Match of the Millennium

Description: With the appointed hour of Saint Elmo's Fire approaching, and the defenders of Illyria fighting desperately, valiantly below for their own survival against faerie forces with nothing to lose, the ritual on which the invasion was predicated draws near. Leo Whitefang, driven by Elise's letter, races for the top of the castle before it's too late, Clio in tow. What they find is a desperate, eldritch danger... but also, help from a most unexpected source. With Mab's plan coming to fruition, and Elise's ancient bargain with the fae hanging over her, what will become of Illyria's defenders in this final hour?

[ELISE]
The pinnacle of Illyria Castle feels like it might as well be on another planet, so high and removed is it from even the rest of the structure.

A round room, with walls of white marble and light provided from both glowing spheres set in sconces along the walls at regular intervals, and a bright and crystalline skylight, its structure a crystalline spiral of glass with geometric webs of silver filigree. The metal of the skylight, at the very top of the castle above the skylight, comes to a fine point: a lightning rod, intended to absorb the impending eldritch lightning, St. Elmo's Fire, and direct it into the rest of the castle through tendrils of silver running down the walls. As stormclouds gather, the sky is a patchwork of grey, gold, and yellow, as clouds roil but the sun, determined, shines through cracks in the most unnatural storm..

Below, on the ramparts and in the fields of the ancient nation of Illyria, battle rages. The Sacred Order and the Novus Orbis Librarium battle both each other and the rampaging hordes of the Winter Court, the European faeries that are at the root of the strange goings-on here. Heroes face down Kulshedra, an ancient dragon whose presence was foretold by prophecy, a prophecy that brought heroes here to save this remote Albanian region from supernatural oppression. And all of that is nothing but a dull roar, a faraway impression. Here, there is only the spire, the glass, the surprising cool of the room. The floor, an eldritch pattern of interlocking Celtic knots and circles. The whole room hums with magical power, even before the coming of the bolt; it is as if whatever the Telluric Complex below was intended to do, it creates a sort of... waiting, paired charge, as if the magic waiting to ground itself from the heavens is reaching toward the massed power here at the point of the proverbial spear.

There are guards on the way to this room... dullahans and svartalfar, mostly, but the higher one goes, the thinner their ranks. Their master, their Queen, with a typical sneering disregard for mortals, believes that at a certain point, there is no one who could penetrate the defensive line. Between Kulshedra, the internecine fighting below, and her own faerie hordes... she may be right.

With one exception. One person who was not only not challenged, but invited.

Elise Harkness stands, still wearing her Order-provided dress, in the center of the room, staring at its only other occupant: a surprisingly short woman of skin pale as virgin snow and hair black as the purest raven, wearing a blue gown that sweeps behind her like a living twilight shadow. Now, they say nothing; perhaps what they needed to say has already been said. Now, they simply gaze at each other, perhaps taking each other's measure.

This is the tableau that greets anyone daring enough to climb to the very top of Illyria Castle, on this, the eve of the apocalypse.

[LEO WHITEFANG]
Sir Leo Whitefang would rather be facing down the apocalyptic dragon.

This isn't to say he's one to shirk duty or shy away from a fight or a rescue mission it's just.. this has all gotten way to complicated! Sure he can put on a good balancing act of loud proclamations and heroic stoicism but at the end of the day he's a man who prefers the simple approach of 'See thing then Hit thing' and the surge of chaos towards this breaking point is indeed testing him.

In such circumstances, the comfort of the familiar would be helpful. Fighting giant monsters? Now -that- he's alright with and can get behind. Sadly, Ky - again - pulled the better straw in terms of which Sacred Order field commander would tend to what (at least as far as Leo is currently measuring matters..) Bambino wins again.

But there -are- plenty of monsters to slay here and whats more, a damsel to rescue! The day may yet favor the Great Knight as he tears through dark elf, ogre, goblin and elite guard with contrails of silver-gold chi blazing behind him and a giant bust of his own after image flashing into view as he spins his dual blades like a pinwheel and finally, upon reaching the tower pinnacle, bursts past armored ogre guardians in a leaping strike to bring him into the chamber itself.

His feet plant onto the surface of the chest of the felled creature and he rides it downward towards the marble floor as it falls, rebounding from it upon impact to slide forward with a screeching of his blades as they spark against the chambers floor.

"Well then. On the measure of a feast fit for a king..I'd rate that as a very nice breadsticks and soup combo with a nice julienne salad." he ponders aloud to no one in particular before striding forward to get a better look at the chamber. His garments are tattered and battle worn but he seems to have tanked the climb fairly well.

[CLIO]
Chains broken. Ties lost. Betrayals and warfare. Apologies not had and yet felt all the same. A day where the world, and if not the world a small portion of Europe, is being thrown into upheaval. But like all large stories, there are a multitude of smaller ones happening in the shadows of conflict.

One such story is Clio St. Jeanne, formerly of the NOL. Weapon destroyed, facing an uncertain future, she had been observing and waiting for the moment she could make good on the promise to Leo Whitefang. And that moment has come altogether too soon, and yet the electric thrill of potential carries the woman in her battered NOL officer's uniform ever onward.

The castle's spire is the kind of thing that seems tailor-made for Clio's talents. She didn't have much planned in forcing her way through the crowds, instead seeking an external route until she couldn't find any other means of climbing higher. Once inside, she moves as quickly as she can. She is unarmed, but not helpless, and the pure arcane power in this place is sparking with hungry potential along every inch of St. Jeanne's body.

When she hears voices, and the clattering of blades, she follows. She knows the voice and the tone it carries. Leo Whitefang, the reason she is there. Though Clio St. Jeanne only wishes she could've kept with Jubei to have him nearby.

Her bootheels and toe caps click with each measured, steady step as she settles from excited girl on a fighting spree and down toward the soldier that she is. One that approaches a friend as if she were coming closer to report to her commander.

Perhaps in some way she is.

[MORRIGAN]
As gates are crashed and guards conquered, shadow spills across the chamber like ink pouring through one of the windows. It stretches long and wide, creeping out unnaturally into it nears the center of the room, after which it seems to collide with something and withdraw slightly as it struck. The shadow wobbles like disturbed water, then a shapely, long-haired silhouette rises out of it. Great, batlike wings protrude from her back as she comes fully into view from out the floor, but it is not until she has fully risen into the room that her wings snap out to their full span and shake the shadow from her form.

What's left is a green-haired woman dressed in a black and purple outfit best described as "tights". They have bat-print on them, as if to match her wings --- not only those on her back, but those poking through her hair now that she's fully visible.

"Well," Morrigan Aensland says, "you certainly made it difficult enough to get here. I hadn't seen that level of warding since tae Church stopped burning lasses for witchcraft. You'd think they would have--" Morrigan spots Leo and Clio. She takes a moment to appraise their dress before her head tilts toward Elise. "It seems I spoke too soon. But now," Morrigan's heels clack across floor as she walks, though occasionally there's a gap in the step for unclear reasons.

"I can sense which of you is tae illustrious Queen Mab, but that someone else beat me here is quite intriguing, I must say..." her voice is almost singsong, melodic, at times.

[ELISE]
Well. Things have gotten interesting, haven't they?

The new arrivals aren't exactly simultaneous, but they are close enough in time so that they can be reacted to all together, more or less. Elise -- the auburn-haired woman familiar to Leo, perhaps, but doubtfully so to either Clio or Morrigan -- has her back to the room's only door, when the newcomers enter. The raven-haired woman, however, is staring right at it... and the arrival of others makes the cruel cast of her features twist into an expression of detached amusement. "Well, well. New pieces step onto the board, and of their own volition, no less," she drawls, though her grey-eyed gaze flickers over to the arriving, sassing Morrigan with a sharp hint of momentary recognition... and, perhaps, displeasure. Turning to Elise, Mab -- for Morrigan identified her correctly indeed -- places a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "A plan of yours, perhaps? They'd sweep in and rescue you once you'd lured me in with promises of honoring your bargain?" The words are all acid and honey, with an aching sweetness laid thick over the venom beneath.

"No," Elise says, half-turning so that she can see the newcomers. Leo she recognizes; Clio and Morrigan are just as unknown to her as she likely is to them, though she can sense the succubus's power from here. "I've no intention of backing out now. Everything you've said is right. It's foolish to fight fate."

"Ah, a sensible girl. But then, you Harkness women have always been practical, haven't you?" Mab says, stepping slightly to the side as well, so that even if Elise is facing her, she can be comfortably turned to address the newcomers. "It's why I made the pact with you so many centuries ago. Unlike most mortals, you can see sense."

Despite the melodious tone of the faerie queen's voice, there is a hint of danger, an undercurrent of threat, that is easily discernible by anyone in the room, in what she says. Some harmonic that implies being an *unreasonable* girl would not be in Elise's best interest.

"Commander Whitefang," the Scot says, glancing at Leo after briefly taking in Clio and Morrigan. "It's too late to stop what's coming." Her voice is low, quiet; only the exceptional acoustics of this room let it carry to everyone, in spite of that. "I tried to warn you. Now... I will do what must be done, even if it means betraying the rest of you. What I do now, I do *of my own will*," she adds, giving the words extra stress. "Try to understand that."

This is followed by the silvery sound of Mab's laughter, as the raven-haired woman extends a hand to Elise, but keeps her gaze on the others. "Do try to forgive the girl, Commander," Mab says, with the ghost of a smile. "She had such high hopes of stopping what was to come, because she's been running from it all her life, hasn't she?" A glance, stolen at the Scot, whose face becomes unreadably blank through a supreme act of will, a fact that simply causes Mab to laugh once more. "But fate is inescapable. Saint Elmo's Fire approaches, and the ritual has been finished. This castle shall gather that great energy and I... I shall ride its power into the heart of this world. I will shatter the cycle that keeps me, keeps my people, from their true destiny as rulers."

Now... NOW she turns to Morrigan. "Surely you, Lady Aensland, can understand the appeal? To make this world my own, to rule over these petty, short-lived mortals with their plodding, simple minds?" Her grins becomes feral, predatory. "We will have a perfect, eternal winter... and my beauty will be reflected in the icy chains that will relegate humanity back into the shadows, where mongrels belong."

Turning back to Elise, she nods. "Come, child. Honor the pact. Fulfill your destiny... a destiny of rule!"

[LEO WHITEFANG]
There's hardly any time to properly greet Clio but Leo does give her a nod of recognition and approval before snapping his attention to the center of the room and also the arrival of one Morrigan Aensland. She, Leo does not recognize and his face twists into a vaguelly leonide look of 'who dis?' before settling into a stern look of mild disapproval in contrast to his welcoming of Clio. But only mild. If she's here to oppose the true centerpiece of this room then so much the better. Just...is she NOL or some new wild card..?

Mab's and Elise's words do much to recofus him though and he gives Clio a look of 'be ready', before he turns and grips his swords tightly and takes a few steps forward, cautiously approaching with slow deliberate movements. He frowns, listening to Elise and then frowning even deeper, his expression practically crag like as he hears Mab. He then snorts, dismissively:

"Many are the things that people do of their 'own free will' Elise.." he counters, "..that turn out to be rather stupid decisions. I'm sure those people would not have minded being saved from their worst impulses."

Still, there is an unspoken subtext here. A reminder of something she told to him and Ky. Something he's..refusing to contemplate as a valid action here. Better to just prevent it all from happening at the get go.

"Step away from her Elise. We can take her together and stop all of this.." Mab simply gets a cold cruel looking glare that lasts a few intense seconds before he tilts his gaze in Morrigan's direction

"I don't know who you are, m'lady, but if you are here to oppose this mad queen, then that is all I need to know. Ritual's can be disrupted. This place is no different."

[CLIO]
Quiet, steady, stern, and more than a little heightened by all the terror and war going on all around her, Clio St. Jeanne stands alongside Leo Whitefang and joins him in his appraisal of the others in this strange and tense situation.

Clio's left arm and hand, normally wrapped in chain, hangs bare and tracing arcane formulae and circle rotes in the air at her side. Small bursts, fueled by the leyline's proximity and the sheer power gathered around her, spark and shine in dark tinged iridescence.

The powers that be begin to talk, and Clio is left to assess and consider. She might fight with Leo, but her opinions are her own. The young witch presented with a great deal of all sorts of nastiness the likes of which she has been drilled to understand through her time at the Academy. But the funny thing that Clio's found that all power seems to share is that it likes to talk and it pays to be a listener when playing audience.

"This lady a friend of yours?" Clio finally asks Leo. "She's got an Order uniform on. Do you think she gets what she just said about fate being inescapable being totally at odds with her breaking the cycle of fate that she's bound in?" When all else is terrifying, Clio sasses, it's a defense mechanism. Sometimes it also pays off in keeping dangerous people busy talking.

"Also, M'lady? Serious?" she asks Leo, eyes narrowing as she looks at him. "Knight or not, I'm not talking ren faire. Some bits of chivalry are better left dead." She gabs, but she does so to cover the motes of magic that dance at her fingertips with a nervous, hungry, dangerous energy.

[MORRIGAN]
"Ah, so it's a deal with tae devil, then," Morrigan says with the familiarity of someone who has seen many deals with many creatures in her day. Perhaps she's been the subject of some of these deals herself. In any case...

"But no, at least I'm not here as some grand scheme of hers. It was hard to miss this sort of drama --- especially with it unfolding along the leyline." The succubus runs her fingers through her hair, sweeping it back from her face. When Mab explains her aspirations, Lady Aensland smiles almost devilishly. She twirls some strands of hair around her fingers.

"Oh, I think I can imagine it, though I thing tae mortals are more interesting when left to their own devices. Well, mostly," Morrigan lifts off the ground slightly, starting to hover. As she does, Leo and Clio may feel a lingering presence around them. Not necessarily maleficient, but a little unnerving.

"Commander Whitefang, hmm? No, you can assume I'm here to help, in my way." Morrigan seems amused at Clio's judgment. "Oh, I think it's charming. I haven't heard it in some time." Her head tilts back toward Mab. "But such a wanton grab for power just doesn't sit with me that well. Perhaps m'father had more of an influence on me than I realized," Morrigan says with a roll of her eyes. "But what does the lady think of such interference, I wonder...?" The succubus looks toward Elise almost slyly.

[ELISE]
Two things are obvious. One is that despite Leo's words, despite Morrigan's rejoinders to Mab, Elise's face remains carefully neutral, dispassionate. But the other is that she's clearly expending effort to make it so. "It's fitting for someone from a 'sacred' order that you think I might not want this?" Elise says, tilting her chin up as she directs the comment at Leo. "Haven't you thought for even a moment that perhaps I was betraying you the entire time? After all, whose vision of the future was it that led you here? Whose encouragement? I even sent you the letter explaining everything. Maybe what I wanted was for you to be here at the very final moment to know what a fool you were to trust me, hey?"

For a moment, her eyes locked with his, the guise falls. Just for a second, but a flash in the depths of the Scot's blue eyes speaks volumes. "All this loss, all this violence. Because you decided to *trust* me." Again, the vocal stress, just as before.

The silence hangs in the air, only for a moment, before she turns to Mab, extending her hand. "Queen of Air and Darkness! Lady of Winter. By the ancient rite, I offer myself to thee. By the blood pact, I willingly give my life to thee."

It takes only a moment, and little else, for Mab to simply intone, "...good girl," before taking Elise's hand.

A burst of force, like a strong pulse of wind, erupts from the two of them, the air growing chill and frost forming on the silvery metal patterns flowing through the white marble walls. The raven-haired faerie queen's body rises from the ground until she is floating above Elise, their clasped hands making her seem like a tethered balloon, her hair flowing behind her in some invisible wind. And then, with a sparkling of lights, the queen's body... vanishes. Fading out of existence as if it never existed at all. When it is gone, Elise's body goes slack, her head bowed, hair falling into her face.

But the cold... hasn't ended.

The change starts at Elise's temples, the auburn of her hair darkening to darkest black, flowing backwards, her relatively short hair lengthening like the flowing of ink across her back. The Order uniform she wears flows and shifts as well, becoming anew the dress Mab wore, a shimmering midnight blue fabric that sparkles like stars in the night sky.

She raises her head and looks at the three intruders with a wicked smile. "Well," she says, her voice having a dual harmonic, the notable lilt of Elise's accent across the rich alto of Mab's orator's voice. "Now that we've got that out of the way, I must ask you all to leave. I've so much to do."

Above, the grey-gold sky has become dark indeed. Lightning flashes between clouds that feel mere inches away, with rumbling of distant thunder to accompany, as the new Queen of Air and Darkness laughs her silvery, triumphant laugh.

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"Hey.." chides Leo to Clio, "Can't you let me have some fun? Besides, it is never out of style to treat a lady with respect." he grins, cocking an eyebrow slightly though he keeps his gaze locked on Mab and Elise.

Besides, if she thought that was bad, she needs to meet Ky.

He hears Morrigan and then senses that..presence about her. But one thing at a time. A man can deal with only so many all powerful supernatural women. Oh geez, he -is- the only guy here..isn't he.

But Elise and Mab gain his full attention and he locks gazes with Elise as she speaks of her betrayel. Of this being the plan all along. It's like a bad movie reaching it's climax with the third act true villain appeal. Bad movie .. or good movie with a bad plot twist, take your pick. Either way, Leo is likewise expressionless, though there's a certain tightening of his mouth.

And then the change happens and Leo just sighs, the first sign of an emotion and solid disappointment. "..She knew exactly what she was saying, Clio.." he finally comments, teeth gritting in rising anger. "She's a seeress, remember? It's all riddle making and double speech. She sees accepting this possession as her fate.. but she also sees a way to escape cycle. She means for us to kill her... That's the trust she wants..."

His voice raises and he shouts to Morrigan now, "We cannot allow St. Elmo's fire to fall! Destroy the lightning rod!"

She can obviously fly. The rod is at the very top of the castle, beyond his reach and Clio's (at least he assumes.). "If the castle directs the lightning into the leylines then nothing matters. It's all lost!"

COMBATSYS: Elise has started a fight here on the top side.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang has joined the fight here.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Leo Whitefang    0/-------/-------|

[CLIO]
The green haired woman, the Scottish woman, the Queen of Air and Darkness, all of them start doing their thing. At least one of them was looking to help. Possibly. She had a choice to at least. Everyone had a choice. That's what made people, people. And as the tension in the air shifts toward a more heated, pregnant moment, Clio St. Jeanne's posture slowly shifts.

Slight lean, slight sway, weight toward the balls of her feet. Like a cat ready to pounce. But the prey is much, much larger in the metaphorical sense. "So, sexy lady is on our side, and the one that worked for the Order wants us to put her down." She nods. "I can do it if the moment comes," she adds to Leo, quieter, stern, ready if not a little eager.

She listens to his call. The targeting the lightning rod. She looks up toward the rod, eyes scanning the surroundings. Anything, ledges, loose stone, whatever a flying buttress is, she may not be able to fly, but she can climb well. "So, I admit this would be easier with my chain, I'm starting to have a regret. One. Just one," she admits to Leo.

"But I'm here. Ain't shit getting lost, big guy."

COMBATSYS: Clio has joined the fight here.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leo Whitefang    0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Clio

[MORRIGAN]
"...I suppose that answers my question," Morrigan says, almost curtly. Her wings extend and she lifts off into the air. Within an instance she has risen high into the chamber, floating above the goings-on below. Her eyes narrow, looking at Leo for a long moment, then to the merged Queen Mab. One hand is raised, her fingers bent as if she's holding an invisible object in her palm. Slowly, steadily, Morrigan's aura starts to grow in intensity, raw psychic power emanating off of her as she rolls her neck and works her fingers.

"I do like a man who takes charge," she says, "but I fear that you may need me more against tae queen than you realize, my dear Whitefang." Morrigan's head tilts back to look at the ceiling. "But I will keep your advice in mind, hmmm?"

But in an instant Morrigan disappears from her position high in the air and has closed the gap with Queen Mab. She sweeps her wing in a great arc, but the wing subsequently explodes, shredding like fabric. As it unravels it becomes a swarm of bats, each lashing out at Mab with fang and razor wing.

And Morrigan? She maintains eye contact, looking deep into Mab's eyes as floats there.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan has joined the fight here.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Morrigan successfully hits Elise with Bat Thrust.
- Power hit! -

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/----===|

COMBATSYS: Royal Hunter has joined the fight here in the center.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/----===|
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Shadow Hounds has joined the fight here in the center.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/----===|
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|-------

[ELISE]
Well. Now that's an interesting thing. While Leo and Clio are preparing themselves to act, Morrigan wastes no time, leaping immediately to the attack. Perhaps that was the wisest choice, too; while it's not DEFINITE, it's very likely that it's Mab in Elise's body now, and not the seeress herself. Maybe there's a period of acclimation to the new body that dulls her reaction time, or limits her powers. Either way, Mab raises a hand to sweep the bats aside and instead finds them piercing and slashing her newfound body, lines of red standing out in stark contrast to the snow-pale color of her skin. Gripping her arm with the opposite hand, the queen hisses in pain. "You did not need to interfere, Lord of Aensland, but as you have made it a point to interfere in my business, I shall answer in kind."

Raising her injured arm skyward, blood trickling from it, Mab's dual-tone voice echoes loudly in the chamber, the power stored here rising. "Come, servants! Defend your queen!" An intricate magical seal appears on the ground, and from it rises a svartalfar -- a dark elf -- flanked by a horde of... hounds? They appear to be wolves, but their forms are made of some shadow-stuff drawn from some fell plane, no earthly beings these.

Wordlessly, they nod in agreement and leap immediately to action. The elf draws a bow in one swift motion, firing a single, well-aimed shot directly at the former NOL agent. The hounds, meanwhile, converge on Leo, attempting to swarm him, lock their jaws on his limbs, and bear him painfully to the tiled floor of the chamber.

Mab, meanwhile, stares down Morrigan with a hateful expression. "For the crime of laying hands on royalty, I will execute you myself!" Skimming the ground, she floats across the distance between herself and the succubus, attempting to drop one hand on Morrigan's arm or even face and then bear her to the ground, spectral chains of violet power erupting from the ground to attempt to hold her fast at the same time. "Kneel!"

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blocks Shadow Hounds' Combo Grapple.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/----===|
                 [  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|-------

[LEO WHITEFANG]
Morrigan is not incorrect. They will certainly need her against Mab and Leo knew that.

But the lightning rod and St. Elmo's fire is another matter all together. They can retreat from Mab. Regroup. Come back with a stronger force. Any number of things.

There is no do over if the lightning falls and power enters the castle and the complex blow. The damage to Europe would be catastrophic. The rest of the world at risk.

"Save her if we can." he grunts out to Clio. "She may be using her body but perhaps we can force her out. Either way if the lightning falls it's all over. If you a see a shot you can take at the rod, then take it!"

Will that actually stop the lightning from falling? He could be condemning them to taking the blast dead on as well with nothing to disperse it. It might kill them if so. Then again it might kill them anyway if they are here when it impacts. It's all pretty much to close to tell.

Shadowy dog things biting at him, though? That's not in question. "Down boys!" quips Leo as he dashes forward into their biting masses, his swords blazing out like liquid metal before forming their iron cross shaped forms. Some bites attempt to gripe at him but fail to find firm purchase along his toughened uniform and the tougher flesh beneath...

And then there is a blazing blast of chi and metallic energy which bursts into a massive 'X' shaped form, that erupts up, out and away from Leo. The projectile formed from Leo slashing both of his blades through the air and a blasting area of effect assault of energy resulting to try and knock the shadow hounds away from him.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan dodges Elise's Arondight.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Clio dodges Royal Hunter's Arrow Arsenal.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Clio             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|-------

[CLIO]
"Save her?" Clio asks, doubt riding her voice as the her in question rises higher. Still, she does sigh and relent, "No promises, but I think you might need to warn her before anything," she says with a point toward an already attacking Morrigan.

Clio is already two steps into a run when the Wild Hunt rise from the shadows and fell shade. The hounds set upon Leo, while the bowman trains his sights on Clio herself. "Be there in a second!" she calls out as an arrow sings through the air toward her.

The low running Clio crouches and twists into the air. Spinning, she rotates over the arrow so it that it may soar harmlessly past her. She rolls in the air, body turning with an acrobatic grace to land in a low crouch, metal capped and heeled boots clicking on the floor.

Fingers twitch and ready for a chain that isn't there. Clio growls in her throat, low and frustrated, before she improvises. Back up to her feet, she rushes the svartalf, and then turns on toe, rotating before she reaches him. Her heel scratches and clicks on the ground. Whispered words and focused arcanum as a violet fire leaps in the wake of Clio's heel. A spark and an arcane flame roils up in a wave to crash toward the Winter Huntsman.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, I would big to differ, your highness," Morrigan dryly says. "Having come all this way, I had no option but to interfere." The bats screech off, circling around before drawing back to Morrigan again. The whole act is somewhat surreal as what were clearly living things to the observe crash into each other not with blood and broken bodies but with a blending together like colors mixed on an easel. With a leathery flap, her wing is whole once more.

But then the counter attack comes. For an instant, Morrigan is in range of the sweep and that is all it takes. Mab's hand pushes into her, forcing her back as chains erupt from the ground in a flare of fae power. Morrigan continues to maintain eye contact, stone-faced, but she cannot keep it for long.

Instead, that smile returns. Morrigan's body seems to lose substance, and her form splits in two in a visual effect not unlike an analog television with a bad signal. She divides in two, each succubus moving away from Mab's grip and the swell of chains. It is momentary, but it is enough to escape capture.

In the next instant, Morrigan is whole once more, raising her leg high over her head. Her aura surges, mysterious soul power sheathing her heel as she brings it down toward Mab's extended arm.

"A bold proclamation when you've yet to claim tae realm," Morrigan says, "Speaking as a foreign noble myself, it's so difficult to express authority here. Mortals are so stubborn." But as Morrigan's aura extends, she seems to press against Mab. It's a weird sort of sensation, like someone groping in the dark to get a feel for their surroundings. Could she be trying to read what's going on with this ritual?

COMBATSYS: Clio successfully hits Royal Hunter with Whipflash.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [       ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|---====
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang successfully hits Shadow Hounds with Graviert Wurde.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [       ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|---====
                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|---====

COMBATSYS: Elise dodges Morrigan's Medium Strike.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [       ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|---====
                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|---====

[ELISE]
Even without her weapon of choice, it would seem Clio's fighting skills are still up to par and then some. Despite his inherently nimble nature, the dark elf is taken by surprise by the sudden pivot of Clio's readjustment; his attempt to flip to the side doesn't take into account the arc of fire that accompanies the kick; it makes a searing arc across his stomach and the pale fae hisses in pain. "You'll wish you hadn't done that, mortal;" he snarls, before yanking a wicked-looking long knife free from a sheath on his leather jerking and attempting to thrust it home. The knife is bad enough, but it drips with a luminescent green liquid that cannot be any sort of mundane poison.

Leo, meanwhile, proves that while dogs may corner cats, lions are a whole different situation. The shockwave from his twin blades tears through a pair of hounds directly in front of him, and they literally evaporate out of existence as if they were made of nothing but magic and shadow... which, in fact, might just be the case. However, there are still plenty of shadowy hounds to occupy his attention. They circle around him warily before attacking en masse, as a group... with eerie coordination, as if they shared a single mind. The result is leaping fangs and claws coming at him from innumerable angles, an assault that may task even Leo's defenses.

As Morrigan's kick scythes through the air, it connects only with fading motes of violet light, as Mab vanishes, reappearing a few feet away with a contemptuous grin. "They ARE rather stubborn beings, aren't they?" she says to Morrigan, tone dry. Apparently, she's no interest in attacking just now. Perhaps she's waiting for the succubus -- or Leo, or Clio -- to come to her? "That is why they make such excellent playthings. They struggle and twist and fight and bleed, and yet what does it ever avail them? We are eternal, and they are but a momentary distraction, fighting forever in a battle they cannot win."

Her eyes turn then to Leo, and she gives him a tight smile. "Do you think I would have allowed your presence here if breaking a mere lightning rod was all it took to stop this ritual, Commander?" she asks, radiating false innocence. "Don't make me laugh. You struggle in vain. Why not accept this, as Elise did? You are... such a strong, capable man. Even your young companion carries a spark of greatness in her. You would be welcome lieutenants in the world to come."

COMBATSYS: Elise focuses on her next action.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|---====
                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|----===

COMBATSYS: Shadow Hounds successfully hits Leo Whitefang with Elegy of Lost Opportunity.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|---====
                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|--=====

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"Oh, I don't know.. I'm really, really good at breaking things." quips Leo with full confidence, despite Mabs words. She may very well be right but they don't have many options to consider. So whenin doubt, bust it all up. Assuming they even get the chance. Yeesh.

Leo dances, spins, weaves and otherwise brings his blades around to try and ward off the surge of attacks around him..but there's just to much of him to go around! His own flourish and crowd control efforts fail him and as he dances in and out of the Brynhyldr stance to push back against the hounds, one manages to get through and snag hold of his coat, tripping up his manuevers and sending the slashing of claws and fangs forged form shadows ripping into his reinforced Sacred Order uniform and finding purchase on the flesh deep underneath.

But Leo Whitefang's durability and tenacity is not an unknown thing where reputation and legend is concerned and he barely slows down against the force of that assault. Instead his great-blades come whirling around - building up iron chi about them once more in a whirlwind of gathering force as he hunkers down in the middle of the attacking shadow hounds..and then springs up as if launched from the earth like a rocket. His blades whirl around him like a pinwheel as he surges upwards, trailing power behind him that whips about him in an area of effect that seeks to ensare as many of the shadow hounds as he can in the ripping and slashing force of his attack.

"Down boys!" he chides as he drops back down towards the floor of the chamber.

COMBATSYS: Royal Hunter successfully hits Clio with Venom Claw.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|-======
                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|--=====

[CLIO]
Pain. Terrible, searing, joyful pain. A cut, deep across a bicep and shoulder that normally sported protective, constricting chains. A reaction to a threat in a way that simply cannot be done in the heat of the moment. And so the poison burns when Clio takes her shoulder to the blade in a misguided instinctual movement.

She cries out in something half a growl and half a sharp-pained shout. Arm tense, hand curling at the burning of the poison. Her knee turns and she lurches to the side at the rush of the coursing liquid death.

Not far, she sees Leo holding the fury of the shadow hounds at bay. She knows she cannot falter here in this place of faeries and magic.

Clio St. Jeanne gives another roaring, raging shout as the thundering moment of slowed time in the wake of the cut ends. She twists around, building momentum, skittering low in a half crouch before pouncing. A snapping kick, wreathed in arcane fire, aimed for the Royal Hunter's face.

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan's extended foot slices through the remnants of light, and the corner of the succubus's mouth raises slightly in agitation. Her expression remains to normalcy in barely a moment. Instead, she pivots through the kick and lands weightlessly out of it. Her hands are held in front of her with her fingers extended in what looks to be a fighting stance, but one unlike most known in the world.

"Ah, but that's what makes tae mortals interesting," Morrigan says, tilting her head to give Mab an amused, sidelong look. "They rush through life fighting desperately because they only have so long," Morrigan says, "S'much more entertaining than the long chess games and careful manuevering of folk like Lord Dohma. So how long have you been planning your move, dear Queen?"

Morrigan's wings unravel again, leaving spear-like chords of shadow which shoot around Morrigan's silhouette from all sides. Each is tipped with a triangular blade, and each shoots in from a different angle.

COMBATSYS: Clio successfully hits Royal Hunter with Crushing Strike.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    0|-------|--=====

COMBATSYS: Shadow Hounds fails to interrupt Eisen Sturm from Leo Whitefang with March to the Bitter End.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/---====|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Morrigan successfully hits Elise with Dark Quills.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|--=====
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/=======|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

[ELISE]
It is a small blessing in Leo's favor that the hounds, summoned as they were, are not being given any sort of direct order. They act mostly on instinct, on whatever emotional remnant is imprinted upon them by their summoner. With Morrigan keeping Mab distracted, they know mostly 'aggressively defend their master' and that is all. Thus when Leo proves to be a serious threat, they respond in kind; as he rises, the hounds leap at him en masse again, attempting to lock on with their jaws and drag him to the floor, shaking him violently. But the sweeping tide of Whitefang's blades proves too much for them; shadowy fangs are swept away as he rises and then falls. Their numbers dwindle, and with that their strength, but the pack is still quite numerous.

Meanwhile, Clio's feelings may be a blessing to her as well; the failing of the dark elves is their unwavering sense of superiority over mortals. That one should have landed a hit on him has the Royal Hunter somewhere between infuriated and shocked... and with those raw emotions come mistakes. He attempts to shift out of the way of Clio's strike, but the fiery aura of her kick tags him before the maneuver is finished, making the lanky figure stagger enough so that the end of the blow catches him square in the face. "I had thought to perhaps be more gentle, since Her Majesty sees potential in you, but now I can see that it is not meant to be!" Snarling, he surges forward, trying as hard as he can to catch Clio's kicking leg before she can yank it back and then hurl her bodily into the wall at speed.

On the other hand, Morrigan appears to be making quite a showing against the Unseelie Queen, who attempts to glide out of the path of the spear-like stabs and fails to do so, thanks to their great number. Dots and lines of red appear on exposed, pale skin, but wounds also visibly close, slowly but surely, as time wears on. The duo-toned voice is almost a growl, as Mab-in-Elise's-body levels her gaze at the succubus. "That is the difference between us, Lord of Aensland," the queen bites out. "You are like Titania. You would blithely dance among them for your own amusement, heedless of your birthright. You do not have the mindset of a ruler... of a true queen!" Above the fight, the sky is now midnight-dark despite the afternoon hour. Flashes of lightning slam into the spire atop the palace, grounding themselves in the network of silvery metal, but none appear to be the devastating and unique Saint Elmo's Fire as of yet. "Perhaps you deride those of us playing the long game because you lack the stamina and ambition to make it succeed for yourself?"

Raising her hands over her head, the Queen's power gathers, becoming a swirling, circular nimbus of violet-blue-silver, colors strobing like the flickering of some distant nebula. "Centuries... perhaps even millennia in the making. But even if you destroy this body, you cannot end me thus. Certainly you know this. My planning has brought me to a point from which victory is certain! Now..."

Skimming across the ground, the faerie queen surges forward toward Morrigan before directing the gathered power into the ground... along with a brace of silver knives, a weapon borrowed from the fighting style of her host. The entire affair becomes a shredding vortex of soul-borne power and slashing blades, looking to rend the succubus asuned in one fell swoop. "Cease your interference!"

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"Blast! These damned hounds..."

Leo snarls, a rumbling roar of discontent and aggression as the rush of iron chi through his body gives the visual illusory effect of his teeth being sharp and fang like momentarily, like the great cat he's often associated with.

Quickly, he snaps his attention ocross the whole of the battlefield.. seeing Clio in her desperate duel and MOrrigan going toe to toe with the fae queen. Morrigan is such an unknown here. The power she wields is..frightening, that much is clear. Perhaps she could bring the queen down if things remain as such and they move fast enough..

But also, Leo wants Elise alive. Excised of the fae queen but alive and if Morrigan is willing to give such quarter is a major unknown factor here. He has to get in that fight himself to try and ensure this outcome but these...hounds. He can neither do that or even aid Clio if need by while being so pressed.

"I'll cut a path through you then!" he declares while dashing forward, spinning to put his back to the beasts. It's no opening but the Brynhldr stance in action as his spin whirls his blades around, blazing energy trailing from them as he dashes into the mass of hounds with a twin slashing atack and then folows that with another slide through and then another as he zig zags his way through th emasses of horrors.

Not finished yet he presse shis large frame against a morable column and rebounds from it, using the momentum of his previous attacks to add to his evasiveness as he moves like quicksilver in defiance of his large frame, to try and get through the Shadow Hounds with another striking slash occuring to hopefully finally deal with them and land his position closer to the battle between Mab and MOrrigan.

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blitzes into action and acts again!

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|--=====
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/=======|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Clio dodges Royal Hunter's Medium Throw.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|--=====
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/=======|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

[CLIO]
Pressure and speed. Keep pushing and striking and forcing the elf onto his back foot. Her smile grows, her eyes widen with the rush of adrenaline when she sees the frustration and the crumbling superiority in the eyes of her elven opponent. His sloppy, uncoordinated fighting is just a sign that she is up against a weak prey, and she is perfectly able to capitalize on that weakness.

He reaches, he finds nothing. Clio twists her leg, she slips her knee down to the ground, her whole self moving quickly on all fours, a skitter and a roll away before she pounces.

Clio St. Jeanne is after a win, and after her goal of putting hurt to something. To anything after Illyria has only shown her frustrations, heart ache, one pretty cute snake girl, and her own world shaken to its core.

And the Royal Huntsman is the target of St. Jeanne's wrath.

From behind, she strikes. A bob and weave, a short rabbit punch of an uppercut, wreathed in shadow. A sharp, stabbing blow with dark fire.

COMBATSYS: Elise successfully hits Morrigan with Fragarach.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Clio             0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/------=/=======|
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|----===|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan remains silent as Mab speaks. She instead purses her lips, her green narrowing to inspect the fae queen. Mab speaks of a great plan, but Morrigan listens with cool indifference. As power swells, however, Morrigan's attention is drawn to the nebulous mass above her head.

And when Morrigan readies herself to move, she is too slow. Knives swirl in an eldritch vortex that shreds through Morrigan like tissue paper, punching holes through the succubus in a terrible display of power.

But as it subsides, Morrigan seems--relatively unharmed. She plucks a knife from the right of her chest, casting it aside. Several more holes close as Lady Aensland's body lingers between shadow and substance. She meets Mab with a wicked smile.

"Dear Mab, I can't speak of ambition," Morrigan smiles hungrily, "but I'd suggest you speak not of stamina. Many a lad and lass has died from lack of it when I'm around." She works her fingers again, balling a fist and letting it go. As she does, the succubus's aura rises, gold, eerie power seeping off her skin.

"And such confidence! It's inspiring. Even now I want to test the limits of your carefully laid plans. I suppose I'm just a meddler at heart."

Morrigan thrusts her fist forward, bracing her forearm by wrapping her other hand around it. As she does, gold-green power flashes as her aura shoots forth, shaping itself in a bat. The bat zig-zags toward Mab---and as it goes, distorts wildly, becoming a great, toothy skull that threatens to rock her to the core in a fiendish display of Morrigan's own soul power!

COMBATSYS: Clio successfully hits Royal Hunter with Stygian Fist.
Glancing Blow

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/------=/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|---====|=======
                 [              |||||||||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang successfully hits Shadow Hounds with Kaltes Gestober Dritt.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/------=/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|---====|=======
                 [                     ||||||||| ]
                 Shadow Hounds    1|-======|=======

COMBATSYS: Shadow Hounds interrupts Evasive Strike from Leo Whitefang with Gravestone of Final Acts.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/------=/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|---====|=======

COMBATSYS: Shadow Hounds can no longer fight.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/------=/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|---====|=======

COMBATSYS: Elise fails to reflect Soul Fist from Morrigan with Tyrfing.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Clio             0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     1|---====|=======

[ELISE]
Clio may have every reason in the world to want to hurt someone, but her opponent is just as motivated. Her fist sails through the air with dramatic speed; time seems to slow for the faintest second as it shears close to the Hunter, closer than he might like... but, through his last second actions, farther than Clio might like as well. The aura of dark flame leaves a scorching trail up the elf's side as he turns, unable to completely avoid her strike, but putting enough distance between them that the physical blow cannot reach -- and thus stagger or disorient -- him. Snarling, he takes a cue from Leo's acrobatic maneuvers, leaping backwards in a high somersault until he hits the ceiling with both feet, briefly 'sticking' there looking down. Drawing a yew longbow, he takes careful aim at Clio from this most advantageous angle and lets fly with a single arrow... or, at least, a single arrow is what leaves the bow. Mid-flight, the arrow multiplies, becoming a hail of shafts looking to pierce the former NOL officer with quantity over quality.

The hounds, however, are not faring as well. No mere dog can succeed when faced with a lion, it would seem. Spiralling through the air in flashes of silver and gold, Leo slices through the remaining shadowy beasts like a scythe through ripe wheat, one hound after another vanishing into the shadow-stuff from which they were summoned. When only a handful remain, there is a moment of tension, and then they come to a decision: even as Leo cuts down the last of their number, the ones *not* in the path of his blades literally hurl themselves into the path of the attack from unavoidable angles, turning their bodies into suicidal weapons. On impact, each one's body becomes a burst of shredding force, the violent exit of their bodies from this plane of reality rending the air into blades through the sudden creation of vacuum. At the end, Leo has finally reduced their number to nothing... but at what cost to himself?

It's not clear if Morrigan's taunting is the reason why, or Mab's apparent inability to muster any sort of effective defense against the succubus's assault, but the frustration on the Queen's face is clear and undisguised. As the burst of soul-born power heads her way, Mab contemptuously extends a hand, creating -- or intending to create -- a circular seal, a ward to deflect the attack. However, at the last second, the gathering violet light flickers, the seal losing its substantiality. "...you!" the Queen snarls, seemingly at no one in particular, in the split second before Morrigan's return shot sends her spinning backwards through the air, the queen's levitating form twirling with the impact. Snarling, her torso leaning forward as she grips the crook of one elbow with the opposite hand, Mab glares angrily at the interfering succubus, the resolute holy knight, and the wayward but determined young woman who dared to get in her way. "'Meddle' all you like," Mab snarls. "Destroy this body if you wish! It... ngh..." And here, she pauses, eyes shutting tight with sudden strain, before resuming her statement. "...you of all people must know the body is just a shell. Killing the woman you knew as Elise accomplishes nothing. When the heavens loose their thunder at last, the circle will close... and not one among you has the power to eradicate my *soul*! I... I shall--"

But again, her eyes close, her voice suddenly falters. The fingers closed around one elbow suddenly uncurl, then curl again. "Impudent... woman...!" Mab growls, eyes still shut. "You are too late! You are ALL too late!"

And this is when it becomes... perceptible in the air, in the room. Green-white flame flickers into and out of existence along the geometric paths of metal in the walls and skylight. The air itself feels... saturated with power, the mystical equivalent to the heavy, humid air right before the breaking of a storm. Hair raises on the back of necks. Firefly-like motes of light appear, dance, and then vanish in the air. And above the castle, the clouds of the gathering storm are as black as midnight, spiralling in an obvious circle centered on one place: this very room.

Mab's grin is manic, insane. "Yes... none of you have the power to destroy me utterly, now. I will break the cycle that binds me. I will become ETERNAL!"

COMBATSYS: Royal Hunter successfully hits Clio with Reinefleche.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Clio             0/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|----===

[LEO WHITEFANG]
There is a cost indeed. Perhaps not as -much- as one would hope but still a cost.

Nevertheless, Leo's reflexive movements offer some defense agaist the death throes of the Shadow Hounds. Some. For what remains, it slices, cuts, drives and blasts through his body - spraying blood and shredding his uniform and portions of his flesh. But it is not enough and the lion-man stumbles but does not fall.

Mab's screeching and the feeling of the approach of the apocalypse is enough to grant him some additional drive as well. Knowing that you are ground zero of a sort of magical nuclear strike can do wonders for keeping you on your feet. He swiftly scans the situation at hand. Morrigan seems to be keeping matters well under control with Mab but this seems poised to change if the queen has her way. Clio is still engaged with her opponent and the lightning rod is to far for him to risk reaching with the amount of force that would be needed to damage it.

"Clio!" he shouts, uttering a warning to her to think fast as he spins on his heels and brings both of his swords around in a swinging 'X' slash that burns chi into the air and then explodes out a metallic 'x' shaped projectile of chi and magic that blasts across the room towards the Royal Hunter. His aid is sent not because he doubts she can defeat it on her own, but in order to speed the battle along because her expertise in sorcery is needed now, or never, with the lightning bolt poised to strike. With his warning sent her way, she can hopefully take advantage of his interference to bring the Hunter down.

[CLIO]
Every nerve alight and aligned for the fight. The searing of the poisoned cut ebbs. The focused high of the pain shifts toward the thundering war drum of Clio St. Jeanne's own heart. She licks her teeth in anticipation. She feels the pulse in her chest and the rush of the liminal space that is the Telluric Complex. The dance of combat and magic is something for the young woman to sink her teeth into and to clear her mind of the emotional and ideological turmoil of the past few months.

With the fury of a wildcat, Clio's been focused on taking the fight to her opponent. But the elf has a weapon and Clio is without hers but for her spare spike. The elf lets fly a single arrow that becomes a volley. And the weakness of Clio's focused, relentless assault comes to reveal itself.

Clio is fast, but fast as she is there is little way to dodge a curtain of arrows. They bite and tear. Slicing her uniform, tagging her ear and exposed arm. Opening line after line of wound, striping her body as the arrows whistle and bury or whistle and clink off the walls and floor in their path.

Clio lurches forward, down to a knee. Her head hangs. Her hands place in front of her, tented on index finger and thumb. She looks still in a position of potential supplication.

Was this wave of arrowfire too much for the former NOL officer?

Whispering words. Fingers darting and drawing on the ground. Clio's eyes open and she looks ahead to her challenge and her quarry. A spark of fire alights on the ground, vibrant violet flames violently lashing and writhing in a ring around the young woman. A burst of arcane energy roils about Clio, fading and falling. An after image burns faintly behind her. An emblem. An ornate crest resembling a ring of chains crossing over a set of scales.

"I am the azure flame," she says, "And I am the light in your queen's darkness."

COMBATSYS: Clio gathers her will.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|----===

[MORRIGAN]
"You have such high opinions of yourself," Morrigan says, her grin turning devilish. "But don't forget how we deal with rivals back home in Makai, Mab." The succubus's smile widens almost hungrily---right before she throws her head back in a laugh, raising the back of her palm to slightly in front of her mouth.

But then the growing eldritch power catches her attention. Morrigan's expression sours, her eyes focused on that rod. It holds it only briefly, however, before Clio draws her eye.

"Do you have a plan, lass?" Morrigan is whispering in Clio's ear. In the instant between she's moved behind her, hovering close. "Don't do anything too brash, hmm? At least not without a plan. You're cute. I'd hate to see that go to waste." Morrigan moves forward, taking position to intercept attacks made to Clio.

"Though speaking of wastes..." Morrigan looks toward Mab. Her eyes narrow. Something unseen is going on there. She just hasn't ascertained what, yet.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan issues a challenge!!

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|----===

COMBATSYS: Morrigan takes no action.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|----===

COMBATSYS: Royal Hunter dodges Leo Whitefang's Graviert Wurde.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Royal Hunter     0|-------|----===

[ELISE]
Leo's strike, poised to protect his comrade, is swift and true... but the svartalfar, his target, is -- despite his unassuming appearance -- a being of eldritch origin, like any faerie. The Sacred Order commander's cross-shaped burst flickers through the air, but the dark elf notices it in time, turning to look at it with an expression of impending terror, right before it appears to connect, ripping him to shreds in an instant. Or, at the very least, the shadowy copy of himself the elf left in his wake, as the real thing drops down into a crouch at the feet of his mistress. "Are you alright, your majesty?" he asks, glancing up at the pale figure floating next to him.

A pause, and the return look that Mab offers the dark elf is far from pleasant; for a moment, a note of true fury is visible behind her eyes, but it quickly becomes an almost lascivious smile. "Yes... yes," she says, with a brief pause. "I believe I will be soon, my servant. Come to me."

The elf obediently steps to his monarch... a final and, as it turns out, fatal mistake. Her hand caresses his face in a parody of care, but his expression is anything but joyful. With a torturous scream, the svartalfar's body begins to wither away, as if he were aging rapidly on the spot. "My... my queen...!" he croaks out, voice hoarse and creaky with pain, his final words before his papery skin becomes nothing but dust, his now empty clothing fluttering to the ground.

Turning back to the trio of interlopers, Mab smiles a wolfish smile, bringing her fingertips to her lips briefly before letting her hands fall to her sides. "Yes... better. And now, for the rest of you."

High above in the pitch black sky, the intermittent flashes of lightning heralding the arrival of Saint Elmo's Fire increase in frequency, a strobing sky of erratic divine thunder. Each burst hits the lightning rod above, sending coruscant blue sparks running down the metallic leads in the walls. Since everyone gathered here likely has some degree of sensitivity to the flow of power, it is obvious that the energy itself is travelling down, far below this room. Laughing, Mab turns her gaze to Leo. "Oh, my precious commander. You and yours were so convinced the complex below was the threat. It is not." She gestures upward with one hand, and another lightning bolt seems to answer that gesture, slamming into the lightning rod and further saturating the room with power. "If anything, the complex was merely a side effect... the sages of ancient Illyria realized that they could tap the energy of both the earth and the heavens in a single gesture. Below this castle, the ley lines of an entire continent converge. The very essence of the Earth itself, untapped and raw. Do you understand what this means?"

Extending a hand, Mab makes a downward, sweeping gesture, indicating the castle below. "The raw, primal energy of creation. It waits to be shaped, formed, harnessed. If one's will is great enough, that is. I will ride the lightning to the very core of the castle, into the ley line itself. My will shall become its yoke, its harness. I will reshape this world -- all worlds -- as I see fit. And you... none of you..."

Both hands rise into the air. "None of you can stop me!" The entire circular floor of the room suddenly glows, a magical seal of immense proportions stretching from edge to edge of the entire chamber, leaving very little room to maneuver. With a swirling gesture of her arms, the seal explodes upwards in innumerable columns of light, the Queen's power mixing with the ambient force in the room to create a torrent of energy in which she seeks to drown her foes, while her laugh -- harsh, cruel, manic -- resounds.

COMBATSYS: Royal Hunter has left the fight here.

                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            1|----===|=======
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|

COMBATSYS: Clio blocks Elise's Claimh Solais.

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Clio             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|

COMBATSYS: Elise successfully hits Leo Whitefang with Claimh Solais.

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Clio             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>---\1    Leo Whitefang
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|

[LEO WHITEFANG]
Pain, searing pain, rips and roars its way through Leo's body as the Great Knight attempts to dance his way through the columns of light and swirling forces of pure raw arcane power..and fails horribly.

The rushing shockwave envelops him, ripping him up from the ground and sending him hurtling backwards violently before he lands and skids along the ground with his eyes wide, arcane flame and smoke smouldering from his body and scorched form.

It is enough to end his role in this little contest of wills. At least..just about. Leo pulls back up to his feet even as the energy rips and roars around him and suddenly brings both of his blades together, willing himself to stay standing for one final assault.

From where he stands the matter of choice has been taken from him. It's now or never and if blood must be on anyones hands here..he figures he's the candidate that had better step up.

"A Lion always hunts with one hundred percent of his strength!" he bellows through the roaring magical energy as his swords begin twistin gand warping , taking on the visage of a great silver lion.

"Know fear in your very soul when the lion BEARS HIS FANGS!!"

Leo suddenly launches upwards into the air, springing like a spear through towards the very highest heights of the room, clothes ripping and tearing about him and then he lances downward for the mad queen, flesh burning as he streaks like a comet at Mab.

"Windrad Des Weltarum!!!"

Impact the queen or no, the silver lion-headed blades emit a thunderous roar and the very wake of Leo's passage ignites in a curious explosion of chi and energy that intermixes with the unleashed magic of the room. The Great Knight seeking to damage as much as possible with this strike to hopefully disrupt whateve he can with what little strength he has left.

Strength that is immediatly spent as he tips over and crashes to the floor upon his final landing, rolling limply to a stop at the far end of the room.

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang can no longer fight.

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Morrigan         1/---====/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2             Clio

[CLIO]
Arcane fire burns. Clio St. Jeanne stands resolute, focused, intent and studying of the bowman and Queen Mab. But then the bowman is gone and the Monarch stands alone. Then comes the monologue. All the while, Clio focuses on the maelstrom of power welling through the area. The flowing ley line deep below, the rising tide of arcane power. She falls back on the study and practice the NOL gave her. Worth something despite the reality of her situation.

The deluge comes. Energy everflowing.

A spark of iridescent light, a glyphic pattern in a circle sparks before Clio. The energy batters against the bulwark, crashing, flashing and holding at the tide of power floods against the barrier. Clio is silent. She feels the pain coursing through her. The barrier shatters. Clio cries out. The light washes over her.

But when it ends, she still stands. She is battered. She is beaten. But still she stands.

Clio wipes her nose with the back of her wrist. A streak of red left on her pale skin. Her lip twists in a cocked grin. A rush of blood in her ears cuts out most of what Leo is saying. Just that he's shouting. Something blasts. Leo falls.

The grin leaves Clio's face. Her wrist turns a circle, fingers dance, drawing sigils in the air. The chain and scale emblem bursts behind her. Without a word, but with a roaring torrent of arcane fire birthed by rage, Clio St. Jeanne becomes a one woman riot.

Fast enough to seemingly split into three. One image of Clio skips off the wall, arcing downward after Leo's first assault. A second is lower, but brings with her charge a crashing wave of flame in her wake to bare down on the Queen. And a final, running through the flames left by the first, simply channels the sheer anger she has into a violent pouncing dropkick aimed for no less than the Queen's very face.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan blocks Elise's Claimh Solais.

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-------
[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan watches the display as Mab's servant sacrifices himself to her. For the Queen of Makai, this seems only natural. Expected, even. Such things are the way of the world there.

But Mab's grab for power, her talk of the leylines? That draws Morrigan's interest. Power swells, Morrigan's brow furrows. Is that...frustration? Concern?

"Such confidence that you can control tae leylines, Mab," Morrigan says, "but do you know how many have tried?" She asks, her wings extending to their full span. No, further. For a moment, Morrigan seems more imposing; somehow swelling in presence like anything she's demonstrated before here.

"I have felt them, from tae time I arrived. What do you think drew me here?" Morrigan extends her hand, sweeping through the air and viscerally pulling at strands of eldritch power, taking it into herself.

That is, until Mab evokes the seal. Morrigan snarls. "Tch. You did plan this well, didn't you?" She asks, right before she's engulfed in the flood of power and disappears silently within it.

But then Morrigan's wings unfurl, throwing back eldritch power as her golden aura grows in intensity. Lingering bits of energy burn away at her wings, but for the amount of energy released, she seems to be doing fairly well--though another knife drops out of her side with his latest display of power. It draws a wince from her.

"Is that all?" Morrigan hisses, though Leo's fall and Clio's battered state do not go unnoticed. She frowns, her attention focused on them for a long moment. "I suppose, Mab, that these mortals have done you a favor," Morrigan raises her head loftily. "Were they not so desperate to save their friend, perhaps I'd have eaten you here and now." Morrigan's smile is wicked. Fangy. It fades into something more pleasant like the shadow of a candle. "But as it stands, let's instead see what we can find in there, shall we?"

And then Morrigan is upon Mab in a blink, shooting across the chamber to close the distance. In one moment, there is Morrigan. In the next, there are two. They move of one mind, fanning out to flank the Faerie Queen from both sides, Morrigan's shape changing to match her will. Fists are thrown. Heels strike forward. Nails become claws and wings become blades. The two Morrigans are like a storm, a flurry of blows befitting one whose name is taken from an entity the Celts called queen of phantoms, the goddess of war and fate.

COMBATSYS: Elise full-parries Leo Whitefang's Windrad des Weltraum!!

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|-----==
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

COMBATSYS: Clio successfully hits Elise with Cerberus Rush.
Glancing Blow

                 [                   ||||||||||| ]
                 Elise            0|-------|----===
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

COMBATSYS: Morrigan successfully hits Elise with Darkness Illusion.
- Power hit! -
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

                 [                            || ]
                 Elise            1|-------|=======
[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

COMBATSYS: Elise takes no action.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

COMBATSYS: Elise can no longer fight.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1             Clio

COMBATSYS: Clio has left the fight here.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         1/-------/<<<<<<<|

COMBATSYS: Morrigan has ended the fight here.


[ELISE]
The assault of Leo Whitefang is a fury of steel and sorcery, whirling toward the Faerie Queen like a cyclone of death... but perhaps now, as the final cogwheels of her plan turn and click into place, it may not be enough. Extending a hand forward, Mab holds it, palm out, in the path of Leo's strike. A circular barrier springs into being, halting Leo's forward momentum in a hail of orange and violet sparks, the commander's raging blow hammering and then expending itself before the barrier pulses and disappears, sending the Sacred Order fighter backwards from Mab's position.

Clio's furious, three-pronged assault is next, but at first it seems as if Leo's companon doesn't fare any better. The first strike finds itself similarly blocked by another circular barrier, much like the one that deflected Leo's blows, which materializes in the path of the strike without Mab even turning to look, leaving her free to throw another barrier in the path of the second strike even as the first one fades. But the third... Clio's aggression cannot be fully denied. The differing angles make the final result impossible to entirely avoid; Clio's fiery kick doesn't impact the queen's face, but lands heavily on Mab's shoulder, making her reel with the force and direction of the blow. Hissing, Mab turns furious eyes to Clio, gaze flashing with rage. "Impudent girl! I'd hoped to keep you around as a plaything, but n--"

Then there is Morrigan, and Leo and Clio's desperate assaults were what was needed to give the succubus the opening she needs. Mab's threat to Clio goes unfinished, as Morrigan's duplication technique lands a staggering -- and seemingly final -- series of blows on the faerie queen in rapid succession. There is no barrier, now, no deflection; instead, Mab loses the concentration she needed to keep levitating, and the final blow of Morrigan's combination sends the Queen of Air and Darkness crashing to the ground, landing in a sprawl on the floor at the center of the room, her midnight blue dress swirling around her like a splash of dark ink on the white and gold tile. "Ngh... peasants... fools... all of you..." she bites out. "And that damned... woman...! But. BUT."

The atmosphere in the room becomes suffocating. Motes of blue dance in the air. And everything -- EVERYTHING, including the room's occupants -- becomes limned with a green-white faerie flame that leaps and swirls. The saturated air feels as if it is attempting to push everything to the walls through density alone. It is as if the world is holding its breath.

Saint Elmo's Fire comes.

For a brief second, the world is nothing but white, obliterating every sense... even the supernatural ones. It is a bolt of pure, unadultered, raw natural power. But, like lightning, it strikes the building and then is gone, with only the ringing echo of thunder and the flickering white of its searing afterimage to mark its passing. But in the center of the room, amid the swirl of dark blue, Mab suddenly laughs. Ragged, wet, coarsened by the abuse her body has suffered at the hands of those gathered, but laughs nonetheless. "If you had the power to consume my soul, Lord of Aensland," she gasps, "then you were a fool not to do it, especially if your reason was sentimentality for the weak, foolish beings that mortals are."

Her body rising from the floor, back arched, Mab's voice becomes ethereal, wispy, yet fills the room... as if she were speaking directly through the magic-saturated air itself. "Now... let it be finished. Let me become eternal!" The blue motes in the air begin to swirl, scattering erratically, as lines of power visibly coruscate from the lightning collectors in the walls to the Telluric Complex below.

"Your retience..." The motes swirl faster, the crackling power in the walls increasing in tempo. Mab's arched back inverts, her body slumping forward, arms dangling bonelessly.

"Is... my... VICT--"

And then, just like that, the motes freeze. The entire world seems as if time comes to a halt. Even the power-saturated air suddenly loses its intense suffocating feeling. For a moment with the weight of eternity, there is silence.

And then, the voice of the woman in the center of the room speaks... with one voice, only. "You tried too much, hen," says the voice of Elise Harkness. "And ye paid the price for that greed at last."

[LEO WHITEFANG]
It is rare that Leo Whitefang is at a loss for words. Being unconscious is a good reason for silence, mind you, but under any other circumstances if there's something to be said..he's one of hte first ones if not the first one with an inclination to say it.

Not this time. This time he just sort of stares, eyes wide, as he pulls himself back from the darkness caused by being knocked out just in time for the strike of Saint Elmo's Fire and Mabs imending victory over them all. His mane of hair whips around his battered body, wild and caught, along with his tattered jacket, in the arcane wind and fury that boils around everyone present.

And then the silence falls and Leo isn't sure if that's worse or not then the fury that was occuring just a moment before. When Elise herself finally speaks, breaking tha frozen moment, Leo finally finds his own voice though a groan escaes him at the same time and it's simply an affirmation of his confusion and that he has no idea what is going on. "..What...what's happening? What..?"

[CLIO]
The weight of Mab's shoulder serves a springboard for Clio. Flipping back, arcing in the air, falling back down to the ground and landing low in a sprinter's crouch, Clio's attention rests squarely on Mab as the great threat is delivered. It should be frightening, the force of the faerie queen's rage is palpable and real. And yet, Clio can only find herself grinning with a manic glee touched with a predatory drive for more.

But there is no need. Morrigan, the real power in the room, brings that power down upon Mab's head. She watches the succubus double herself. Clio knows that tactic well. But seeing it done by a far more capable combatant is stunning. She watches, still, eyes wide.

The air stills, Clio's ripped from her rapt observations. She curls back, fingers draw circles and sigils in planning for what's to come. The fire burns out the darkness and subsumes everything in its light.

But then it passes, and Clio is still standing, the others remain. She sees the body in the blue dress fall to the floor, voice fading. Clio has other things on her mind; she dashes toward the fallen Whitefang.

She reaches for his shoulder, to be a hand to comfort. He's talking at least. "Her," Clio says, pointing toward Mab. "Magic. Shitloads. Talk later. Walk?" she spitfires words at the Sacred Order night, the energy of the fight still boiling inside of her.

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan's two selves converge on one another as Mab's body gives out. They slide into one another in what looks like a strange mirrored special effect, after which there is one Morrigan once more. "Oh, I am a sentimental sort, Mab," Morrigan says, fangs barred. "But mortals can be so fascinating sometimes," The power swells, and Morrigan steels herself. Is the fight beginning anew?

Something changes. The abrupt stop to her proclamation says plenty in its own. Morrigan's snarl turns into a wry smile as she flips her hair back.

"Welcome back, dear," Morrigan says. "It seems I'm a better judge of character than I thought."

Was she...gambling on that? Did she really not know? It is a mystery.

[ELISE]
The question nobody's asking, but which likely dwells somewhere in the mind of all present, is: is this real, or not? After all, the one thing the Seelie and Unseelie Courts have in common is their love of trickery, misdirection, and legerdemain. This could be another front on Mab's part... though perhaps there is something in what Morrigan has to say that might reassure Leo and Clio both.

The toll the succubus took on the actual physical form in front of them, however -- no matter who's currently occupying it -- was severe, however, and while the dual-toned voice is gone, Elise's complexion, hair, and clothing have not reversed themselves. She is still pale, garbed in midnight blue, with raven locks spread around her as she presses a hand to the ground, steadying herself. "Ha. Are ye sure of that, Mistress Aensland?" Elise's voice asks, without looking up, though the harmonic lacks the taunting, nasal note of superiority that Mab's dismissal of the Makai mistress had before. "This news does little tae cheer me, but I regret to say, you're still addressing Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness."

With a supreme effort of will, Mab pulls herself to her feet, clutching one elbow with the opposite hand. Now that her face is visible, the carmine lips are twisted into a rueful smile. "Once I... once *Elise*... agreed to that, there was no escaping it. The pact was ancient and couldnae be broken. But let us say it could be... *renegotiated*." She doesn't elaborate further, for the moment, but instead turns to Clio and, by extension, Leo. "Lass. And maybe you, Commander, if ye're sensible. You're needed, yet. This isnae over, and I've nothing left to do what must be done." She glances at Morrigan, and then at the pair again. "Aye, I think ye might be the only ones here who can prevent catastrophe."

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"We are not killing you, Miss Elise."

Leo's deep voice is sharp as he struggles to his feet. Contrasting against his stance which wobbles him back and forth but gradually stablizes the more time passes. He's sturdy after all. The furious power of an world changing arcane ritual? He'll walk it off.

"Consider me someone who lacks sense, then. If you can 'renegotiate' the terms of what it means to tkae on this new role then certainly you can seize the reigns of the new destiny before you."

Leo coughs abit and then nods his head to Clio, affirming that he's alright before attempting to regain more of his former bearing, "Unless..you have something else in mind that you want to ask of us and I'm wrong in my assumptions of why you brought us here today..?"

[CLIO]
Are they all from Scotland? Clio wonders as her attention bounces back and forth between Mab or Elise and Morrigan. Clio has a headache, the adrenaline starting to ebb even though the sheer force of the Leylines are something she's sensative to. And it's making her attention drift to keeping a silent overwatch of the surrounding room while the others talk.

Lass? Clio makes a questioning hum in her throat, looking again toward Elise. She sees the woman, realizes that Elise's hair does remind Clio of her own when she was still in the NOL academy, before cutting it to the short mess she has now. She's needed? That was curious indeed.

"Are we going again?" she asks, "Next time I'm sending your prettyboy back to Brigadoon in an ashtray." A snort, defiant, angry, in pain. "What sort of need can I offer here? I just followed Leo. I'm just back up."

[MORRIGAN]
"Mab, Elise, what's in a name, true? Tae think you'd do something so bold. I barely know ye, but I'm already impressed." Morrigan chuckles to herself, raising her hand up in front of her mouth. "Quite clever, if a dangerous bit of negotiation.

She glances at Leo. "Always so noble. Commander Whitefang, you truly a modern knight. A bit more rugged than Sir Kiske, as well, hmm." And then Morrigan's eyes go to Clio.

"I like you," she says, "You have spirit. Spunk, if you don't take it as an insult tae ye.

Back to Mab. "So what is it you need, dear Mab?"

[ELISE]
The room, still seemingly frozen in time, starts to feel warmer, more stuffy again, and Mab's face betrays irritation at the situation. She looks around, glancing at the walls, which still pulse with the gathered power of St. Elmo's Fire, even if everything has been put in slow motion. At Leo's insistence that he's not going to kill her, the newly-crowned queen of the Unseelie smiles. "Even if ye wished to, I couldnae let you," she says, as gently as is possible. "The world of the fae is closer to this fine lady's world than that of humans," she says, with a nod to Morrigan. "Another would rise in her place before long, and possibly worse than the last. I wondered why my ancestors made such a foolish-seeming pact, dooming their daughters to the sacrifice every few hundred years. Well, that's the answer. Mab -- the Mab of ten minutes ago -- was cruel and power-hungry, aye, and hated humans... but she promised not to hate humans *enough*, to be the lesser evil."

A heavy sigh escapes the woman's lips. "And so the cycle started. Every century or two, a Harkness girl with the Gift would become her new vessel. And she'd devour their soul, reshaping their body in her image. Each time, she'd solidify her hold... and remind us that without her, worse would arise. So no, Commander, I couldnae let you. There must always be a Queen. But..."

And here, she again gives Morrigan a smile... a wicked and predatory smile. "The Queen is dead; long live the Queen. The Winter Court may be in for a shakeup, as they transition tae new management, as the saying goes." The suggestion here, is clear: iron fist, velvet glove.

Clio's aggressiveness -- and more importantly, demand to know what else might be feasibly asked of her -- takes Mab by surprise, and she turns to regard the former NOL member carefully. "As a human, lass, I had the gift of foresight. It's what drew yon hunk of man here in the first place, you know." Maybe she didn't? For a moment, she stops to think of the moments of her mortal life, and the vision of the dragon that started all this in the first place. "And now freed of that, my vision is a bit more expansive than it once was. You've a grand destiny, hen... that much I know. Perhaps you've set foot on a new and scary path, but nothing good ever comes from what's easy, does it?"

Turning her eyes down to the center of the room, Elise -- Mab, now -- frowns. "While you all were pummeling this body -- thank ye, by the way -- I was fighting her. Inside. She was distracted. Trying to devour my... *Elise's*... soul. Fighting you. Waiting for the lightning, finishing the ritual. She thought she could do it all, and failed. And when it became clear the end was in sight, a fraction of her soul escaped." She glances at Leo and Clio, then at the lines on the walls. "She plans to hide in the leylines, bide her time. Recover her power. Like a bad seed. Eventually she'll emerge and this will all come again. I don't have the power to stop her. But I can send you both there, and you can do it. You have to dive into the heart of the magic and destroy the final piece."

A pause, the look over her shoulder at Morrigan, and then at the pair once more. "It should be mortals that do it. No, that's wrong. It MUST be mortals that do it. Will you?"

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"You ask me to go and make an attempt to end this? Of course I will go." Leo nods. he doesn't speak for Clio, allowing her to decide how much further into this madness she wishes to descend. Quite frankly,s he's more qualifies then he is for this anyway given her eldritch abilities compared to his own. Leyline diving seems interesting but more up her alleyway. He gives Clio a look but then turns to the Mab-Elise fusion once omre,

"Twas you who requested we be ready to do you in. If it's no longer necessary then yes, take to your new role and do what must be done.." He raises both of his arms up and then drops them again, his Iron-Cross blades shimmering and pulsing to life once more as he readies himself. "Let's get this done with and rejoin our friends."

[CLIO]
Clio crosses her arms, her hip cocks, her eyes half lid the more that the Fae Queen goes on. She listens, draws a circle on her arm. She's worn, been in a fight, shot by arrows, hit by Leo, lost everything she's had for the past several years of her life, faked her death, and her makeup is currently burning her eyes and making her face terribly uncomfortable.

It has been a long, long day.

"There is nothing about what you just said that doesn't sound like a bad idea," she tells whatever it is the merging Mab and Elise are at the moment. "You're a faerie, we just fought your cackling madness and are expecting for us to buy a total change in personality and now want us to go off because we must to help people. Seriously, this is all sounding like total garbage."

She looks to Leo and sighs, pinching her nose. "But I am nothing but bad ideas tonight. Okay. Bring it on. I can't lose much else tonight and I'm still feeling pretty pissed off at a lot of things," she says with a far past devil-may-care grin and a punch of her fist into her hand.

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan listens as the story unfolds. As it continues, her attention shifts. She looks over Leo, and Clio, almost hungrily. Almost. Morrigan knows what she likes.

But her attention is back when it's appropriate. "Bold," she says, smiling. "I knew I liked you two.

"But it seems my work is done here," she says, "Shall I see myself out, or do you have need of me still? I can always find something to busy myself with."

[ELISE]
Clio's response, more than anything, gets a ragged but silvery laugh from the newly-enthroned queen. "If ye'd trusted me right off, hen," she says in response, quirking her lips into a faint smile, "I'd know ye were too daft to trust with something like this." Her gaze swivels briefly over to Leo, and she nods once at him, trying to answer the commander's more serious mien in kind. "Whitefang... I'll like as not never see old man Undersn again, or the rest of your merry little band. So take them a message from me: I'm sorry. But you did what needed doing. The world isn't likely to thank you for it, but someone, somewhere, will always remember."

Standing as tall and straight as she can, Mab walks to the two members of the Order -- or, well, one member, and one member-by-association, in her eyes. When she comes to a stop, however, it's Morrigan she turns to, nodding slowly. "If you'd do us the honor of watching over, Mistress Aensland, I'd be right grateful. You have to understand," she says, turning back to Clio and Leo, extending her hands, palm out. "This is something I've both done a thousand times before and am doing for the first time ever."

What reassuring words to hear.

Violet light spills off Mab's outstretched hands, flowing backward across her body like streamers fluttering in the breeze. "Your bodies will stay right here. What's going into the stream is your souls. Remember that. Your body is just a shell. When you see her, don't hesitate."

And, because she knows uncomfortable questions are just going to make this complicated, as soon as the power is gathered, Mab simply opens her eyes and says: "Go."

Time resumes.

But for Leo and Clio both, the physical world suddenly ceases to be relevant. Instead, their souls are hurled into the torrent of power racing toward the leylines, in a crash of sense-obliterating light and color. The effect is as if they are in freefall, but without the stomach-churning nausea of being trapped in an actual gravity well. Around them, energy and light of a rainbow of colors streaks by, pushing downward, the converted force of St. Elmo's Fire that had been channeled, shaped, and redirected by Mab's own soul... before that thread had been snapped.

And there, at the center of this column of light, staring upwards at her pursuers, is the soul fragment of the 'old' Mab.

Gone is the ethereal beauty of her earthly self, or at the very least, it is greatly diminished by her soul's true nature. It's as if a vertical meridian had been traced down the middle of her body. The right hand side is almost as the pair had seen above: pale, clad in a gown of blue-black raven feathers, hair fluttering behind her. But the left side... her arm is gnarled and bloody, her face distorted, with one over-large gold eye staring balefully upward. Her hair is white, ragged, and matted, and a bird's talon emerges from the bottom of her dress, rather than a human foot.

"THAT WOMAN... I WILL NOT... GIVE IN THIS WAY..." screams her soul's voice, a cacophony like the cawing of a thousand crows. "I WILL... BECOME... ETERNAL...!"

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"ENOUGH!" roars Leo, his voice ripping through the aether and ridign the leylines with the roar of a lion carrying it forth. "Enough of your manipulation, mad schemes and destructive ways! Your time is done!!"

His blades swhirl into being, a rushing brilliance of magic and chi that swirls around his body and then forms a vortex that envelops his descending figure as it lances its way at Mab. "We are your ENDE Mab!"

A charging Lion emerges, because of course it's a Lion, seemingly filling the aetherial sea with its visage and trailing a mane of gold and silver as it streaks like a comet for the mad queen. Both of its great for legs reach out, splaying out enormous claws as fang filled mouth yawns open huge ineffable in an attempt to devour Mab whole and swallow her up into the fury of its raging magic.

The Lion will pass through, warping beyond Mab to reform as Leo some distance beyond. The spirit of the large man spinning to turn and glare into the explosive wake of his astral assault while watching for Clio's as well.

[CLIO]
Cast into a world apart. A place of nightmares, faerie tales, of the incorporeal and yet altogether realness of thought. Clio falls, eyes closing, arms drifting out at her sides. She feels the rush of the plummet. And she finds herself at peace.

Falling, falling, falling. Racing the rainbow streaks down toward the column of light. Down into the place where Mab remains. Split in twain and rendered a dichotomy of a Queen. Yet still ranting. Still raving.

"I really like that dress," Clio remarks as she falls. "When I'm done I'm ripping your style. Gonna add combat boots that look like your talons."

She flinches at the sudden light of the Lion roaring ad raging down toward mab. Seeking to devour and tear. Clio reaches out into the astral to feel for the magic within. To bring with it what she waits for. And she finds it.

Clio lands in the wake of Leo. She remains in a crouch. "Flames of Justice," she says, looking up, standing to her feet. With the woman's rising, so to does a trio of astral chains in three points around Mab. The massive links coil and curl into a braid as though to transfix the Faerie Queen. Clio watches, and raises a fist. From behind Clio forms her emblem, the scales in a ring of chain. And the look on Clio's face grows dark when she snaps her fingers and speaks in a voice that echoes in the arcane, "Pariah's Pyre!"

From underneath the trio of chains comes a roaring, wreathing inferno in blues, violets and whites. A towering, twisting baleful conflagration that burns up into starlight along with the great chains the fire sprung from.

[ELISE]
There is no definitive answer when it comes to what the soul of a living being is. It's clear, from the existence of those who can manipulate the soul, that it is real. But its shape, its nature, is elusive, defying categorization. All that can be said is that the beings in Leo and Clio's shape that manifest in the stream of life to destroy what remains of the former Queen of Air and Darkness are the *essence* of those individuals, their vital force. The thing that makes them, them.

But the monstrous Mab in front of them is no whole person; she is a splinter, a fragment left over from Elise's consumption of the Queen's soul, her turning of the tables. And just as, in life, someone who is not a whole person, not a fully realized individual, is the weakest of the weak, the splinter of Mab's soul is the same. Still powerful, dangerous if left unchecked, but no match for the full force of two mortal souls bent on her destruction.

The lion, the fiery chains rip through the imaginary air with meteoric vengeance, but they are symbols, really; images imprinted on the raw power flowing around them. What they truly are, is Clio and Leo's anger, their pain, their bravery, their determination... all of that, shorn of the trappings of mere four-dimensional physics. Becoming, however briefly, a living thing.

She doesn't even have time to scream. Her body disintegrates in a halo of repudiating flame, a scattering of raven feathers the only thing to mark her passing.

The pair of mortals -- mighty souls, both -- have a moment of peace before there is a feeling as if someone hooked them in the center of their stomach and *pulled*. The world becomes a blur of indiscernible motion, and then just like that, they are back in their bodies. The room's feeling of saturated air, of power gathered, begins to fade, as the mechanisms of Illyria Castle safely direct the force of St. Elmo's Fire where it is intended to go, without the interference of any third party.

Until the two return, Mab's face is drawn with exhaustion, eyes closed, but as Leo and Clio return to the waking world, so does she. "It's done, then," she says, a statement instead of a question, for surely she saw the deed through their eyes. "Ye have my thanks, you both." A pause. "You *three*. For doing what needed to done. Or, maybe... for being willing to do what needed to be done."

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"God.."

Leo drops to a bended knee, face scrunched up in a look of consternation at the feeling of having his very spirit pushed and pulled around and then yanked back into his body as if he were taking a ride along the worlds wildest roller coaster without being strapped in by safety belts.

He takes a few seconds to recover his bearings and then nods as he hears Elise...or is it Mab.

"..it's done? Good. At least. We can move beyond this and call an end to this struggle."

Leo takes a deep breath and then shake shis head, "I dont' pretend to understand everything that is happening here. I got your letter and I acted while Ky acted in his own capacity. I did what you asked. NOL is none the wiser to all of this and I Hope that remains that way." He gives Clio a knowing nod while rising to his feet, wavering but holding his balance eventually.

"We should rejoin the others as quickly as possible..." he looks to 'Mab' again, "So that's it then. Your prophecy and fortune telling has brought you to this point... And you are..okay with this outcome?"

[CLIO]
Is it over? Everything seems, for a moment, at peace in that strange place. In the aftermath of the fire and the lion, in the after match of the Mab scattered to the four winds. Just, in the aftermath.

And then something makes Clio's stomach lurch like she just hit a speed bump in a low rider.

Shuddered back to the material plane, Clio bends at the waist, knees buckling, hands propping herself up on said wobbly knees. Eyes screw shut to the world and she breathes in and out in quick shallow puffs.

"Done? Okay, okay, done is good," she says, pulling her stomach back down to earth and wanting all the spinning to comply with everyone saying done.

Calming, Clio St. Jeanne looks between Leo and the new Mab or Elise, or whichever, and nods. "Sure, whatever. I should get back to finding the other friend I had around here. And making certain no one else finds me. If I can stay awake that long." She rubs the side of her head. She can bug Leo about who in the hell the crazy one and the hot one were some other time. She was tired.

[ELISE]
"Whether I am 'okay' or not isn't much point for discussion now, lad," Mab says to Leo, quirking an eyebrow. "It's done, and there was no other way to get it done. And now I have to live with the consequences." A pause, and then she shakes her head. "No, that's not right. You all have to live with them, too. The ancient kings of Illyria... they knew that what the old queen tried here was possible, or something very much like it." For a moment, she can think -- through Elise's memories -- of the ancient king's ghost she encountered in the barrows deep below the kingdom's outskirts. The dire warnings she received of what was to come.

Well, now they've happened. And life means picking up the pieces.

"Someone's got to guard it, commander. Someone who knows what the stakes are if they fail." A pause, and the pale woman quirks a smile. "I dinnae know it's got to be you and yours, mind. But I could think of worse choices. I've done nothing but impose on you lot from day one, but believe what I say. Someone needs to protect this place from people that would exploit it. And I... well."

A rueful twist to her smile. "I cannae. I need to go back to the Court. Faerie aren't meant to tarry long in this world. That she... Mab? The... you know who I mean. That she kept them all here for this long showed how desperately she wanted to succeed. But now they'll follow me back. There won't be any trouble after that."

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan greets Leo and Clio's "return" with applause. She smiles, clearly entertained, before flipping her hair back once more.

As Mab explains the ongoing situation and how they move forward, Morrigan doesn't interrupt. Well, mostly, when the idea of constant vigilance is mentioned, Morrigan stifles a yawn.

"Oh, good," she says, "I'm glad you asked them, because I am certainly not to be trusted with that kind of responsibility, Mab," Morrigan says this almost casually, as if she didn't just brush off a potential catalysmic threat because she can't be asked to help. "But I suppose," Morrigan's fingers dip into her top and produce two cards. They have elaborate, hand-painted backs with a bat motif. She tosses one to Clio, and one to Leo, and then seem to basically float, face-down, to the two heroes.

"I should give you something for your help, or at least helping keep me entertained. Though I know a certain Italian who may be unhappy with me if she hears I borrowed her gimmick. Oh well. Our little secret."

She looks back to Mab. "Sorry to interrupt, Mab. We'll be in touch, I imagine, as you get settled in. You'll find out where to find me. Ta-ta."

And with that, Morrigan is one. She seems to simply dissolve into shadow and bats, as mysteriously as she came.

[ELISE]
------

And so, the Unseelie occupation of the ancient kingdom once known as Illyria came to a close. Few would know the events that transpired at the pinnacle of Illyria Castle that day, and fewer still would understand their significance, or just how close the world came to unspeakable danger, were it not for the activities of a brave few.

And somewhere, in the demenses of the faerie, under the moonlit yew boughs, the Queen of Air and Darkness settled gently onto her throne, raven gown rippling with the motion. And though her subjects knealt in fealty, there was unease among them. The first years of her rule were sure not to be easy. But in the new being that held the name 'Mab' -- the uneasy fusion of an ancient queen and a mortal woman -- grew something new, and unexpected, and unforeseen... something with all the potential that a fleeting mortal life represents.

Now, she had all the time in the world to make it work.

Log created on 20:37:41 06/30/2018 by Elise, and last modified on 20:18:12 07/18/2018.