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Post by MS on Jul 2, 2017 14:28:04 GMT -5
Sybil L.
Sybil watched as Berserker's mana signature flared. The chaotic energy became focused into a thread, connecting the mad beast to a target. Sybil faltered for a moment as she read the target's mana signature. The heretic. She clenched her fist. Her holy constructs began to fade. It would be so easy... so simple to let her die. Her heartbeat quickened. What was worse? Letting a person die or letting a sinner live? As the beast rushed forward, she made her choice.
"SANCTUARY!" A blinding white dome encompassed Hera, materializing just quick enough to wedge the Servant's sword in place before it reached the heart of his opponent. It wouldn't last long though. Not with the beast's strength, and not with Sybil's wavering resolve.
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Post by Red Eyed Salsa on Jul 2, 2017 14:28:22 GMT -5
Shielder Lancer, Numa
A holy land...
Of great power,
And the Kings to lead it to greatness.
Yet, it stands and rests here...
On the brink of...
It's own downfall.
This, surely, requires...
Divine intervention.
---
A bang, and a crash, followed by a plum of smoke after the collapse of a small, abandoned wooden shed. A shriek of frustration preceded. She was not happy at all, no, Numa was quite thoroughly annoyed. First, she finds herself laying on her back, on top of her shield, a very uncomfortable and blatantly sacrilegious position for herself to be in. The light downpour didn't help that mood, either. Then, worse yet, the architecture she finds herself surrounded by is, by every meaning of the word, completely and utterly disgusting. Just what king or emperor would have even authorized the construction of such repulsive, and effortless design?
Returning her attention to a matter more pressing than the lazy architecture, her rapidly soaking clothing, Numa sat up, raising a hand to rub her head. As she did, the rain stopped pouring onto her, as a shield, much like the one she sat on, was then held above her figure, by a blank faced, Salii priest. Another such servant materialized before her, wielding a similar such shield, offering her a hand. Taking it, Numa was pulled up, herself lugging her own shield, seemingly effortlessly despite its massive size. Glancing between the two Salii priests, and then upwards at the cloudy sky, Numa gave a deep sigh of displeasure.
"This is absolutely distasteful..."
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Post by Zen on Jul 2, 2017 18:57:32 GMT -5
Cody Lazarus
He cursed himself at the sight of what was left of the combat drones he had deployed-- scrap, more or less. Damn it... he thought to himself. A threat finally shows itself after more than a year of my term as head of defense, and this is what we're up against? I should've counted on Ruler trying to retaliate.
"Stand aside, Councilman Lazarus," a girl's voice said from behind. Alexis calmly walked past him and unveiled her tome, an anthology almost the size of her head.
"H-hey, stand back! That's a servant! You have no idea what you're-"
"Shut up and let me concentrate!"
"But... You're still only a child. You should keep your distance and let the adults handle this."
"As if. I don't know if you were ever informed..." She began channeling an incredible amount of mana through her tome, the page's letters beginning to glow a fierce yellow. "...But I was born to kill servants." She locked eyes with the berserker, and for one eerie moment she tilted her head at his hateful glare.
Does she... recognize him? But that's impossible...
She slowly narrowed her eyes and held her wrist aloft. "SMITE!" The room's lights went out . In an instant, a blinding flash of lightning struck the ground directly in front of them, piercing the berserker through the skull. The surrounding mages backed away at the sight of the electric residue that crawled around all surrounding metal objects before fizzling out. The monster's screaming ceased.
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Post by Iaashadow on Jul 2, 2017 19:10:53 GMT -5
Julia
She stared wide eyed at the screen. What in the world? There may have been no sound, but what had just happened was clear as day. Who was that girl? Did she really just kill a berserker by looking at it? Unless all of this was just one big show, there was no way anything else happened. Julia wanted to do something, to run, maybe tell someone, an authority maybe? However she couldn't stop watching, what could possibly happen next?
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Post by MS on Jul 3, 2017 9:15:24 GMT -5
Sybil L.
It's over. In a flash, the divine eye spell disappeared and the light receded into Sybil's eyes. She fell to her knees and clutched her head as a sharp pain flared at the back of her eyes. Cut the spell off too fast. She blinked a few times. Blurry, but some shapes could be made out. She pushed herself off the ground and tried to make her way to the location of where the Berserker fell.
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Post by muhtheepic on Jul 3, 2017 12:07:51 GMT -5
Gunnar
Gunnar's eyes opened to gaze upon a seemingly endless expanse of water. His head, neck, and chest were dry above the surface, while the rest of his body remained submerged, legs reflexively kicking to keep him afloat. There was open ocean as far as the eye could see.
Where... is everything?
His head swiveled left and right, calling out: "Master? Hello? Anybody?"
He continued to call as the memories slowly returned to him. Wait a minute. This was where he'd battled Berserker, in his last Sanctum War -- his first defeat. But then... why be summoned here? With no summoner in sight?
Realization slowly dawned on him. Could this be... Dante's doing?
Shaking his head distastefully, Gunnar put those questions out of his mind for now, and began to swim towards the shore.
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Post by Zen on Jul 5, 2017 13:20:56 GMT -5
Cody Lazarus
He stared down at the berserker as it faded away like the wood at the core of a bonfire, scarcely leaving dust behind. The crowd gradually settled down when the message circulated that they were safe. Cody was the first to approach the remains. He bent down and from within the pile of black particles extracted a small rock.
What's left of the meteorite, he noted. "...Don't worry, everyone. There's still a little piece of the catalyst left, but it doesn't have nearly enough information to try and summon him again. That berserker is as good as gone."
"Yes..." The Ältester said, now off of his throne and observing the wreckage. "...At quite a cost. I had assumed that your fleet of machinations would have been able to intercept him. Were we mistaken to trust you with our defense...?"
"Your Excellency, with all due respect, my drones are built to fight mages and conventional weapons, not servants! We had no way of anticipating something like this happening!"
"Was it not your faction that stopped the holy cycle? That was a summoning that had taken place."
"I... I don't understand it, either."
"Leave the hows and whys to the elders. Concern yourself only with assuring that another disaster such as this cannot take place."
"If conventional weapons could kill servants, do you think we'd still have been summoning them two years ago?"
"Find a way, Lazarus, or prepare for a swift expulsion from your seat at the council." With that, the elder walked past him to speak with the others.
Cody slowly sighed and walked in the opposite direction until she found Hera, laying against a wall with Kirin at her side. "...How's she doing?"
"She'll be alright," Kirin said, trying his best to look composed. "Just a little drained. But I shouldn't have let her approach that... that thing. Things are different now, between us. I have to be the one protecting her, now that things are this serious. On top of that, I still can't expect to have my seat at the council for much longer. If it weren't for you, they'd probably have had me executed on the spot once they caught wind of the video, so I'm thankful for that."
"I'm... I'm sorry. I tried to keep that under wraps as best I could."
"You do far more than any one person could ever be expected of doing. Don't place too much blame on yourself."
"Well, it looks like I won't have much of a choice, now. I'll be joining you on your way out the door if I can't build a drone that can kill a servant."
"If there's any way I can help you with that, let me know."
"Can you get Roger on the line to help with the wounded? I have to get back to the lab ASAP if I want to prevent another one of these attacks from happening. Care to join me?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to say here to look after Hera. She won't come to for another few hours."
"I doubt we'll be seeing any more servants rising up, I'm sure she's safe here. C'mon."
"...No, Cody."
"Hm?"
"It's like I said before, things are different for us now. And I'm not talking about the servants or the video footage."
"What's going on?"
"Cody... I'm going to marry her." Kirin rose to meet him. "Her blood is as mine, now. We'll have to catch up with you later."
"...I see. Congratulations."
He tilted his head at him. "Looks like you've got some catching up to do, Councilman Lazarus."
"W-well... I, uh, I'll be busy. With a lot of things."
"I'm sure you'll find the time."
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Post by Sierra on Jul 6, 2017 18:22:44 GMT -5
I'm stuck on a phone for a while so expect really late servant forms... Formatting may be messed up here bc I didn't look through it after pasting the form in. Edit: I sort of changed some parts of this because I didn't really like it. Meh. There's a chance I just entirely scrap her. What's your name?: Kara Lanyre (Meh: prntscr.com/fptdrq)What do you do?: Works with the Mage’s Association's Law Enforcement program What's your age?: 25 What are you good at?: A skilled mage in electricity based magic who is capable of messing with the flow of electricity in most objects, despite that not being her main focus, & also is able to use a black lightning-like form of magic. While most of her magic is not technology based, the new forms that have been coming from the technology sector have taken her interest & she’s looking into stealing a few tricks here and there. Xayla is also proficient at messing with light, usually to make places seem darker than they are; however, if necessary, she can create images and projections to mess with others. She also has other abilities passed down through her family that she hasn’t perfected (mostly illusion based magic with a few emotional abilities - especially those relating to fear & memory). What gives you trouble?: Where are you coming from?: - From a young age, Kara Lanyre & lived with only her mother and older brother. After completing her education (various mage academies & the occasional tutor), she started accepting almost any job available - most involving stealing & murder - in order to sustain her family after her mother suffered a severe back injury. After one particular job that involved the murder of a low-ranking official in the Mage’s Association, she was caught as she hadn’t been careful to hide her mana signature & was traced based on it. Given the circumstances at the time (mostly the lack of a strong law enforcement sector), Kara was offered a job under certain limitations. She accepted & has slowly moved up the ranks since then (despite still being under a somewhat lazy watch) & is now one of the higher ranking officials. The system wouldn't function without her, but they refuse to place her in a higher position due to her past. - No longer operates based on payment. - Remains in contact with her older brother after her mother passed away a few years back, but they don't see each other often. Where are you going?: Looking for ways to reform the law enforcement sector of the mage’s association as she believes it’s inefficient. |
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Post by Zen on Jul 9, 2017 22:50:28 GMT -5
Morgiana
Long ago.
The little iron collar felt strange around her neck. A bad sort of strange. The little girl unconsciously fiddled with it, trying to find a comfortable position, but there didn't seem to be one. It was always just a little too tight.
"Mommy...?" She murmured to the woman sitting in front of her.
She was a white girl with rare blonde hair, perhaps the only one of her sort in the entire city, and she had a collar of her own. Perhaps not even out of her twenties. She was weeping.
"Um... how long do I have to wear this ring?"
Through her tears, the woman had managed to reply, "For a v-very long time, sweetie."
"I don't like it. It's cold... it's heavy... it's tight. It's too tight."
"I'm so sorry..."
"What about when I grow bigger? When I'm like you someday, Mommy? It won't fit anymore."
"Haha... there goes that big brain of yours, again." She leaned in and kissed the girl on the forehead. "...When you get older, they'll give you a bigger collar. But only when they're sure you won't be able to slip out of it."
"Aww..." She once again became distracted with it. From the rust, it seemed as though it had held the necks of many other children her size in the past. "...Do you think I'll grow up to be as pretty as you are?"
"I-I..." she stammered, her expression betraying her mind's wandering. "...I don't know if I want you to."
"Hmm? Why not?"
"Sometimes... Sweetie, sometimes it's the prettiest girls are the ones that get taken the farthest away."
"Far... away? But I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay here with you, Mommy."
"Morgiana..." The woman picked up her daughter and held her in her arms. "I'll always be with you. When you're sleeping, when you dream... Please dream of me. So I can keep you company forever."
"But... but Mommy-"
A rough creaking interrupted them, which was immediately followed by the footsteps of a massive man. "Time's up," he said with a foul grin.
"Please!" the mother cried, holding her child tighter. "Just a few more minutes with her!"
"M-Mommy...? Mommy, what's happening?-"
"The client isn't waiting any longer. He's a very important man. Leagues more important than you two, at the very least. Haha!"
"No!" But the woman was powerless when the wailing girl was ripped from her hands. "Morgiana!"
"Ugh..." the worker grumbled as they left the woman behind, still chained to the wall like she always was. "How am I gonna shut you up before we get to the bartering room? How many lashes do you think it'll be, lass?"
Morgiana's soul was broken, but her mind persisted. She ached for her mother, but she knew she was utterly defenseless. To evade the lashings, she fell silent.
Silent, she stayed, for a very long time. The collar loosened, and she learned to submit, but it was never enough. It was still too tight.
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Post by Zen on Jul 10, 2017 23:38:36 GMT -5
Skyla Robinson
"And one more thing," Mr. Blair waved his finger, "for the last time, and don't forget this, widen your stance. It's the first and most effective thing you can do to stay balanced."
"Alright, alright..." Skyla muttered, loading her supplies back into her purse by the door.
"That goes for both when you're casting and when you're defending. I know it makes you look a little less 'lady-like', whatever that means, but it'll really save your hide. And your backside."
"Lord knows I've fallen enough times to understand that."
"I'm only pestering you so that you won't regret it later on. You'd be surprised by the crazy stuff that tends to happen around me."
"Hehe, but I've already overstayed my visit by a half-hour. I'm sure we'll find an opportunity to share stories another... time..." Skyla trailed off as she caught sight of something outside Mr. Blair's window.
"...Eh?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "What's wrong?"
"Mister Blair... d-do you see that as well?"
"What, I don't..." He slowed down and carefully removed his glasses. Beyond their window was the typical gray fog on the horizon, but a red dot gleamed through it high in the sky. "...That's odd."
"It's... a red star."
"That mean anything to you, Skyla?"
"Mister Blair..." She turned to him, with an expression more fearful than he'd seen from her before. "...I-I need to contact this Cody Lazarus man. Now.
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Post by Iaashadow on Jul 10, 2017 23:59:55 GMT -5
Jack
"Cody... Lazarus? The councilman? I'm afraid we're not on the terms you think we are. I haven't spoken to him since the war. If it's urgent then I can get you his number but he's.... moved on since we last spoke." He stood still. There wasn't much else to say. He didn't recall much of his interaction with Cody, but didn't think the famous councilman would want much to do with a former enemy.
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Post by Zen on Jul 11, 2017 0:02:17 GMT -5
Skyla Robinson
"Please! If there's anything you can do to get me in contact with him, I'll be in your debt forever. Anything!"
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Post by Iaashadow on Jul 11, 2017 0:32:34 GMT -5
Jack
"You don't owe me anything." Jack picked up his cell phone and scrolled to a photo-less contact with Cody's name. "He may be a little busy, but we'll give it a shot."
He put the phone on speaker and stood silently.
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Post by Zen on Jul 11, 2017 19:56:37 GMT -5
Skyla Robinson
Immediately, they were met with an automated message in a synthetic-sounding voice.
"You have contacted the number of Mister Cody Lazarus. I am Gestalt, his automated assistant, speaking on his behalf. How may I help you?"
"Um..." Skyla furrowed her brow. "...Can I speak to Cody Lazarus? It's very important."
"Please stand by."
Cody Lazarus
His small jet was just taking off when a transmission reached him, from within the cloud network. Incoming call, Mister Lazarus, chirped Gestalt's familiar voice.
Probably another call from the press... I don't have time for questions, and it's not like a plane ride is an excuse not to be at work. "Send it to voicemail, I'll talk to them later."
"They're contacting your personal cellphone. Typically through this connection is where you speak with your close allies in the Association, but I don't recognize this number. His number is listed as a mister 'Jackson Blair', and as far as I can tell you have had no contact with him in over two years. He sounds awfully feminine for a man, from my observations..."
"Jack Blair...? That's impossible."
"Evidently not so, Sir. Should I take the call?"
"I'm afraid now isn't the time. He's not the type to ask me if I'm alright, and I certainly wouldn't consider us very close friends... Whatever it is, it'll have to wait. Set him up to talk with me another time, and while you're at it, launch the drafting program and start a new project."
"It shall be done."
Skyla Robinson
"...Thank you for waiting. Mister Lazarus is not available at the moment. You will have to call again another time. Please bear in mind that, although he is a US citizen, he currently resides in England and thus goes by a timezone of UCT+1."
"England, you say?" Skyla interrupted. "Where exactly is his headquarters? I'd like to speak with him in person."
"He is based in Reverie, a magus village hidden just north of London, but I'm afraid he isn't open for scheduling appointments at the current time-"
"Thank you!" She quickly finished packing her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"Miss Jackson Blair, please hold on-" But Gestalt was silenced as Jack hung up the phone.
"...Wait." Jack scowled. "Did that robot just call me 'Miss'?"
Skyla stopped at the door. "...It's been an honor training under you, Mr. Blair, but I'm afraid there's something very important that I have to do. I may not ever see you again..."
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Post by Iaashadow on Jul 11, 2017 20:10:09 GMT -5
Jackson Blair
"Do you think you're going to waltz in on the most famous mage in the world and demand something of him?" Jack leaned against the wall. "That seems rather unlikely. I evidently can't get an audience with him and his own.... we have some history, even if it is mostly as enemies." he shook his head. "But do what you must, I don't keep anyone locked up." He turned around and walked back towards his bedroom.
Celtchar
She stood in the gate, staring at her new cell phone. It had taken some sweet talking to get clothes, and stealing a cell phone certainly wasn't the proper way to get one but she didn't have many options. She wasn't going near the council, and certainly wasn't going to let them be aware of her presence by contacting other servants. That left one contact she could trust, and she didn't know his phone number. However she knew his old address, and someone from the unit should be able to tell her where he went...
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