[RP] Children of Aether

Ardis was actually quite surprised when the fire just seemed to come out of no where. Seeing the situation unfold as it was he put his weapon away though still weary of the two witches. Glancing back at the one who just came to join the group he noticed it as the one that was running away earlier. Returning his attention to the first witch he replied to her.

"I'm sorry for being so rude, but you do know the relations of our two kind. I don't have the intention of fighting you, well not yet anyways. Sides I doubt your the one I'm looking for, unless you can remain as young as you are for eight years? As long as you don't kill anyone innocent well then looks like I will forget about meeting you."

Looking at everyone he decided to say something well stupid. "So two lightning users, a fire witch and a spirit knight, wonder what kind of dinner conversation this would make?" Then looking over to the other knight he asked "That is if you don't mind if I tag along since you seem to be in a hurry now to get out of here? Or would you rather I stay behind and me explain what happened if some other Knights show up?"
 
Alyss listened to the banter between the two Knights. For some reason, she wasn’t very surprised at the concept of the other Knight not being surprised that he was taking out two ladies half his age out for ice-cream. In hindsight, he did seem the type to hit on anything with a pulse… Regardless, she hoped that he wouldn’t really try anything funny.

The thing that made Alyss nervous, however, was the Knights that had shown up. While she definitely wasn’t going to be the one that leaked out their secrets… just seeing a van full of armor clad morons with swords was enough to put her on edge. If they knew about her and the other girl, they would draw their weapons immediately, and Alyss knew that neither her, nor the Fire Witch would survive. As she thought earlier, she knew they wouldn’t last longer than a minute.

His excuse for the whole situation was… acceptable at best. However, the other Knight seemed simple minded enough to believe it. Though, in all honesty, it was enough to let the other Knights know about the Nature Witch while keeping the existence of the other two witches safe. For that, Alyss was thankful.

The other Knight, the one Alyss had deemed rude spoke to her again. “I’m sorry for being so rude, but you do know the relations of our two kind. I don’t have the intention of fighting you, well not yet anyway. Sides I doubt you’re the one I’m looking for, unless you can remain as young as you are for eight years? As long as you don’t kill anyone innocent well then looks like I will forget about meeting you.”

She said nothing to him, and simply nodded her head. Alyss had nothing to say… even if she did feel that the notion of him trying to fight her ridiculous. Deep down in her mind, she knew she was too confident for her own good. One day, it would probably spell the death of her. However, it wasn’t the time nor the place to think about it.

“Come along, ladies. I have the most delightful story to tell you, involving a truck, a stowaway, and a very badly-timed thunderstorm-“ The older Knight… Heath said, his voice full of enthusiasm. Alyss didn’t care much for hearing it, but she would humor him. After all, he did seem like a kind individual… Though Alyss didn’t trust him in the slightest. Then again, Alyss trusted no one.

Nodding her head, she followed Garth out of the alleyway. She had questions for him, but they were better left unasked until they were in a more private setting.
 
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"Your call, brother, but I'd ask that you don't report this to the higher-ups, if you are tagging along." Heath shrugged, casting a glance at the two witches again, "This is the most witch activity I've seen in over twenty-five years. I think having these two around, or at least in our good books, would be beneficial...if the Nature Witch is in this city, I want as many allies at my back as possible. As strong as these two are, I'd say she was stronger still..." he shuddered, unable to tell where the feeling had come from. Instinctively, he just knew that if either one of these two attempted to take on Poppy by themselves, they would lose spectacularly. A residue from their contact, perhaps? He had sensed nothing from her, but not even a witch could suppress her innermost thoughts, and things occasionally leaked out. Perhaps this was one such thing...what was she hiding?

He led them away from the alley at a rather fast pace, eager to get as far away from the crime scene as possible. Halfway down the next street, where the traffic of people and police cars had dwindled, he stopped, turning and facing them.

"Phew! That was remarkably close. I don't think I'd want to go through that again...Garth would definetely not have believed that if someone hadn't decided to occupy him this morning with something else." Heath glanced at the Fire Witch, raising his eyebrows but offering no further comment, "Now, I believe introductions are in order. I am known as Heath, a Spirit Knight of the Order of the Grey Goddess. May I have the pleasure of knowing your names?"

--

Lily yawned, stretching as she watched people go by from her seat at the cafe table, a half-finished coffee and a copy of the Daily Telegraph resting on the table in front of her. Once again, she hadn't slept particularly well this morning. She never did. The shadows were always there, always watching her. She could feel them even now - underneath the tree, the cars, even inside the cafe itself. Eager to crawl along her skin, caressing, probing, entering and consuming her. She shuddered, taking another sip of her coffee, which was perhaps the only thing keeping her awake...that, and the fear that she'd be in the shade when she woke up, or somewhere else entirely. That had happened twice before: she had fallen asleep, and the shadows had taken her straight home to her own bed. The prospect terrified her.

It was far too early in the day for a walk. Lily had barely gotten six hours of sleep, and the midday heat was making things decidedly unpleasant. It was so busy here today, as well! She had seen three fire engines, more police cars than she cared to count, and she even thought she had heard an explosion, followed by screams, in the distance. She had, momentarily, been possessed by an inexplicable urge to explore, but had ultimately rejected the idea - she could read about it in tomorrow's paper. Much safer, and Lily needed, above all, more safety in her life. It was already perilous enough as it was.
 
Crimson
Fire witch
​

Finally Crimson closed the lid to her lighter, halting the fire from spewing out any longer, she turned to the crowd of three and the first to talk was the older Knight.

“Uh...no, not at all! Well, we did have a rather nice plan worked out, but really, it’s not a problem! End result is all that counts, and all that…plus we can now cover this all up as a gas explosion! A happy ending for all concerned…well, asides from the two people unfortunate enough to get killed, but at least we’ve been able to prevent further casualties. Now…I don’t suppose we could all get along, and not start trying to kill one another? Does anyone feel like ice-cream? My treat. We can swap stories, exchange contact details, and make this the start of something special!”

She raised her eyebrow at this; a look of confusion spreading across her face. What was with this guy? He was so....old....that was the first thing she thought, the second thing was suspicion. Why did he want her to go out to a cafe with him and another witch... and this second knight? She really would have prefered not to go but it was probably safer traveling in a pack now that the nature witch knew she was around. Plus the witch with they eyepatch didn't seem to mind her presence for now.

As Crimson went to answer another knight entered the scene. He seemed to be quite old too. The two bantered... they seemed like friends...kind of. When the flirty knight introduced her as a media contact she blushed a little out of nervousness and gave a small nod, probably best to not say anything.

"Phew! That was remarkably close. I don't think I'd want to go through that again...Garth would definetely not have believed that if someone hadn't decided to occupy him this morning with something else."

Crimson wondered if he had been talking about the fire she caused earlier this morning... it was true she had been sloppy with her secret powers lately. She turned her face, not sure whether to be please or ashamed of herself.

"Now, I believe introductions are in order. I am known as Heath, a Spirit Knight of the Order of the Grey Goddess. May I have the pleasure of knowing your names?"

Her name... whenever someone asked this question she always thought of her real name...the name she wasn't supposed to say... how she missed that name, the one her parents would call to her...Crimson sighed.

"I am Crimson, the fire witch as you have witnessed; But I am more interested in knowing why you're being so helpful towards us...Heath...from my understanding witches and knights do not mingle too well." She watched him with her eyebrows raised
 
“Now, I believe introductions are in order.” Heath said as they left the alleyway. “I am known as Heath, a Spirit Knight of the Order of the Grey Goddess. May I have the pleasure of knowing your names?” It was a simple request… but Alyss certainly wasn’t going to go first. Luckily for her, the Fire Witch was far more trusting than her. “I am Crimson,” she started. “The Fire Witch as you have witnessed; but I am more interested in knowing why you’re being so helpful towards us… Heath… from my understanding Witches and Knights do not mingle too well.”

Alyss also wished to know the answer to that. She had her reasons for wanting to help out a Knight… but what reason could a Knight have for wanting to help a Witch? Weren’t they bound by some oath to kill all Witches on sight? Alyss didn’t call one an enemy by title alone… like the other Witches may have, and the Knights that definitely did. So, why would a Knight want to help out two Witches? It made little sense.

“I would also like to know why one such as yourself would want to help us. Would it be simply because we have a common enemy? Or are there other motives?” Alyss asked. However, she quickly remembered she was asked for her name. Of course, she knew better than to give them her real one. She folded her arms as she continued. “Heath, was it? My name is Alyss.”

As they continued walking down to where ever Heath was leading them, Alyss remained alert as she made a mental note of everything she could draw energy from that was around.
 
In all honesty, Desiree was a mess going crazy about the events that had just happened. On one hand, it was clear that the Witch, apparently the Nature Witch, was trying to warn the other Witches. She definitely did a great job at capturing attention, more so with the media’s field day on the scene. Then, there’s the freak fire – which Desiree assumed to have been a work of some Witch. Linking these two facts together, she had a recipe for disaster; A Witch with two elements would mean a world of trouble for her to deal with by herself.

Of course, all these were theory, and while Desiree knew that. She could not help wanting to go down on the scene to see for herself. Still, that notion would only be entertained if she were more impulsive. Being her cautious self, she would only sit back and try to divert her thoughts.

… Of course, this had severely limited effect.

Switching back to the news channel, she listened carefully as the reporters started consulting several experts in various fields about this incident. There were much talk about how ‘impossible’ it was, and many theories – most of them too good to be true. In a nutshell, no one expert came up with a perfectly logical explanation for the incident. Granted, it was all without investigation at this point, but still, Desiree knew, or rather, decided, that she was right.

As the discussion about the incident went on, the image of the ‘private detective’ that was on the scene appeared. Staring at the face of the so-called detective, Desiree quickly memorized his face and was about to attempt at finding out more about him when she realized yet another fact.

A knight; that ‘private detective’ was a knight.

There goes the idea of seeking him out. Desiree sighed in exasperation, swooning over dramatically onto her bed.

“Like… What. The. Hell?!”

To her, hell was already on Earth.
 
"Well, let us just say that, just as all Witches are not the same, all Knights are not the same, either." Heath replied, shrugging. "I have several motives for my actions. Gathering allies against a common enemy is one such motive, yes," he nodded in Alyss' direction, "but I also have other motives: for one, believe it or not, I'd very much like to be friends with you. As a Spirit Knight, I have found I can get a sense of people without even touching them sometimes, and I can tell, from your actions, that neither of you is particularly violent. Not like our dear Nature Witch, anyway. Thus, I'd also like to be able to keep you out of the way of those more fanatical Knights who like to stab first and ask questions later. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had told Garth your identities back there? You would have both been annihilated, but not before levelling half the area and taking as many Knight as you could with you. Tell me, what would that have accomplished?"

He shrugged, turning away and leading them onwards, to a nearby cafe, "I'll admit that I haven't told you everything." For example, how I inadvertantly fell in love with one of your kind, and how we had a son, probably breaking just about every rule our two respective deities set down for us. "But then, if I ask you why the two of you came forward to offer your help - not knowing whether I might turn on you and stab you at any moment, or whether or not the Nature Witch would appear and kill you, would you be entirely honest with me? One step at a time, ladies. Beginning with ice-cream, although I'm beginning to think I could do with something stronger..."

--

Lily jumped as four people approached the cafe, instinctively flinching as they moved past her, their shadows reaching out hungrily for her. The lead man - a towering, terrifying figure in a long, brown overcoat - was covered in blood! He also had a sword strapped to his side, occasionally visible with the movement of his cloak, and she knew of only one type of person who carried a weapon like that in public: a Knight. There were two women behind him, an indifferent-looking one with an eye-patch, and a fierce-looking redhead, as well as another man, also in a long coat. Was he a Knight too?

Lily stared, unable to help herself. Until now, she had never seen another Witch - for those two MUST be Witches, in the company of two Knights - before in her life (although she, like most people, had read about the gruesome plant-related killings recently, and she had her suspicions), let alone a Knight. Knights, the sworn enemies of Witches. What were two Witches doing with their mortal enemies? Having lunch together? Or perhaps they had banded together, to eliminate the remaining Witches? Perhaps the Knights had decided that, in order to put a stop to the Witches once and for all, one of them needed to win, and they were testing these two? Or perhaps only one of them was a Witch? If that were the case, Lily would put her money on the redhead. Whatever her power, she looked extremely confident. One of them HAD to be a Witch - Knights just didn't pick random women up off the street and decide to visit a cafe with them, did they?

The entire cafe darkened as they entered it, shadows flickering ominously along the walls. Lily fought to keep herself under control. They were doing it again. She had absolutely no control over them, and this time, it was going to cost her more than just a night's sleep. She didn't WANT to kill anyone anyway.

STOP! For crying out loud! Are you trying to get me into trouble?! They'll KILL me!

The flickering intensified, as though the shadows were protesting, but then subsided. Lily breathed a sigh of relief, picking up her coffee cup in trembling hands and draining it, praying they hadn't noticed anything untoward. But how could they not have? Perhaps she'd get lucky and they'd just assume a plane flew over or something. Or perhaps that dreadful man covered in blood would just walk out here in a moment, cutting her to pieces with that sword he had under his cloak...

Lily returned to her paper, resting her elbows on the table to stop herself from shaking. She'd read a couple of articles, and then she would leave. She prayed that the little group would sit inside and leave her be. Or just enter, pay, and then leave, never to be seen again.

Whatever happens, just don't make them come back outside, please...
 
“Well, let us just say that, just as all Witches are not the same, all Knights are not the same, either.” Heath replied, his shoulders going up in a shrug. Alyss noted that he did have a point. After all, in his mind she should be the one assaulting him. It was wrong of her to assume the stereotype of him when in all reality he could easily assume it of her as well. “I have several motives for my actions. Gathering allies against a command enemy is one such motive, yes.”

This made Alyss somewhat happy. The mutual hatred of one thing can bring two opposing sides together, Alyss thought. It was one of the only good lessons she had learned from her Mother. “But I also have other motives: for one, believe it or not, I’d very much like to be friends with you.” Alyss didn’t know what to make of that. She never really bothered with friends… they often became bigger liabilities than assets. Not to mention that she really didn’t trust many people anyway…

“As a Spirit Knight, I have found that I can get a sense of people without even touching them sometimes, and I can tell, from you actions, that neither of you is particularly violent.” He would be correct on that. Alyss didn’t enjoy fighting much at all. The only reasons she would ever fight were to help someone else, or protect herself… and in all reality, she was doing both back there. “Not like our dear Nature Witch, anyway. Thus, I’d like to be able to keep you out of the way of those more fanatical knights who like to stab first and ask questions later. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had told Garth your identities back there? You would have been annihilated, but not before leveling half the area and taking as many Knights as you could with you. Tell me, what would that have accomplished?”

She said nothing, and merely looked at the ground for a bit. She was confident in her abilities, but she knew she wouldn’t have been able to do much against those Knights. Sure, she would have taken a couple out, but it would have proved nothing if she were dead.

They moved onward to what looked like a nearby café. “I’ll admit that I haven’t told you everything. But then, if I ask you why the two of you came forward to offer your help – not knowing whether I might turn on you and stab you at any moment, or whether or not the Nature Witch would appear and kill you, would you be entirely honest with me? One step at a time, ladies. Beginning with ice-cream, although I’m beginning to think I could do with something stronger…”

As he finished, they walked into the small café. Alyss wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or of the lighting was bad, or if her lack of depth perception was finally starting to take effect… but she could have sworn something happened with the lights. She sensed no electrical disturbances in the area. There was nothing wrong from what she could sense, but she was sure something had just happened with the lights in the area. Dismissing the thoughts, she took a seat at the nearest table… right next to the door.

She still didn’t trust him, or the other Witch… but if she had to make a mad dash, sitting next to the door was key. “I only helped because you were doing the right thing. I have no interest in the ‘game’ that I have been thrust in.” Alyss said, taking her seat. “You see, I have enough… I do not want, nor do I need more power.” She paused for a brief second. “Therefore, when it comes to my ‘sisters’, I want to have as little to do with them as possible… no offence.” She had turned to the other Witch as she said that. “However, seeing as we are all part of the ‘game’, I cannot trust you.”

What she wasn’t telling them was how the concept of more power actually frightened her… “I do not care what side anyone is on… as long as they are doing what I believe is the right thing, I will try and help. However, what really interests me is the way you speak of the Nature Witch, Sir Heath… you speak as if you know her. I do not mean to intrude or be rude… but do you know her?”

Hoping that she wasn’t intruding, Alyss waited for a reply.
 
Crimson
Fire Witch
​

Crimson remained quiet for most of the walk, listening to the knights answer to her questions. He seemed like a good enough guy, but Crimson knew better than to trust him. After all people aren't always what they seem, especially when they are meant to be working against one another.

They made it to a quiet little cafe, upon entering Crimson scanned the area with her eyes. There wasn't much to see, just seemingly ordinary people, some reading books, others reading the news paper. What was strange however was the lighting... for a split second or two it seemed that the lights had turned on and off on their own... there was a strange feeling... Crimson didn't know what to make of it. It almost seemed like an electrical fault, she didn't think the Witch Alyss would randomly do something like that though but there was definitely a strange aura in the air.

The girl sat herself at the table, opposite the other girl and watched her carefully.

“I only helped because you were doing the right thing. I have no interest in the ‘game’ that I have been thrust in. You see, I have enough… I do not want, nor do I need more power. Therefore, when it comes to my ‘sisters’, I want to have as little to do with them as possible… no offence." Alyss looked at Crimson.

"None taken." She replied calmly

“However, seeing as we are all part of the ‘game’, I cannot trust you.”

Crimson agreed with most of what the woman was saying... but she would much rather have power than be easy prey for the other witches. If push came to shove the red head would fight for power but for now she was content... or as content as someone who'd just had a human body part fly into their face could be.

“I do not care what side anyone is on… as long as they are doing what I believe is the right thing, I will try and help. However, what really interests me is the way you speak of the Nature Witch, Sir Heath… you speak as if you know her. I do not mean to intrude or be rude… but do you know her?”

Once again Crimson was eager to hear the mans answer to this but not before ordering her ice-cream promised to her by the older man from the waitress who had walked over with a pen and jotting pad.

"I'll have a single scoup of Chilli choclate ice-cream in a waffle cone." She said sweetly as she looked at the menu. "Oh... and a hot chocolate." Why not, the man was paying, she'd take advantage of this offer. Plus, she had a sweet tooth.
 
Heath thought for a few moments before replying to Alyss. There was more to her impromptu appearance than that, he knew. But then, she seemed to be the reserved type, one who trusted few people, and he couldn't blame her for that. He was, in some ways, much the same: since his disgrace, he had become very much an outcast from the Order. He wondered if she missed true companionship as much as he did sometimes. How could she not? Witches, like Knights, were still human underneath the powers, after all.

"I see. Well, if that is what you believe, it would appear that we have some very firm common ground to build upon."

A little faith. Perhaps that was all that was needed. A ruthless interrogation of these Witches in the guise of friendly conversation would get Heath absolutely nowhere. Whilst he doubted he would even gain their trust entirely - alas, some things were too deeply ingrained to be uprooted, and the centuries-long emnity between Witches and Knights was likely one such thing - he would at least gain an amicable friendship. He would take what they were willing to give him, and they were off to a good start. At least, he wasn't being electrocuted or incinerated yet.

He sat down last, allowing the Witches to choose their own seats. Unsurprisingly, Alyss took the seat closest to the door. Heath sat with a chair between himself and Crimson, furthest from the door. It would be a little difficult to make eye contact, but these girls were no doubt feeling a lot more apprehensive about this than he was. Ironic, considering they could easily kill him and everyone else here. Still, he had no desire to unsettle either of them. Heath glanced up at the lights as the cafe flickered, only to find they were functioning perfectly. Strange. Perhaps it was simply the area in which the cafe was placed.

"Please, just Heath. I lost the title of "Sir" many, many years ago, and have no desire to earn it back." he sighed, drumming his fingers restlessly on the table. It had been a very long time since anyone had addressed him that way, and the memories of that time were not pleasant ones.

Her following question did not startle him, but it did give him pause. How much could he safely reveal? Heath was not the cautious type, but this was one thing he had never shared with anyone. The reasons were many, and they were sufficient to stop him from revealing everything now.

"Yes, I know the Nature Witch. As well as anyone still living can know her, anyway. I have been on her trail for several years, and-"

He paused, looking around the cafe, frowning. Was it just him, or was the room getting darker? The shadows were flickering as though the room was lit by candles, and yet there was not a disturbance outside, or inside, to explain it. What on earth was going on? He shook his head. It was probably nothing. Either that, or he was in need of some alcohol, never mind strong coffee...he sat patiently, waiting for everyone else to order. He'd go last...he didn't have an infinite amount of money in his wallet, and paying for his guests would take priority. He'd probably have to wait for that drink until he got home...

--

Lily could scarcely breathe. The strange group had passed her a few minutes ago, and they had not . She focused on her paper, reading the words, but not really comprehending them. She couldn't think about anything other than that group that had just entered. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest, and her eyes watered. Not even the Darkness brought out this kind of fear in her.

She risked a glance over the top of her paper. They were sitting at a table, waiting to be served. The tall, bloodstained Knight was talking, although she could not hear what he was saying. Were they discussing how to take care of her? They couldn't have failed to notice the way the light was flickering, with no apparent cause.

What was she going to do? If she stayed, it would look as though she was eavesdropping and they would eventually confront her, and if she left, she would look guilty, and they would chase her. What was she going to do now? She was trapped. She cursed herself for coming out this afternoon. She should have stayed at home and tried to get back to sleep. What am I going to do?

She could see them clearly, now. Shadows, racing across the ceiling, shifting across the floor, dancing along the walls. How could they not see them? Or perhaps they could, and were not concerned by it. Perhaps they were too preoccupied by their conversation, and she could quietly get up and leave before anything happened...

Rising up from the floor, crawling along the large Knight's chair. In another few seconds they would reach his back, and then the base of his neck, cutting into him, his own blood adding to that already on his coat as his lifeless corpse sagged, falling to the floor as the chair shifted with his weight, clattering...no. Stop. Stop it.

"STOP!"

Lily stood up, screaming. The shadows immediately stopped moving, sinking away, back to where they had been before, confined and immobile. She turned on her heels and fled down the street, not even daring to glance back to see if they pursued her. She needed to get away. She needed to get home. She didn't want any of this.
 
Ardis sat down closer to Crimson when they entered the cafe and tossed her a small smile, though he would never admit to her well anytime soon lately or anyone as a matter of fact. He had a thing for redheads that's why he sat closer to her. Taking Heaths offer up on a drink he just ordered himself a coffee. He looked over to the other man not just to far away and asked him a question "What say you sometime later we hit up a bar for something to drink? Since your treating here the first few rounds will be on me."

Without really noticing Ardis found himself near an outlet on his right hand side. Taking his right hand he gently unclasped his katana and let the point of his blade rest near it while also willing it to draw on the current. He didn't want to be useless if these Witches would decide to fight them all of a sudden. He then noticed the light's flicker on and off and for a brief moment he thought it was his own causing but then shock it off as it seemed a bit to strange that it happened that way. Looking over to the lady sitting across from him he smiled once more and spoke.

"The name is Ardis, sorry I didn't happen to catch your name the first time you mentioned it. Also if you don't mind my asking what made you come up to us in the first place considering the bad blood between our two people? If you would ask me of my motives they are quite simple, I'm looking for revenge. Eight years ago my grandparents were brutally murdered and I ran from the site. All signs lead to them being slayed by a witch though didn't know at the time, and well certain events led me to join the knights and here I am. If the witch is dead that killed them I suppose I want the witch's power who killed them dead, to give their spirits rest."
 
She sighed, raising her hand above her head from where she lay as her head pounded in pain, looking at the nails she'd so painstakingly altered to perfection. The red polish now ran down her fingers and into her palms, a thick mess of scarlet.

She sat up, spinning her fingers absentmindedly in an attempt to block out the pain that so insisted on pounding at her head. She pushed her hands down on the bed, using it as support to get to her feet. God, this migraine just didn't want to quit.

Oh wait. It was a hangover.

She'd gone out to the club near the hotel after being paid for her dog sitting. She'd become absolutely demolished in the space of a few hours, ordering the most bizarre and unconventional cocktails from the hapless young bartender. He'd gotten paid well enough, but she'd still made the poor boy feel awkward when she responded to his social friendliness with a frosty glare and a call for another drink.

Eventually, she had staggered back to her hotel and fallen asleep after drinking several bottles of wine and champagne ordered via room service. One of the night shift bellboys, obviously wanting a quick nightcap, had subtly made hints that he would happily join her in her alcoholic pleasures, but another wordless denial had him scurrying back to the lobby with his tail satisfactorily beneath his legs.

And now here she was, surrounded by bottles, and a knock on the door and a cheery call of "Room service!" had her walking to the door and pulling it open forcefully.

A cheery little woman holding a mop like some kind of sacred artifact waited outside, a smile on her pale face. She was about as high as Tristana's waist, and it was obvious that the lady had helped herself to more than one or two of the hotel's delicacies. She was so wide it would surprise Tristana if she could get through the door, and her first instinct was to call an exorcist on this hapless little fatty and hope that she wouldn't have to lay eyes upon it again.

But alas, she had to be polite, much to her chagrin.

"Oh. Go ahead. I'm about to leave anyway." She stepped aside, allowing the woman to see into the room, strewn with bottles, the lush carpet stained with various kinds of alcohol, and probably a little urine too. The plump little creature's practiced smile ebbed for a moment, but was then firmly back in place. "I'll get to work right away, miss! Just pay your bill at check in and check out! We hope you enjoyed your stay at the Riverside Hote-"

"What was that?" Tristana's tone was half cold, half irritated.

"What was...what, miss?" The woman's smile had faded entirely now.

"That look on your face. That little expression full of judgment. Don't think I didn't see it." She glared down at the woman, her anger becoming more and more obvious now.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, miss." The woman was sweating quite profusely now, mouth opening and closing in a continued failure of an attempt to form more words.

"Oh sure you don't. Well listen here, you little bitch. You have no right to judge me. You got it? I'm a paying CUSTOMER. Ya got it? Am I clear enough? Can your stupid little brain comprehend my words beneath the mounds and mounds of fat on your smug little face?" She staggered as she took a step forward, feeling bile come up, but resisting the impulse. "Now here." She took out a wad of cash. "There's what I owe for the two nights."

"M-miss, payment is to be delivered a-at the l-l-lob-lob-"

"I don't give a flying crap." Tristana's voice had given way from anger to pure frost now. "Stash it, hand it over, donate it to charity. I don't give a damn. Just take it."

With a quivering mound of fat that to her was probably a hand, the maid took the money and placed it in her shirt pocket, and Tristana made her way out of the hotel, which would yet stink of alcohol for several hours to come.
 
Crimson
Fire Witch

Crimson shifted a little as the second knight came and sat next to her... he sat rather close and it made her feel a little uncomfortable, almost trapped. She noticed he had his sword near the power outlet...Crimson was known for her paranoia and this situation was not helping, she could feel her heart beating quite fast and she brought her slender hand down to her pocket, feeling the outline of her lighter... with this she should be safe enough if anything stupid were to happen.

The man next to her, who's name was Ardis as she had just learned, began to tell them his motives. She wasn't quite sure if she believed him or not, she wasn't quite sure if she believed anyone in their littler part but it didnt' matter as she wasn't really given much time to think about it before noticing the shadows around the room.

"What is going on...there is something strange happening in here! Can you feel it??" She butted in, not letting Alyss answer the Knights questions. She hoped this wasn't just the paranoia in her talking, and was proven right when all of a sudden a small blond girl jumped out of her seat.

"STOP!" The girl cried, screaming her way out of the cafe.

Her shrieks made Crimson jump out of her skin. "W-what was that about??" She said, wide eyed looking at her small group. "A witch??"
​
 
(OOC: Kind of a shit poast. Not really into it at all today, ladies and gents. I just didn’t want to hold you guys back.)

“I see. If that is what you believe, it would appear that we have some very firm common ground to build upon.” Heath said, taking his seat on the opposite side, furthest from the door. Perhaps he was trying to make a point with his sitting there. So far, Alyss’ opinion of the man was changing… slowly, but surely. Perhaps in due time she could learn to trust him… “Please, just Heath. I lost the title of ‘Sir’ many, many years ago, and have no desire to earn it back.”

As he sat, he drummed his fingers on the table. Something was clearly on his mind, but she wasn’t going to pry on that. She already felt that she had gone far enough by asking about the Nature Witch. Taking note not to call him “sir” again, she continued listening to him. The other Knight then spoke up, introducing himself and questioning their motives while explaining his motives for wanting Witches gone. “My name is Alyss, and my reasons for helping you were simply because it was the right thing to do. Nothing more; nothing less, consider it an act of good faith, an illogicality if you will…”

The other Knight then spoke again. “Yes, I know the Nature Witch. As well as anyone still living can know her, anyway. I have been on her trail for several years, and-“ Alyss had noticed the same exact thing that he had. The room was getting darker… too dark. And once again, Alyss wasn’t the one playing around with the lights. It was then that she heard a woman from outside yell out “STOP!”

“Another Witch? Today is not a good day,” Alyss said with a sharp tone of annoyance. “What do we do now? Should we go after it?”
 
"Might be an idea," Heath said in response to Ardis' query, "I think we're all going to need a drink before the day is through..." or, at least, I will. I think after all this is over I'm going to drink myself to death...

As the darkness returned, far more intense this time, followed by a scream from outside, Heath groaned, banging his head softly on the table as the two witches confirmed the one thing he really did NOT want to hear again today. Outside, a tiny blond girl leapt out of her seat, shrieking as though she were in Hell itself, before tearing off down the street. The lighting in the room returned to normal almost immediately, the shadows - which, Heath noticed, had been slowly edging to engulf them - returned to their normal positions. A Witch of Shadow? Or perhaps Darkness?

Either way, she'd been trying to kill them...or had she? She had seemed pretty upset about the whole affair. But they hadn't even done anything, had they? Women. Heath would never understand them, no matter how hard he tried. But, the more he thought about it, the more curious he was.

"I suppose I'd better try and catch her, at least. I was hoping for a nice, quiet afternoon. But then, I was also hoping to be married and retired by this point. Nothing ever works out the way you plan it, does it?" he shrugged, wincing as he pulled himself to his feet. He was getting far too old for this. "You ladies can do what you want, of course; our conversation will have to wait for another time. But now I'd better try and catch up to her, before I lose track of her completely. Sorry about this."

Hand on sword, Heath moved out of the cafe, heading off at a steady pace down the road. He would be able to track the girl's movements to some degree thanks to his Spirit powers - although this was something that should only work for normal humans, the fact that this new witch wasn't subconsciously concealing her trail surprised him - although its effects would not last very long, because of the sheer number of people who walked here. He would need to locate her quickly if he wanted to catch her.

--

Lily stopped running three streets away from where she had started, wiping her sweat-slick hands on her skirt as she fought to catch her breath. Risking a glance back over her shoulder, she could see none had followed her. Or perhaps she'd lost them? She'd need to keep moving, just to be sure. Perhaps she could take shelter in a building? Clothes shopping might be an idea now, given that they would recognise her if they saw her in these clothes again. Hair-dye or a wig would be needed, as well. She was going to have to change her identity completely if she wanted to stay alive. Knights were ruthless, and witches even more so. If they caught her, she was as good as dead...

"Excuse me, miss. Are you alright? You look a bit out of breath."

A girl, maybe only slightly older than Lily herself, stood in front of her, peering into her face. She was wearing a thin, light-pink flower-patterned dress, a simple straw hat, and a pair of sunglasses, which she took off now, revealing a pair of beautiful, compassionate green eyes. Lily's breath caught in her throat. How had she managed to sneak up on her like that?

"Oh, yes, I'm fine." Lily replied, the words coming out in a rush as she sought to conceal her embarrassment, looking everywhere but at the stranger. There was a calming, almost holy aura about her that made Lily feel secure in spite of herself. The alarm bells ringing in her head telling her that this woman could be a witch were silenced immediately - how could such a woman ever wish anyone harm?

"You don't look fine to me, sweetheart. You look like you could use a drink. How about it? I'm finished with work, and its such a nice day out. A little company wouldn't go amiss."

She was being unusually nice...but, weren't some people just like that? Nice? Lily had always wanted to believe so. She didn't even know this girl, though. What kind of person approached someone on the street like this? The entire thing was suspicious...but the girl was being so nice, and Lily didn't want to think ill of her. She'd never make any friends that way...

Lily smiled nervously. "Alright then. I don't really have anything to do today either. It might even be fun! My name's Lily, it's nice to meet you!"

"That's the spirit. You can call me Daisy. It's nice to meet you, too." the girl smiled again, taking her hand within her own. Her hand was comfortingly warm and reassuring, and Lily relaxed a little as the two set off together down the street. Perhaps, if they were looking for her, they wouldn't find her if she was with someone else. They wouldn't be able to take her anywhere, either. Not in broad daylight, in public, when she was with someone else. Lily felt bad about using this girl as cover, but perhaps she could explain things to her later...this girl invited confidence.

--

Poppy smiled as she took the girl's hand. Of all the things she had expected today, it was not to find another witch here, like this. Vulnerable, trusting, and easy prey. Her pets had informed her literally seconds after the girl's outburst - smart things sometimes, pigeons - and she had moved herself into place, drawing upon Light to fashion for herself an illusion, altering her clothing until she had time to change clothes and so throw that idiotic knight off her trail. She had purchased the sunglasses and hat earlier; she was already quite fond of the latter, it complemented her regular attire, and perhaps she could decorate it later if she found the time. The sunglasses simply help disguise her facial features...not to mention it was quite bright out today and, whilst she was immune to the effects of the Sun, it didn't hurt to pretend she wasn't.

It looked as though Poppy had found her new toy after all. She just needed to keep her out of the way of Heath and his little group. She was a complete wreck - so adorable! - so she probably hadn't disguised her trail, but Poppy was powerful enough for the both of them. He shouldn't be able to track her beyond this point. Even if he did, he wouldn't recognise Poppy; she'd simply be another good samaritan, comforting a girl he'd scared half to death.

However, perhaps he needed a distraction. There was a flower shop just around the corner...
 
(OOC: Lead the way, Martel. :ryan:)

Alyss had never drank an alcoholic drink in her life, but after today, and the Knight’s offer… today may be a good day to start. Heath declared that he would be going after her. Thinking it could be a trap, she made up her mind to go after her with him. After all, there was a safety in numbers, and after today, no one could be too careful. “If you do not mind, I will be coming with you.” Alyss said. Her arms folded in a defensive pose.

Standing up out of her seat, she walked out of the café and followed Heath. He looked to be doing something as he walked along the road at a steady pace. Alyss said nothing as she followed him down the street. Instead, she took this time to slowly start absorbing more energy from every electrical thing around her. A man that walked past them looked at his phone as it suddenly ran out of charge. “I swear, I charged this thing last night,” he said.

Would she be done in time to get her at full power? Would that even be enough? Alyss didn’t know. However, she was still going to try.
 
[OOC: Yes'm. :lew:]

For perhaps the first time in her life, Poppy found herself sorely taxed to control someone. What was WITH this girl? She practically bled paranoia. It was...stifling. This wouldn't do at all. Maybe she was broken? But how could she be broken? She couldn't even be eighteen yet, she was so...puny. Maybe she was just defective. Perhaps it would be better just to throw her away and then move on to those others. With three elements to two, they'd be annihilated, and Poppy would then have the power of five elements. She'd be unbeatable. If it weren't for the fact that she was a witch, Poppy wouldn't even be bothering with her: she didn't like toys that were already broken, and she wasn't in the mood for a helpless little girl. No, she wanted someone strong, that she could break herself. It was no fun if her toy didn't play back...

...although, that said, Poppy had a few fun ideas for fixing this Lily (wasn't that a pretty fake name?) that she wanted to try first, once she got her away and to a safer place. Where she could drug the silly girl and give herself some peace, and time to think about how she'd go about it. It was taking constant physical contact to keep her calm...a couple of people who had wandered too close had stared at her as they had moved past, feeling the effects themselves. That needed to change: she couldn't babysit the girl ALL the time. She needed to be tamed, brought under control...

But first, she needed to get that pest of a Knight off her trail. No doubt he had his little groupies in tow, as well. Perhaps another little scene. One they wouldn't be able to cover up or worm their way out of so easily. She paused by the flower shop, contemplating poisoning the entire area, and then decided against it. She might need to visit the place later: seed packets were very convenient, after all. No, she had a better idea for causing a scene. Something much...bigger.

Reaching into her pockets, Poppy withdrew an acorn - one of the four she had left. She would need to acquire more soon. Casually, she dropped it down the drain as they passed, waiting for a few seconds before forcing it to grow, nearly screaming as she felt a sharp, stabbing pain to her chest, and a sudden, significant draining of her energy. Poppy hated drawing on her own life force to fuel her plants, but this was one time where it was necessary: oak trees took years to grow, and even if the water source had been above ground, she would have still needed to provide it with that extra encouragement. Perhaps once she acquired the power of the Water Witch, such a trade wouldn't be necessary...

The end result, however, was more than worth it. A cracking sound, followed by terrified screams as cars were lifted into the air like pebbles, followed moments later, as the pavement split apart, by the oak tree that had she had just forced to grow, which launched itself skyward towards the sunlight with alarming speed, branches crashing through the buildings to either side, beautiful green leaves following seconds later. With more time, she could make it grow even bigger, and even shape it how she wanted, but this was time she didn't have...perhaps next time.

Poppy had only made trees twice before: each one taking her almost half an hour to bring into full maturity, but she had never tried to make one with both the powers of Nature and Light. She should have tried it sooner: that had been more impressive and far easier than she had expected. Still, that had hurt. It hurt still, a dull ache that wouldn't go away. They were going to pay for making her hurt. Every single one of them.

"What was that?"

Lily had stopped, clinging to Poppy's arm with her other hand, tugging urgently. Car alarms blared, people were still screaming and shouting in horror and, if the creaking were any indication, several buildings and the rest of the street was about to collapse under the pressure. She was tempted to go back and witness her handiwork. Although being seen now would not be particularly fun: she had used up a significant amount of energy on that little stunt and, whilst she had plenty of seeds left and the power of light to call upon, she wasn't really in the mood for a battle at the moment. Better to leave whilst they were distracted.

This is my game, and this is MY new toy. Heed the warning and back off, before I decide to punish you for breaking the rules. We can play later.

"Don't worry, Lily. I'm sure it's nothing." she replied, unable to keep her voice steady. That had been more demanding than she realised. She would need to be more careful in the future. "Now, how about we get that drink, and then perhaps visit Camden Market and do a little shopping? My apartment isn't far from here, and I have this delightful blend of herbal tea that does wonders for your nerves, and all those horrible aches and pains..."

Trying her best to ignore the stabbing pains in her side, Poppy led Lily by the hand down the street at a slightly increased pace. They weren't getting by that little roadblock anytime soon, but she wasn't taking any chances...if worse came to worst, she would have to call upon the power of Light to hide them both, although that was one power she would prefer not to reveal she had...

--

Heath stopped abruptly three streets away, cursing as the trail, blindingly clear in his mind, suddenly stopped, as though the girl had vanished into mid-air...or been killed. However, he was fairly certain that she hadn't been - after all, where was the body? Poppy didn't like killing her victims immediately, that wasn't her style. No, whether she had been found or not, she was still alive. So, where the hell had she disappeared to?

"I've lost her trail. Either she's learned how to conceal herself, or she's run across someone who knows how to hide themselves. I'm hoping it was the former, and not the latter..."

The ground shook, as though a miniature earthquake were taking place. Crashes, car alarms and screams, as something enormous surged up from underground, knocking into buildings and sending cars, chunks of road and unfortunate bodies sailing through the air on the opposite street.

Heath squinted, one hand coming to shield his eyes from the Sun's glare, his neck craning to see around the building in front of him. Was that a...tree?

"Oh. Oh, no. Please tell me she didn't..."
 
Crimson
Fire Witch

Crimson followed Heath and Alyss outside, they ran ahead but she only walked. Crimson did not sign up for this... she shouldn't have protected these people... she should have ran and kept her identity a secret... now she was out in the open, pretty much asking to be slaughtered by another witch or group of knights... She needed more power but she didn't trust in her abilities enough to fight another witch...

As she walked she felt the earth rumble beneath her feet. She frowned, she could almost guess who was behind the tremors....suddenly her surroundings became rather loud, cars honking their horns, alarms going off, people shouting. What had that witch done this time??

Finally she caught up to them. Heath was standing there looking to the sky.

"Oh. Oh, no. Please tell me she didn't..."

"Didn't what....?" Crimson asked as she too looked at the sky... "Is... is that a giant... tree???" Her eyes widened in shock. That was it, she couldn't do this...she couldn't fight this witch and she didn't want to be caught and killed. "I...I can't do this you guys...." she said, stepping away from the group. "I have to go... this is not how i planned my day! She's crazy she's going to kill us, I can feel that she is stronger than us!!" Crimson had a look of panic covering her pretty face.

"Thank you for your offer of ice-cream and your kindness but I have to go..." and with that she turned around and began to walk away.
​
 
A-a tree… are you kidding me? Alyss thought. Apparently, Heath was thinking something along the same lines. It was the oddest thing she had ever seen… There was now a huge oak tree right in the middle of a few buildings. It was no doubt the work of the Nature Witch. “Oh. Oh, no. Please tell me she didn’t…” Heath said, the tone in his voice grim.

“It would appear she has… This is clearly an obvious attempt to throw us off, we must continue,” demanded Alyss. There wasn’t time to waste. In fact, now was the best time to pursue. That must have taken a lot out of her and she would be slowed. However, it appeared that the younger Witch didn’t come to the same conclusion that she did.

“I… I can’t do this you guys…” Crimson said, backing up slowly. “I have to go… this is not how I planned my day! She’s crazy she’s going to kill us, I can feel that she is stronger than us!” She was panicking more and more with every word. “Thank you for your offer of ice-cream and your kindness but I have to go…” She turned on her heel and started to walk down the street. Alyss wasn’t going to let her get far.

“Quit being stupid, think about it for a few seconds if your miniscule thought process will allow you to do so.” Alyss shouted, making sure Crimson could hear her. “The tree is a ruse, designed to intimidate and bring fear upon us. In your case, it worked… and for that you are a coward!” The last bit of that sentence dripped with venom as she shouted it. “With what the Nature Witch did earlier and now that tree, she is weakened. That must have taken a large amount of energy… If you stay, and we are able to track her down… we can end this.”

Turning around away from Crimson, she continued. “You are also her elemental weakness. Meaning that at this moment, we hold most of the cards in our hand. However, if you plan on running, I will not stop you.” Turning over towards Heath, “quickly, we must continue. Ignore the tree and we can catch up.” Starting to run forward, she didn’t bother to wait for Crimson to reply. “I do not have time for cowards!”
 
Crimson
Fire Witch

“Quit being stupid, think about it for a few seconds if your miniscule thought process will allow you to do so.”

This made Crimson turn around, here eyes now full of rage when only seconds ago they were full of fear. The look on her face pretty much said 'you did not just say that to me'

“The tree is a ruse, designed to intimidate and bring fear upon us. In your case, it worked… and for that you are a coward! With what the Nature Witch did earlier and now that tree, she is weakened. That must have taken a large amount of energy… If you stay, and we are able to track her down… we can end this.”

Although what Alyss was saying made sense, Crimson was now in no mood to help her. How dare she talk to her like she was a piece of filth, Crimson felt she had every right to be afraid.

“You are also her elemental weakness. Meaning that at this moment, we hold most of the cards in our hand. However, if you plan on running, I will not stop you. quickly, we must continue. Ignore the tree and we can catch up.” Alyss then ran off, muttering one last smart ass comment

“I do not have time for cowards!”

Crimson's blood was boiling red hot like there was fire was running through her veins, she did not enjoy being spoken to like a child. She did not enjoy being belittled by a pathetic one eyed witch and she did not enjoy following the orders of her or that knight. They were meant to be enemies.

Crimson took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. If she went along with them, perhaps there was a way for her to gain another power... perhaps the nature witches power... or... that little girls.. then she could murder that electricity witch or keep her as a puppet. She smirked, feeling calmer now and she began to run, catching up to the group.

"You should learn to be kinder to your team mates, Alyss" She smiled sweetly. "Specially when you need their power to help your cause. You should not put so much trust into your knight over there either..."
​
 
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