Ko signed into the game spawning on a grassy hill. He groaned at where he spawned actually really pissed off about the area that he was spawned in. He had come into the game to let out some frustration. His parents had come home to yell at him and his brother's. His brothers mostly because they hadn't been watching him like they should have been and him for playing a game when they got home and then running off to do it again. it wasn't like anything he did was ever good enough for them anyways and it wasn't like he didn't have straight A's and he could get into literally any college her wanted based on his athletism and his brains. He was just pissed off and being pissed off literally changed the usually calm and collected boy that he was. He had not answered any messages or anything that might have been waiting for him when he signed on. Right now he wanted to burn down a town and he was looking for someone who might be willing to tear up the day with him. He wanted to get into trouble. he wanted to have some dasteredly fun.

He let out a small growl and his flame popped into his hand. The incantation for the small flame was barely anything and even in a growl he could get it out. He watched it burning in his hand and started to feed it his anger. He started to walk from where he had spawned heading for the forest that he saw just a little south of himself. He needed to get out some aggression and the hoped that there was something inside of that forest. He also really didn't care if he possibly burned down a few trees. He couldn't care less if it killed him really. Right now he needed to let out the pent up aggression. A deep breath and a few words later the flame that had grown into the size of a small fire ball was released from his hand and went shoot off into a bush which instantly caught fire and he didn't give a care about it. Should he have probably but at the moment he watched the bush burn with the utter look of glee in his eyes. They were glowing a sort of redish orange like his flames. He was paying attention to his surroundings but he didn't really give a care if anyone came up on him. If they weren't someone he could deal with he would just kill them and continue on.

Sadly the poor NPC that was walking through the woods came upon him and the second they got in site a throwing knife was in their shoulder. He'd aimed there on purpose. He used some more of his manna or whatever this game called it which he couldn't recall in his pissed off state. He made the knife that was in his hand burn and threw it at the intruder to his fun little mess he was about to create. And then one actual hit from a fire ball killed the poor little npc who happened on a pissed off Ko. Usually he would have thought twice about that but he didn't at this point.

He moved a little away and wondered if anyone or anything more interesting was in the forest.

@Lord Lemming

 

There was something strange happening in these woods. Something outside the normal of magical beasts running about, adventurers questing against a stolen prized cow or a pack of wild pigs that needed solving. It felt more real than that, more tangible and true, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. Sniffing the air, the smell of burning flesh wafted by and caught her attention, causing her to leap up form the rock on which she had been perching. Hers was a slow morning, filled with the practicing of her dark powers in a place that was private and peaceful. Private, because she did not wish to be seen using the dark arts and growing those forces. Peaceful, because it was a simple matter to test out her abilities on the squirrels and rabbits in the vicinity as they hopped by. A pile of withered husks lay before her, rotten and mummified from hexes placed upon the things. Her nostrils flared and she forgot the cairn of animals corpses, tracking the scent through the woods towards its source.

That was where she saw the smouldering corpse of an NPC that Ko had stabbed in the shoulder and lit aflame to the point of death. The body was alone, his killer no longer in the vicinity, but it was fresh and its flames had only recently gone out. Perhaps an enemy NPC had done it as part of a random encounter quest? But, no... the smell had drifted to her with the wind, not been sent like an obnoxious flag to wave her in this direction. And the knife wound in the shoulder. Bandits then? They wouldn't have burned the clothes and potential valuables. That left one potential then.

"Feeling bored, are we?!" she shouted into the forest, hoping whomever had killed this NPC was still nearby and willing to talk. Perhaps even fight. She was feeling bored, after all. If the man was going to run around making trouble then she either wanted to join in, or get rid of him so she could make trouble for herself.

@Kohaku

 

Valther gasped and looked up, sniffing the air. A black cloud wafted across the treetops of the forest, sinister and suffocating, and the smell that accompanied it... charred flesh. Animal or human, Val couldn't tell, but one thing was for sure; it wasn't just a spit-roast with some mates. Someone had killed something or someone for sport; he could sense the killing intent like a scent on the wind. There was one word he could think of as a reason for the kill; rage.

With a sigh, Val rocked off the fallen tree trunk onto his feet and strode towards the plume of smoke within the forest, boasting a confident air but shuddering deep inside, as he knew he was yet too unskilled to deal with any bandits or assassins, or anything of the kind. Nonetheless, Valther grasped the hilt of his blade and slid it out of the sheath and stalked into the forest as if he knew how to use the weapon.

The scent was getting closer, and Val smothered the scent with his sleeve. The smell of burnt fabric began mixing with the one of flesh, and Val confirmed it was indeed a human that had been the victim... unless someone had a fetish for dressing wild boars in ballgowns. It wasn't long before Val stumbled across a figure laying on the earth, scorched beyond recognition, a silver blade impaled through the shoulder.

And beside the corpse stood a woman, and Val shuddered; she must have been the killer. He approached her slowly, his blade held in a back-handed grip. He cleared his throat loudly to catch the woman's attention. While his stance seemed confident, and he didn't shake, he was cursing himself in his mind and was ready to regret his actions. "Did you kill this person?" He asked, tilting his head towards the carrion to emphasize his question, keeping his eyes trained carefully on the woman. "If not... then who did?"

@Kohaku
@Lord Lemming

 

Ko had not gone far. As a matter of fact he was sitting up in a tree not to far away admiring his work. The young man was in a rather vicious mood right now. And that meant that he was ready and willing to cause some trouble with like minded people. At times people really thought that Ko could have been bipolar but really he was only like this when something pissed him off beyond end. Otherwise causing trouble was just something fun to do when he was in games. So it was a good thing he was in a game right now wasn't it. In games he could act out the frustration. In the real world he'd have just gone and thrown his knives into his lovely target. But here there was something so satisfying about he just did. The death of another player didn't ever really bother him all that much. It was usually do to their own stupidity.

But like fire usually does it calls out to those that want to have fun. That have some sort of passion in them. Or at least that's what Ko though. He knew that someone would come and check out the glourious smells that wafted through this forest and so he was just sitting and waiting to see who was doing what. Someone came by looking at the glistening knife in the shoulder of the npc. He wanted to giggle but he didn't. For as they yelled out to him another came upon the scene. He wasn't too high up so he decided it would be just fine to jump down. He jumped down landing at the base of the tree and coming through a push to lean down and pull the throwing knife out of the npc's shoulder.

He cleaned it off putting it back where it had come from. And looked at the two of them. "Well, its always interesting how fire brings people around. Or should I say the smell of dead flesh." The look in his eyes was in a word evil. He looked at the first that had come upon him. "Bored I am. care to join me in burning down and killing whatever we find?" He wanted a partner in crime and this person seemed to be right up his all. Seeing as they had only asked if he was bored. He looked back to the other holding his weapon in a defensive stance.

"Stand down will you. Its all in the name of some fun." He smiled an evil little smirk. Today was going to be intersting. His eyes were still glowing a bit the color of flames as the dulled down to the red color he had made them for game. He was shorter than the two that had come upon him being a Faerin and all that but he was fine with that. He didn't really care for that matter. He stood there fully prepared to fight if someone decided they wanted to do that.

@Lord Lemming and @Valther

 

There was no response to her call, no culprit willing to step forth and answer the charge of the murder they had done. Which was perfectly fine in her book; after all, nothing done here had been of offense to her, so why should she care? Huffing in boredom, she turned to retreat back into the woods and continue her practice when a man stepped into view, his sword wielded backwards and upside down as if he were in a slasher movie and wished to sneak up and stab her to death. So this was the man who had killed the NPC? She looked at the blade, then the wounded shoulder of the corpse, and shook her head. The throwing knife and the fire were both ranged attacks and this man was ready for an up-close encounter... but there was still distance between them. If he had been the killer, he'd have a throwing knife ready to use, or fire prepared in his hands. She was about to speak when a rustling came from nearby and Ko entered into view.

The man walked boldly up and admired his own handiwork, perhaps a little too cocky for her taste but amusing all the same. There was a psychotic glint to her eyes that made her nervous he might find her own death "amusing" if he got too bored, but his notion of a good time did intrigue her. After all, she hadn't tested her powers out on a person yet, even if they were just an NPC. She grinned slightly as Kohaku ordered Valther to stand down, wondering how this might turn out.

"I guess you found your killer," she said to Valther as she began to take several steps backwards, giving them space to fight and folding her arms over her chest.
"The question is, what are you going to do about it? Seek justice for this slain person? Or join him in a little chaos and fun?" pausing, she glanced to Kohaku and smiled sweetly.
"Or are you willing to let the poor lad leave and fetch help, to hunt you down in these woods. Maybe then you wouldn't be so bored, if you had an angry mob giving chase?"

@Kohaku @Valther

 

The woman looked Valther up and down, seeming to be initially intimidated, possibly gauging his worthiness of being a victim, or out of caution that he may be the killer instead, and Valther would have accused her wrongly. For one reason or another, she seemed to lose interest in Val, and he lowered the sword slightly, but kept his guard up. His blade came straight back up in front of him defensively as a third member strolled into view, and, in a smug and murderous manner, admired the corpse he'd left behind, retrieving the dagger lodge into its shoulder.

The male player almost ordered Val to stand down. It was like a sharp bark, commanding yet annoying, and Val couldn't help but relate the small player to a dog, like a chihuahua or the like. Staring him down a little longer, Val gave in and sighed, swinging the blade outwards, then into the sheath, standing tall and relaxing. "It's just a game, Val, stop being so uptight," he sighed quietly to himself, before flicking his eyes between the two players.

Val shook his head when the woman went and listed off the possible options for the two males to take. "I simply came to investigate. I'm not looking for a fight," he responded, glaring at the girl who seemed to be enjoying the tense atmosphere all too much. "It's only natural to come running at the smell of burnt flesh and find out what the hell happened, am I right? I'm sure our resident murderer agrees," Val threw a half-smirk at the chihuahua.

"I believe my idea of 'fun' is far different from yours... but to tell the truth, I wouldn't be much help in your crusade of baptism by fire. I can't even cast a simple fireball, and I swing a sword like a wet noodle," Val explained to both the players, smiling wider. "So before you go and pillage and burn some poor village, some help would be nice. I could repay you by joining in on the... 'fun', but I can't guarantee I'll enjoy it," Valther bargained with the two, his amethyst eyes still dancing between them in case someone made an unexpected move.

 

Ko couldn't help admiring what he had done. Maybe it was because after some dastardly deeds he would calm down and be able to log off calmly and deal with another day at home. Still right now his rage and desire for some burning death was all that fueled him. Oh and the need to steal something form some high to do NPC or something. Who really knew what was on his mind exactly. It was a jumbled mess of entertainment for anyone who dared enter it and if they survived walking into it they might not come out the same. He watched Lemming as the other addressed Val. He could care less about the other man that had joined in. As a matter of fact Ko had already lost interest in the other male. And was paying far more attention to the first person on the scene. That wasn't to say he wasn't watching to make sure the boy didn't get any stupid ideas. Like running off to do exactly what Lemming had suggested.

"Well it certainly would make the day a little less boring but then would you join in on killing off member of an angry mob just for fun?" He questioned her and then turned to the other. His may have been small but it was the small ones you really needed to watch out for. He wasn't one of those people you wanted to be on the radar of in a bad way when he was in this type of mood. However, this kid wouldn't know that nor did Lemming. After all he'd just met these people but he was far less intrigued by the other one who seemed to not know how to weild his weapon anyways.

And when it was confirmed the smirk on Ko's face grew wider. "And what is it that you think we could teach you?" It was a question as his eyes flickered in a way to life again. And a small flame appeared in his hand. He moved a little aiming at a bush. "flash" He said as the flame shot out of his hand and disappeared not harming anything. He was something he had just learned the other day that he could do to it. The way he got the flam in his hand was saying something like flicker under his breath. "I might be able to teach you how to cast a fireball but exactly how bad are you at it. and i'm not exactly in the most caring mood right now. As you can tell by the smell of burnt flesh." A smirk and he moved to stand his back against a tree waiting for the reply.

@Lord Lemming and @Valther

 

It seemed as though the knife-wielding man who had questioned her potential guilt of the murder was neither for nor against barbaric displays which was... comforting? That sort of neutrality was hard to come by, but it was refreshing to see he lacked Kohaku's sinister attraction to trouble. There was nothing wrong with Kohaku's antics as far as she was concerned; it was simply nice to have variety in things, and having two such men would be dull indeed. Nor was Valther a do-gooder hero type however; he seemed genuinely disinterested in punishing anybody for the death of the NPC or seeing justice done and consequences felt. His offer to join them felt less than whole-hearted; perhaps he was afraid to say no lest they attempt to silence him? Her eyes wrinkled slightly in amusement at that and she turned to Ko as he began to speak.

So, it sounded like Ko liked the angry mob idea... that was well and good, because she had something of a plan that these boys could help her with.
"A thought occurs," she announced as Ko began setting a bush on fire and speaking of teaching Valther the basics of magic.
"Why don't I, the woman, go and rile up a nice mob in the town to come and investigate this murder I stumbled upon. When they arrive, the three of us can pick them all off. Afterwards, the town will have that fewer people defending it and we can take it down. Burn it to ashes perhaps; or just profit off the things we take while we raid it." She knew Ko would be on board immediately. Unless perhaps he had something more fun in mind, it rang of the kind of butcher-pete plan he must be accustomed to. Valther on the other hand... Valther looked like he might have second thoughts about a massacre like that. Perhaps he'd betray them once the mob arrived? She would be interested to see how that played out.

Sniffling, she reached up and wiped at her nose, her face scrunching up in shock, pain and fear as she looked at the corpse and tears began to fill her eyes, falling down her sobbing cheeks and dripping onto the ground as she fell on her hands and knees weeping in fright. Her breathing became huffed and hard, audibly choking for air as each little breath she captured was spat back out in a cruel wrack of crying and snot and spittle began to mingle on her lip and chin. It was the kind of disgusting crying only those with dead loved ones or broken hearts could feel, disgusting in its anguish but awesome in its power. She raked her hands into the grass and the dirt and tore at it as if some sort of answer or balm for her pain might lay beneath... and then she stood up, her face red and puffy and gross. She wiped her face on a sleeve of her coat and took a deep breath, smiling at Ko.
"I thiiiiiiiink I can convince them I'm troubled by the murder, and scared little me needs help finding out who killed this sweet girl. Unless one of you can do a better job?" Despite her voice being calm and level now, it still choked as her vocal cords had not yet relieved from the tension and power of her sobs. There was still stress and pain there. Truly, she was a manipulative bitch.

 

Valther listened closely as the two decided on their plan of action, and how they'd stir up the trouble with a mob. The female suggested that she could catch the attention of the mob and get them to come and investigating. Since he had less of a desire to burn everything to the ground, yet he still wanted a hand in the act, Val spoke up. "How about when they arrive, I play the murderer?" he explained and muttered under his breath, a small flame, with a deadly and destructive image but created with little violent intent, flickered into life in his palm. "I think I could act it out well enough. And while I'm holding them... 'hostage', you could sneak off and join in on the party with the boy. Maybe I'll injure a couple of them, singe a few hairs if I can... I'm against killing NPCs myself, but hurting them won't be a problem," Valther suggested and snuffed out the flame. "And once I've hurt them enough to take them off my trail, I can meet up with you both and maybe destroy a building or two. Probably won't do much damage though, with my lack of experience," he added with finality and folded his arms.

Valther's heart sank and he almost dropped to a knee to help the girl when she collapsed in what seemed to be anguish and sorrow, as if the body suddenly triggered a hundred deep-rooted thoughts, until finally she stood up and explained she could convince the mob. Val placed a hand against his face and sighed, shaking his head. "You're a scary woman if you can act that good. Remind me never to get on your bad side," Val groaned and looked at her, before flashing a smirk; on the other hand, she would also be a valuable ally if he could get in her good books. While Valther preferred to stay away from unnecessary killing, at least most of the time, he followed his own rules. He didn't care about 'justice' or 'revenge'. He was always up for stirring up a little chaos and hell, if it came to it maybe he could find a reason to kill and NPC for the hell of it.

"So, we ready to roll this plan into action?" he asked with a smirk. "You two can head to the closest village, the boy can blend into the crowds, the girl does her act. I'll wait here behind a tree, and as soon as you're ready, cry a girl's name out loud, and I'll appear," Valther planned out, pointing at them in succession as he mentioned them. "Does that sound good? And when I appear, you can run off, and I'll catch up after having some fun myself," he added and nodded, as if acknowledging his own plan.

 

Ko was paying far more attention to Lemming then he was to the other man in the group at the moment. Honestly it was because Valther didn't intrigue him at all. Granted that might be because of the fact that Lemming seemed far more his style of player at the moment. when she announced that she would go into town and that they would raid after wards a smile came to his face that could only be described as something sinister and gleeful. There really were no words for the smirk he was giving only that there was pure evil intent in it. Or perhaps that was just due to the boredom and the need to let out pent up aggression. Still he didn't care and though for only a second. He listened to Valther and he just chucked a bit a Lemming showing off what she could do. he would remind himself not to get on her bad side as well but it didn't matter to him.

"Alright kid," He said to the other boy. "We will stay here while our lovely lady friend goes and rounds up the mob. I do hope you are good at hiding." He said with a bit of snicker. He looked at Lemming he wasn't going anywhere and he didn't trust the other to be good to his word. But it was easy enough for her to fake being upset and him to hide around and wait and start picking them off one by one. After all while they were investigating it wouldn't be that hard for her to slip away and join him. And then once they were done then they could get into the town. there was no need for anyone to act the murderer.

"No need for us to do the acting. I think our lovely female friend here can do that on her own. We will wait and pick them off unless you're too scared to pick off a group of NPC's. I mean if you aren't going to kill them you might as well just run away right now. Granted I can't be sure you'll get too far." He smirked a little bit and though the other might thing him barely even a threat with his size. Well let's just say he was one.

@Lord Lemming and @Valther

 

The two boys were obviously at opposing ends about what ought to be done. On the one hand there was Kohaku who seemed sinister and euphoric, ready to take to the bushes and await the coming of a mob so that he could play out his dark fantasies upon them and be the bad guy. And then there was Valther who was too reserved, it seemed. He neither enjoyed nor disliked the idea of attacking the mob she would bring, and in a rather suspicious move he even tried to get both her and Kohaku to go to town together. So he could, what? Run off? Shaking her head, she listened to the boys exchange their words and turned around, walking into the woods towards town. She hadn't the patience to sit and wait for them to vote or sort things out; they'd just better have their collective shit together by the time she returned with "help."

It was not a long journey to the town and, as she entered it, a man had stopped to ask why she looked so frightened and distressed. Clinging to him as he failed miserably to console the man, she told him about the scary man in the woods who had chased her and another girl, and how she had barely gotten away. She was still terrified for the safety of the poor other woman, who must be getting exhausted running from a knife-throwing lunatic! The man, a local farmer, called to his friends and relaid a briefer version of her tale and they set out to count the heads in town and find out who was missing. A minute later and it turned out that Annabelle, the local equivalent of a school teacher, was missing according to her now mortified husband. He, the man trying to calm Lemming down, and five others all grabbed some rather crude looking short swords and bucklers that their town militia used in its defense and began towards the woods in the direction she had come. None asked her to guide them, for they knew the woods well enough. None was willing to put her in further harm by asking her to guide them or give aid. Instead, their wives and children all gathered in a storm cellar below the town's general goods store which was used for storage and hiding from bandits or monsters.

Sitting below in the almost choking darkness of the storm cellar, with only the light filtering through old floorboards to see by, she listened to the startled cries and soothing tones of children and mothers as the men set about hunting down "the man with knives" in the woods. She wouldn't be able to follow behind and help Kohaku or Valther now; not without alerting the three remaining men who had remained behind to safeguard the women and children and the town itself. While they didn't appear too imposing, she of course was too knew to know the limits of her own masteries and whether or not she could take them without assistance. No, it would be best to wait for things to play out. Perhaps the seven men going towards Kohaku and Valther would be dealt with, and then the two would come to the town and finish the plan. Perhaps both would be killed and forced to respawn, and she would either be able to walk away free or strung up as a conspirator in their plan to raid the village. She had absolutely no faith that either of them wouldn't rat her out immediately, just to brag, once the men arrived... So she began to look around for how to best deal with that situation, in case one of those NPCs ran back to warn the others that she was really the fox in the henhouse.

 

Valther couldn't help but shake his head in defeat. "Looks like I'm not to be trusted simply because I'm less of a fighter. Fine, we'll do it your way," he groaned and scowled at both of them, before folding his arms and sighing. "I guess it can't hurt to wreak a little havoc every now and then... and besides, they're NPCs, not real players..." he muttered to himself idly, forgetting to shut his mouth before he started thinking. He looked back up at both of them. "Don't expect much from me though, I'm still inexperienced with both the blade and my magic, most I could do is probably set their clothes on fire and hope they burn," he admitted and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Valther watched as the woman strolled off through the forest, supposedly towards the town. For all both of them knew she might also be double-crossing them, weaving a tale to get both of them in the shit. Valther headed over to one of the trees, hiding behind it quietly, his slim frame easily disguised by the stocky trunk of the tree. "Maybe you should climb the tree again, pull some 'death from above' stunt or something," Valther suggested and pointed up into the gnarled canopy, just as a way to pass some of the time. "Hope you're a good shot with those knives, because I'm just gonna be waving my sword wildly," he groaned and leaned his head back against the tree, gripping the handle of his sword, and unsheathed the blade, holding it against his chest in a reverse grip, his eyes shut tight as he listened for the parade.

Heavy footsteps pattered rapidly like machine guns against the dirt and grass as they headed towards the location the woman was supposed to tell them about. Val guessed she'd completed her part of the mission, but he heard no female voices in the mob that suddenly halted in front of the tree Val stood behind. Perhaps she'd started the fun without them, or she'd ditched them. Whatever it was, Val had one foot in the grave, there was no use climbing out now. Looking down at his palm, he curled his fingers. He had to say something.... something that would sound dangerous, and it might just trigger his flames.

Twisting and extending his palm around the side of the tree, he shouted 'Burst!'. His whole forearm began heat up rapidly like hot water rushing up a pipe, from elbow to palm, before the flames burst out in a small shotgun spread, earning a pandemonium of grunts and yells from the victims as flames singed clothes, hair and possibly flesh, and the suddenness of the bright explosion stunned the mob momentarily. Holding his blade up and panting, Valther made out the silhouettes of the men through the dissipating flames. No way could he pull that stunt a second time. Now it was the chihuahua's turn.

@Kohaku @Lord Lemming

 

Was he being a bit of a dick towards Valther...Probably...Did he care? No no he didn't it was just in the mood he was in right now. He was already up in a tree before Valther told him to be in one. As a matter of fact he had hopped from one tree to another just to keep and eye out. he could faintly for a bit hear the screams in the village and all of that. And then he saw the men coming. He had to admit he was only slightly impressed that Valther was able to get anything out of himself. That burst was actually rather lovely and the men had come into a line. Which allowed him to should off a sort of fire bullet right after thing. Hitting each one in turn causing screams. He dropped down out of his tree noting that the female was no anywhere to be seen which meant either she got waylaid, betrayed them, or was lying low. Either way it was time to have some fun.

He threw a knife into one of them men right in the neck and he went down gasping for air and then he was ablaze as the smell of burning flesh wafted through the forest. The fight wasn't exactly easy though. He did get hurt with a pitch fork but it wasn't all that bad he was bleeding though and he was going to have to do some acting himself at some point in time. Oh well no matter. Finally they had the small group nothing more than a pile of ash really. And he walked off towards the village. He had a plan and he hopped that Valther would follow. He singed is clothes a little and messed up his hair.

"Follow my lead. we are gonna play like we happened upon this and that we took out the killer for them. that should be able to get us in. If our other member is still there she should be able to do something. we have to be cunning her so we can steal. also i'm hurt so its possible that i can play dead for a little bit so to speak. or far more injured then i am." He smirked to himself his mind working a mile a minute. He stumbled into the village and to the first person that he saw collapsing onto them. He smelled like smoke and burning flesh but there were burn marks on him and he looked up at the man. "He...help me. I...i was walking through the woods headed this way when I heard commotion. I...I'm not sure if they were your men but the...they didn't make it. bu..but we.." he pointed to the Valther behind him. "We fought off th...the ones who...who attacked...w...we killed them but..." He coughed and fell to his knees letting the blood run onto the ground." I...I was wounded and we were meeting a friend here and I...i need to make sure she got here okay." He said words getting weaker and weaker as he spoke fighting with his eyes to stay concious.

Valther would know the lies but the NPC's were already freaking out about a dying person coming to them. He coughed again and fell face first into the dirt. hoping valther would know how to play along. otherwise they might actually be screwed.

@Lord Lemming and @Valther

 

Lemming's ears perked up as she heard Kohaku's voice near the edge of the small town, and she fought the urge to let out a groan of annoyance at his presence. The mob had not left long ago, but depending on its strength it was possible- unlikely but certainly possible- that the two boys had finished off all of the non player characters and made their way to the town. If that were the case, they were more talented than she thought. It was even a little intelligent to come in cautiously and try to trick the town into letting them close. Only a few things were wrong with that plan...

First and foremost, she had already done that, and the story she gave was that a single man had been chasing her and the dead girl that Kohaku had first killed. His own version told of several "thems" that were attacking; not that he could have known her story. Secondly, and more dangerously, he said he was hoping to meet a female friend in the town. She'd never mentioned she was in the area with friends, or would be waiting for them. Certainly she would have mentioned if her friends had been in danger as well, or tried to find them for safety first, right? So her entire story just got blown to smithereens, and she could see the terrified faces of the women and children, and a few men, down in the cellar. Slowly turning to hate, and fear, and disgust in her direction. Fucking Kohaku...

"Well," she sighed, standing up and climbing up the first few runs of the ladder that lead down into the storm cellar. "...it was my hope that you wouldn't ALL have to die, but you know what they say. Can't always get what you want."
She felt a hand enclose around one of her boots and eyed the man who had grabbed it, snarling up at her in rage as he tugged and tugged to pull her off the ladder and tear her apart with his own hands. Bored of his antics, she moved a hand from the ladder and fired a sudden bolt of flame onto his head, maintaining the jet of flames to ignite the bottom of the ladder and his clothes. While that kept people screaming and occupied, she climbed out and closed the cellar door, latching it from above. Just to be save though, she knocked a large shelf over on top of it to pin it down, then began smashing pots of lantern oil on the wooden floorboards, pouring a few down the cracks between boards to feed the fire below. She opened her menu and went to the sound settings, turning down sound effects and voices so that she wouldn't have to put up with the screaming, then walked out into the street to see what was going on. Spotting Kohaku and Valther, she shot the two idiots a withering look, then raised her hands and hit each one of them with a defense-reducing hex just to spite them for being morons. If they died, they died. If they lived, they lived. But let them finish off the last few men in town with weakened defense stats.

 

Valther watched as the psychotic chihuahua struck down a few of the men himself in a dance of knives and flames. Knowing he wouldn't be able to cast another spell like that a second time, Valther resorted to the blade; he was under attack and under suspicion, a perfect excuse to shed some blood as much as he preferred to stay away from it. With clumsy form and a shaking arm, Val struck forward and pierced the tip of his sword through the abdomen of one of the men, before kicking him to the ground where he began to cough and splutter, choking on his own blood. How ironic.

Val screeched loudly as cold steel ripped into the flesh just below his shoulder, and he swung wide to his right, the NPC dodging just out of reach of the tip of his blade. The over-exaggerated motion caused Val to stumble, throwing his left foot forward dangerously, and he caught a flaming ball of cotton wrapped around the head of a stick to his stomach, punching him like a demonic fist and singing both his shirt and the flesh underneath. With a growl, he switched the grip on his sword, holding it in reverse, and struck with his knuckles, landing a heavy punch in the center of the NPC's face. Having disorientated the man, he raised his sword high and plunged it downwards into his chest, skewering him in one quick down-and-up motion.

He whirled around to watch the rest of the carnage - or at least the aftermath of it. The other boy had already wrought fiery destruction on the rest of the NPCs, leaving them as mere piles of Ash. Valther silently followed the boy's lead, nodding as he explained the plan, working up a fake limp as they both filtered into the village.

Valther had to refrain from sighing at the melodramatic approach his partner-in-crime took with persuading one of the NPCs to let them in. As the boy toppled to his knees in weakness, Valther dropped to a knee and caught him, laying him back to look up at the sky. "Come on, you can hold on.. we're nearly home safe..." Val whimpered convincingly, before bending a little lower and whispering, "You owe me for this..." he grumbled and sat back up properly to look around, wondering where their female companion must be.

A heavy, bone-rattling impact struck him in the chest, sending him sprawling onto his rear, and a reddish-black aura wrapped around his body, sapping his energy, and the wounds he had already suffered began to ache, the axe wound on his shoulder starting to bleed more profusely. The boy seemed to be suffering from the exact same condition.

Valther looked up and noticed the woman, scowling at her angrily. "Hey, what was that for?!" he shouted and stood, striding up to her quickly in a furious, yet non-threatening manner, almost stepping over the boy he'd been forced to drop. "I'm just following his lead, do you have to beat me around too?" he sneered quietly as he approached her. He had to act like they didn't know each other, at least for a few moments longer, but nonetheless the anger from being hit with such a crude spell helped Val keep character.

Valther

63% HP

MAX HP

75% EN

MAX EN

Conditions Hexed - Defense Reduction.

@Kohaku @Lord Lemming