The Search For Mana

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos interjected the pup's words, "A cold-blooded swine like him only has a cease-fire with me since his personal greed saved my arse, and he might be of use to me in my search for my items of interest. I-" His words were cut short as the ground below them all caved in, sprouting nets tight around each person. Lazaryos forged a blade of lightning, but it stopped at the net's edge. "Blasted magic nets. Ember! These are earth nets! Burn them! My Majicka hasn't fully recovered that I can cut these!"

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember was sleeping soundly until the ground moved and she quickly sat up straight. She found herself and her things caught in a net of earth. She heard Lazaryos' command to her through the darkness. She placed her hands against the net and charged her power, then released it and burned the net. She shot fire at each of the other nets, causing them to burn and release their captives. She waited a little longer then finally made herself shoot fire at Alistair's net too, burning it and releasing him as well, even though she would have rather have left him there.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono woke up at the sudden jerk of his unconsious falling. Ironically, he was still unaware what was going on until he hit the bottom of the pit. "Of all the... argh!" He groaned while getting up, not really aware of how the fruit he ate, affected him. He drew his sword and constantly searched for a way to climb out of their sandy prison, since he weighed too much in his armor to get a decent hold of the sand.

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair was still meditating when Vosur asked him his question. He was going to say something but hesitated, expecting the wolf to open his trap. And he did. But he was cut short due to the lot of them being ensnared. He just sat still, continuing to meditate as if nothing happened. He expected Ember to come along and free them, even Alistair. Which brought him such joy because he knew she didn't want to do it. Coming out of the net he was already standing up. Still as if nothing was happening he looked around to try to find his assailants. "To answer your question...Half-Breed...I no longer possess "Allies"...Allies are for the weak...And the weak should die..." Just as he finished talking, from the darkness someone rushed him and was swiftly dispatched. "Weaklings...All of you..."

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

With what Majicka he had left, Lazaryos formed lightning blades from his hands after slinging his staff onto his back in his robe. Many assailants swarmed the group's little area (not more than 30 feet in diameter). Lazaryos used his blades to perry hits and force the attacker to stagger towards either Chrono, Vosur or Alistair, since they were closest to him. He shouted as he caught glimpses of the assailants' crests, "It's the Guild!" Dammit! Especially when my Majicka's almost out.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Without even turning around or casting a side glance, Ember swung her staff around behind her, whacking a Guild member hard upside the head. While he was too focused on his pain, she turned around and set him on fire with a smirk on her face. "Smells tasty..." She said quietly. She then turned back around and started casting off spells at other Guild members who tried to get near her. Dispatching one guy who had grabbed her from behind by elbowing him in the nose, then grabbing him behind the neck when he released her and slamming him into the ground head-first as hard as she could. He was knocked out but she set him on fire just to be sure that he would never wake up.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono began to grin as he saw many at least five bandits come at him with swords, finally!!

He struck one bandit in the jaw, then yanked the sword away before twirling it in his hand and running it through the bandit's chest. "Oh yea... this is going to be fun..." he mumbled before going into a rather odd mixture of grace and brutality, parrying and dodging with ease before going for a dimembering strike that always seemed to catch the victim off guard. It was only after about fifteen of them going down before they started coordinating their attacks, but the best it could accomplish was that Chrono couldn't kill them while blocking with both swords. "Are these guys just cannon fodder, or do they win with numbers?!" he yelled, wondering why their strikes didn't seem to be all that strong, or even trying to get in close with a dagger. These guys were probably used to dealing only with the monsters head on, instead of actual warriors...

[Srgntcuddles]

A smile crept onto Alistair's as he licked the blood from his scythe, a couple guys gathering around him. One came at him and the first guy Alistair killed sprung to life to greet him with a sword to the chest. He spun his scythe around in the air and came down across another's chest. After that he nonchalantly finished off the one that was stabbed. Once done two came at him with long swords, he easily blocked them both as one of his minions took one down. "If only I could find a mage...I could kill these nuisance of "Allies"..." Alistair spun around still facing one opponent, which tripped him. He stood on his chest and looked the man right in the eyes with a big, blood thirsty smile. He was so exited he was drooling a bit as brought the scythe down next to the man's neck. With a quick jerk he pulled his scythe across the man's neck once he started to beg. He got a bit of blood on his face but wiped it off and licked his fingers. As he did that three more people looked at him a tad creeped out, it was clear by the looks on their faces.

[Vosur Aekira]

He had struggled with the netting a while longer than the others, his tail having gotten caught in it... which slowed himself down to the point he was the last person to get out of the net on his own accord. Even amongst all of the commotion, he kept hold of his two cards in his palm, and even used them to free himself before he managed to get out of the sand-pit and going for hand-to-hand combat against the brigands, flicking one card into his other hand and using them them as a shield to block an overhead strike from a sword before he kicked the chest of the one who attacked him to disable him. As he kept on fighting, he threw his right-hand card towards a raised sword-hand, the card going into the wrist and making that brigand dropping the sword. Seeing that brigand drop his weapon and retreat into the crowd as others surrounded and shielded him.

"Dangit! What I wouldn't mind for a distraction to them." he spoke to himself, flinging his other card to the group... intentionally making the card ricochet off of a ready-sword and hitting the metal portion of the helmet. The group was stunned by how accurate he threw the card along with their ears ringing by the proximity of the sound. Vosur reached his right hand for his primary weapon and and raised it up by the sheath, his left hand going on the hilt. His eyes locked to the area behind them, seeing some of the group going for the others, especially Ember. "Leave 'Ruby' alone!!!" he called out before he charged in, unsheathing his sword and striking the first brigand's sword with such velocity that first victim was showered in sparks.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

As the bodies piled up to 20, the rest of the Guild quickly ran away, leaving the group where they stood. Lazaryos breathed heavy as he knelt next to a body and examined it. "These are really just cannon fodder. These members were just petty thieves that relied on the element of surprise and their numbers. They couldn't even take the weakest of monsters without help. However, the one who strung those nets was something else. Those were magic nets, powerful enough to ground my low-level electricity blades. I'm afraid that if we don't move now, we'll be caught up in a real fight."

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember was confused by Vosur's words but had continued fighting until the rest of the group had run off. She relaxed herself and took deep, relaxing breaths as she stood there, looking around at all the bodies. She could smell the cooked flesh of those that she had set on fire but made herself resist it. "Well then we have no time to waste." She said in response to what Lazaryos had said and began walking in their northern direction, but not without grabbed her bag and her extra clothes that had been drying and stuffing them in the bag.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono had problems getting out of the hole due to his armor, so he started piling up bodies, then jumped right towards the ledge, scrambling to get to the top, then let out a sigh of relief when he got to the top. "Its a shame these guys use weak swords, it would have been nice to continue fighting with my original style." he said in a depressed tone before flinging the blade far, the edge catching the sand, the handle and hilt breaking off from the momentum. "Its a wonder that blade lasted this long..."

[Srgntcuddles]

As the guys started fleeing Alistair tripped one. He tried to crawl away but Alistair pinned him by impaling him in the leg with his scythe. As a bit of blood spurted from the wound he cackled. He got his four minions to swarm him and hold him down. He took out his scythe, licked some blood from it and rested it over his shoulder. The man started screaming at the top of his lungs. "Dear god! Spare me! Please! I'll do anything!!" Alistair twitched a bit, then he popped his neck by giving it a swift jerk to one side then the other. "Spare you...?" Alistair giggled seemingly uncontrollably. "Please please please! I don't want to die!!" Alistair almost burst into laughter, he stuck his fingers into his mouth and started gnawing on them. "Don't worry...I'll eat you quickly!" "Oh god! Somebody get him away from me!! Help!!!" Alistair walked towards him slowly, savoring the fear on his face.

[Vosur Aekira]

His red eyes seemed to flare his anger as the survivors were quick to flee from himself, the first one of the group that he attacked dropped his sword and all of them left him before he resheathed his sword and set it on his belt before he picked up one of the fleeing brigands' sword and wandered to the last one that Alistair had pinned to the sand with his scythe. "Before you have him for dinner, I have a few words to speak to him." he spoke to Alistair, intentionally placing himself between the grim mage and his victim and raising the captured-sword to the throat of the brigand. "Now tell me, where did you get these weapons? Who was the one who provided you with such shoddy works of metal? And lastly, who was the mastermind of this trap?" His eyes glared behind himself to Alistair to be careful about him being behind himself, moving the sword from the man's throat and aiming the tip of the blade between the man's legs to intentionally spark some talk from the man. "Better talk, or I'll make your death rather tortuous."

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos turned at the sound of the survivor's scream and responded to Vosur. "He's from the Thieves' Guild, and those weapons were probably stolen from small-time smiths, or paid in high amounts from those passing for the Pilgrimage. This is probably a set trap for anyone who would come out here to avoid the river. What's most important is that we keep moving for now. Let's just let the necromancer have his happy meal to go. The one who raised the traps will be back with stronger people in tow. Let's go." Lazaryos turned back around and headed north with Ember.