how though. It could be useful though, especially since we now have two Phoenixes to deal with.

Even if it wasn't, it said in the original plan it increased everything.

It also meant you would have infinite supplies of white sand regeneration, stormlight, etc.

Dark Phoenix sent back acceptance of the reply.

Then she joined into the hunt. She blasted through the sky, looking at the approaching Alleystorm. Her power would grow massively within it. But first... first PlasmaCore had to go. She screeched, and burnt a trail through the air, the sound like thunder following.

The Phoenix was to destroy something. And Dark Phoenix... Dark Phoenix would join them. She screeched again as she flew towards the massive building. 

[+Sorana]

Mike grabbed Seom’s hand and put it aside.

“We need to destroy this. The building, all of them. The sky belongs only to her. The sky belongs to her, only to her. We need to destroy this. The building, all of them…”

He muttered to himself and followed Wes out of the room. Climbing down might be a problem without squirrel though. Mike stood there, looked at the elevator shaft and pondered how to get down there. Then he simply started to give it a try.

@Ark's Boyfriend

 

 

Zokora heard Baker Pi ask a question, what was wrong, what was going on, but another knife hit her stomach and she doubled over, gasped and then they were gone. Vanished completely. She took a while to calm down, then straightened.

“Ghosts.”

She replied.

“I am cursed by ghosts.”

Another breath, a moment to collect her thoughts.

“Can I come back to your offer with tunnels? It wasn’t what I was aiming at, but I’d like to protect my soldiers as well.”

@AonEne

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Did the storm arrive yet?

 

[I think I am here.]

19 hours ago, Voidus said:

She cut off the surge of emotional allomancy, allowing those below to feel once more. But she kept a hold of the tethers she'd already formed, the minds that she was already connected to. She gave them all a single request.

Find the Enemy.

Alask shuddered and he felt his mind invaded by a thought, a thought that wormed its way into his mind and began controlling his body. He, or rather his body, stepped forward and images of the Enemy began to flash through his mind. Images of a man, images of a building, all invading his vision, as his body took another step forward.

Shez, he asked. I’m not in control, what’s going on?

“I’m not in control either,” Shez said with a growl that pulsed in Alask’s spikes. “It’s the other one, the monster. It’s strong.”

Too strong for Shez to break control of, he implied. Alask mentally sighed and looked ahead as his body saw Max, lying against the cobblestone walls of the sewers, and recognised him. The Enemy.

“The enemy,” his body said, in a flat tone. Stepping forward he grabbed Max by the shoulders and hauled him up. He was heavy, but he offered no resistance and Max was too injured to do anything. Alask’s body, using the connection the Phoenix had forged, sent a mental message. Enemy found.

“You will be sacrificed to the Phoenix,” he said. He knew the way out of these sewers, and he would haul them up, take them to the surface where the Phoenix would execute them. Picking up Max he began to trudge to the exits.

“Althea!” Max called, stretching his arm out. Alask’s body looked to the woman, the wife of the Enemy. “Yes, she will have to be sacrificed too.” And with that he turned to Lena. “Will you help me take these to the Phoenix?”

@Sorana

[Sherlock Holmes]

"Uh, okay," Seom said, not understanding at all. "Well... uh... okay..." @Sorana

[+Sorana]

34 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Althea!” Max called, stretching his arm out. Alask’s body looked to the woman, the wife of the Enemy. “Yes, she will have to be sacrificed too.” And with that he turned to Lena. “Will you help me take these to the Phoenix?”

Lena stood up, and lifted Althea. She saw no real sense in carrying the wife out as well, but if the Phoenix wanted to eat her, maybe she could poison her and then see if that poison affected the Phoenix as well. That could make for a nice achievement. The first one to poison the Phoenix. The woman was surprisingly lightweight, and Lena didn’t care if her head hit a wall now and then, instead she simply ignored her groans and carried her after Alask.

Althea hesitantly opened her eyes and looked around. Shades. Dark greys and lighter greys. She tried to listen to the steps, two, maybe three persons. Max was silent, not replying to her questions and that meant it was bad, so bad that he wanted to keep her in the dark. Or he was in so bad shape, that he couldn’t talk to her anymore.

Darkness. It reminded her of endless nights, spent alone under a blanket, freezing, pulling her legs up in an attempt to stay warm. Darkness. Endless days spent alone while she was learning, training, while she tried to understand how the soulcaster worked, how she could change things. Now and then the door would open, some food, someone explained it again, and then she was back to training and training and training. Crystals. Soulcasting crystals and then back to laboratories learn and study again, train until she was good enough to take over project on her own. She was loosing her eyesight and she knew it, but here, in the dim light it barely mattered. Her eyes were so fragile, the glasses needed to be stronger and stronger with every passing month. The dim light helped preserve what was left, protect her nerves, but still, slowly she was turning blind.

Her hand reached out for her pocket and she felt around until her fingers touched button. Zokora. She could help, locate them, get them out, bring her some spheres. Coughing she pressed the button, activated an emergency signal to her assistant. It was hard to breathe, something had been damaged, inhaling and exhaling hurt, hurt so much she wished she could stop breathing altogether. For a while she considered to reach out for Max again, ask him what was going on, but then she stayed quiet. He would tell her, if she needed to know.

===========================

5 minutes ago, Ark's Boyfriend said:

"Uh, okay," Seom said, not understanding at all. "Well... uh... okay..." @Sorana

Mike continued to climb down. Enemy. He had to find the enemy. Had to destroy him. The sky belonged to her and she wouldn't accept any intruders. She was strong, she would survive. And he would destroy her enemies.

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I mostly tagged you, because you will notice, and were interacting with him.

 

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Tels raced through the Alleyverse sewer system, using tendrils of sand to push off of the walls around him and rocket through the tunnels, the walls becoming a blur all around him. He was beginning to feel a little dehydrated, but that was the least of his concerns right now. What had gone wrong? The Phoenix was supposed to be under control right now, but instead, it was hard to keep one’s sanity with that... force pulsing through you. Tels has fallen to his knees shaking when he felt the wave of allomancy from the Phoenix.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tels continued to look for disturbances in the blur around him to indicate that there was something other than stone surrounding him. He needed to find Max, or Alask and Lena. As far as Tels knew, Max was the only way to control the Phoenix, but that had obviously failed. It was unlikely that anything could be done with the man, but it was worth a shot. It was the only shot Tels had left.

Tels continued shooting along the tunnels, when finally, he noticed something to his right. He slowed down, and went back to the tunnel he spotted people in. In there, he found a man and a woman, both unconscious, covered in numerous cuts and bruises. The woman looked especially bad, maybe poison or the likes of it. They were being carried by Alask and Lena, both wearing cheap disguises. Alask merely had a beard on, and Lena a fake nose. 

He ran up to them, covering the distance in as quick a time as he could manage. “How in the name of Aisha did this screw up so badly?!” Tels yelled, still running towards them. “What’s storming going on here anyways?”

Edited July 12, 2019 by Truthless of Shinovar

[I think I am here.]

3 minutes ago, Truthless of Shinovar said:

“How in the name of Aisha did this screw up so badly?!” Tels yelled, still running towards them. “What’s storming going on here anyways?”

“They must be sacrificed,” Alask’s possessed body told Tels in a flat tone. “The Enemy and their wife. The Phoenix will enjoy killing them.”

He walked ahead, gesturing for Lena to follow, and he continued to carry Max all the way to the sewer exits. The AlleyStorm rumbled, close by and Alask threw Max down on the stone floor.

—-

A while had passed and Max could barely see what was going on. A moment passed, and Max oud feel more air hitting his face. 

Thea? He said. I think we’re on the surface. I think he wants the Phoenix to eat us.

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Tels at last caught up to them, trying to catch his breath. “Who,” he said, pointing to the man in Alask’s arms, “the heck is that? What do you mean, the ‘Enemy?’”

Edited July 12, 2019 by Truthless of Shinovar

[+Sorana]

6 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

A while had passed and Max could barely see what was going on. A moment passed, and Max oud feel more air hitting his face. 

Thea? He said. I think we’re on the surface. I think he wants the Phoenix to eat us.

The Phoenix? What do you mean, the phoenix?

Althea asked and then tried to grasp who had arrived as well.

Don't tell me, that Phoenix.

She could feel the air as well, smiled when she smelled the upcoming storm in the air. The storm.

============

Lena set the woman down, when they were outside and turned to Tels.

"And what do you want to do now? Do you want to eat a pancake?"

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Lena has the skill "disguise" so it can't be that bad ^^ Blame my description, sorry if it was a bit short.

@Truthless of Shinovar