Lyle "That would be like sticking one's hand into a food processor. Why do guys never bother to assess the situation? Always ready to forge in blindly..." "I didn't think we had known each other long enough to make generalizations..." he said. "I think that's what Miri was saying, Lyle, just in a few more words." Then Jubilee ruffled his hair. He looked at her aghast for a moment. Had she really just touched him? How dare she! Then, he calmed down, remembered that he had decided that she was alright, and that he could let it go, this time... "You're a Light Affinity, right? Would it be possible to blind them with light refraction, giving us time to spring an attack?" Miri asked. "Well, that's an idea..." he said, thinking for a moment. "I could bend the light from a couple people away from them. They wouldn't be able to see you. It wouldn't exactly be blinding them, more like making you invisible. Would that work?" he asked.
"I could bend the light from a couple people away from them. They wouldn't be able to see you. It wouldn't exactly be blinding them, more like making you invisible. Would that work?" he asked. Jubilee blinked with surprise. "You...can do that? That's pretty cool, dude. Yeah, I think that would work perfectly." Tootey snorted and sat on the ground, looking sour. "Don't under...under esto...estomicallit..." "Under estimate?" Jubilee suggested. "Yeah, tha word. Don't under estimicate them Scissor Knights. I seen them rip apart loads of my people without hesitation. They're cold-blooded killers, I tells youz." Jubilee nodded to let her know that she had taken heed of her warning, and then turned to the others to see what they would do next.
Miri: Plotting "Well, that's an idea..." he said, thinking for a moment. "I could bend the light from a couple people away from them. They wouldn't be able to see you. It wouldn't exactly be blinding them, more like making you invisible. Would that work?" he asked. Miri, impressed, grinned. "Perfect. Ambush...Works for me." "Yeah, tha word. Don't under estimicate them Scissor Knights. I seen them rip apart loads of my people without hesitation. They're cold-blooded killers, I tells youz." "The old adage running with scissors, goes without saying..." She quipped as she settled on a target. Miri knew she would need a running start if this was going to work. She had never inflicted harm on another living creature. Scarecrows and stones were a very different medium to strike at. They couldn't counter an attack. These Scissor Knights could. With a final deep breath, she glanced at the others. "I'm ready when you are."
Tori Tori smiled at all the suggestions flying about. "Or...I could just rip them apart with my metal affinity. " She flexed her fist. "Easy peezy. We wouldn't even have to get near them."
Jubilee 60 points, 100% health Jubilee was about to tell Tori to go ahead and do her plan, when Tootey interrupted. "They were created by the Ragwitch's magic, only she can un-make them," Tootey said matter-of-factly. "I know buh-cuss the Seamstress tried and failed. She's the Patchwork King's daughter, the princess of Quilt World. But youz might be able to tear them apart little by little..." She shrugged. Jubilee stood and flexed her fingers. "Lets see how they fare against my attacks..." There was a dark green glow about her and she ran down the hill toward the bridge. Halfway there, she thrust out her hands and a huge boulder composed of green light appeared and bounced toward the Scissor Knights. The Knights saw it coming and two of them got bowled over. The first one was squashed into a crater in the ground, but the other one got right back up with only a dent in it's breastplate to show for it. Rolling Boulder, 15pts
Lyle -60 100% "So, I guess we're going old school on they butts!" Then he turned to Miri, "Ready!" he shouted, then used Bend on her, rendering her invisible. "I can't hold this for too long, you're gonna have to hurry up and do your thing!" Then he jumped up himself, and closed his eyes for a second. The air around him seemed to darken momentarily. But then, out of thin air, a rocket launcher appeared, made of hardened light particles. He jumped up, aimed, then fired, launching a RPG, also made of light, spiraling down at the still standing knight. Bend- 15 points Harden- 15 points
Lyle's attack hit the Knight dead on. He exploded into scraps of metal. His scissor sword flew high in the air and pierced the ground right next to Jubilee, which she narrowly dodged. "Whew!", she exclaimed, wiping her forehead. Then she set about trying to pull the scissors out of the ground by the handle to use it as a weapon. The last two knights were on the move. One of them was running forward with his scissors raised in the air, his armor clanking noisily. The other one snapped open and closed his scissors as he kept pace with his mate. They moved surprisingly fast with quick, jerky movements and made metallic screeching noises that shattered the peace and calm of the endless green meadow. Jubilee was standing directly in their path, but she was too busy trying to get the scissors to notice them. "Don't let them get her, youz!", Tootey shouted, jumping up and down and flailing her little arms in a panic.
Miri: 60, 100% Miri took off in a flat, soundless sprint. Setting her flow count and cadence to her flying feet. The refrains of her favorite group echoed in her head as she whirled into her dance pass. The huge shimmering ribbon of water billowed and stretched, ready to be cast. Her feet went into the familiar steps as her skirts swirled. Round and round and round...Ever closer to the knight she raced. She counted of the creaking and snicking as they moved, careful to take note of the fissures in their armour. The distance between Miri and her target was less then four yards when she went into her first coursing torrent strike. Propelled by the mass of kinetic energy and balanced by her motions, it slammed over the knight like a wave. Water rushed into the chinks as Miri rushed forward, freezing portions of the torrent. The ice penetrated deep, consuming the little space there was. She continued with her mad dash, drawing the torrent with her. Ice shards levered against the metal as Miri, dove between the splayed stride of the knight. The shear sword came a little too close for comfort, but she was light on her feet. She tumbled head over heels, coming to her feet with a rush. Her torrent, rolled and heaved with her as she pulled the trailing icy tail free of the knight. Coursing Torrent:15 points
Tori: 60% energy; 100% health "Ready!" he shouted, then used Bend on her, rendering her invisible. "I can't hold this for too long, you're gonna have to hurry up and do your thing!" Apparently she was invisible now. Cool. As Tori ran forward she felt the vibrations in the quilted earth and picked a target. She reached her hands forward and grabbed one of the scissor knights around the throat. Then she used Metal Rend on his throat in an attempt to pull his head away from his body. 25 points
Scissors?.... that's so stupid... they could have modern warfare easily.. Thought Dahlia At difference of the others, she didn't worry to keep the distance, instead she got closer to them. Her deep eyes clashing against their eyeless helmet. She then crouched right at the side of a knight, and before it could react. She touched the ground before it. This caused for that portion of ground to fragment into several pieces that went out propelled from the ground. Effectively creating a hole deep enough to trap the knight. "Right... Scissors are just a non practical weapon. It could just had shot us from distance if it were to have something useful"... said while taking distance from the hole. She didn't bothered to make sure the soldier was finished. She made the hole deep enough, so she doubted it would even escape from it. Deconstruction 15 pts
Miri's water attacked greatly damaged one of the Scissor Knights, ripping him in half. Black vapor billowed from the empty carcass and dissipated in the air. Tori ripped off the head of the second Knight and black smoke wisped out. But before the Knight could collapse, it reached for it's scissors to slash at the blind girl. But he didn't get a chance, because Dahlia stuck him in a pit in the ground. The Knight made high-pitched screeching noises til all the smoke escaped it's metal shell and it lay still. Jubilee had given up on the scissors and she looked up to see that all the Scissor Knights had been defeated. "Oh, wow...you guys sure work fast! Good job team, whoo-hoo!" She dusted her hands off. "So, Tootey, where to next...?" But it was not meant to be. There was a loud creaking noise and a wheeled mechanical cart appeared at the crest of a hill, acrid fumes pumping from it's exhaust pipe. The cart was surrounded by round metal shields to protect it and on the inside were six Scissor Knights, some of them with giant sheers and others with crossbows. Jubilee jumped in front of Tootey and conjured two spiked balls and prepared to throw one. She almost did, but stopped when a small person with wild hair appeared behind the war cart and dove inside it with incredible speed. There ensued a remarkable struggle. The sounds of metal ripping, scissors clanking and screeching howls filled the air, with a frightening beastial growl underlying it all. When the great raucous quieted, all six Scissor Knights were now scrap metal--whatever was inside the cart opened a door and all the broken fragments spilled out. It was a small boy with long lightning-bolt shaped brows and wavy dark hair that hung to his knees. His maroon eyes much too intense for a child his age and two cat-like fangs curved over his bottom lip. His clothes were a plain black tunic and black leggings, no shoes. "Who the blazes is youz?!?!", Tootey gasped, her hands clasped together over her chest and her button eyes sparkling with admiration. "I'm Sabriel," the boy said in a surprisingly deep, rich voice. He pointed at them and they saw that his nails were long and sharp. "And you all shouldn't be here..."
"And you all shouldn't be here..." "I agree" reaplied Dahlia rising one hand... "If you want to blame and execute someone, this doll is the culprit!!" said pointing at tootey She then took a pair of steps before sitting on the ground. "But this place is at least interesting, not dull or boring like back there. I don't feel like leaving honestly...." She then took a deep breath, and her eyes fixed on those of the boy. "Would you mind telling us what this Narnia is?, the explanation of that thing didn't make sense at all.."
Gracelyn Rae Gracelyn didn't quite know what to think. A doll had talked...a doll. That was completely not supposed to happen. And then she had blindly followed after the others into a world of fabric. Gracie knew that being a Magister made her different, but she didn't know that she'd find herself in such a weird situation. Her allies were fighting Scissor Knights...scissors! Never in her life had she attacked anything...besides bugs. Yet, as she watched the other teens use their unique abilities, something stirred inside her. A familiar tingling sensation coursed through her veins. Staring intently at the action around her, the sensation grew, building to an ultimate high. The affinity that breathes life into every creature; the affinity of Air. The feeling Gracie longed for. Pushing all other thoughts out of her mind, Gracie raised her hands to release her energy. But she was too late and the action had already ended, replaced by an interesting newcomer. "I'm Sabriel," the boy said in a surprisingly deep, rich voice. He pointed at them and they saw that his nails were long and sharp. "And you all shouldn't be here..." With her adrenaline rushing, Gracie showed unusual boldness. Looking to the boy, she spoke. "I'm not even sure what is 'here'."
Nova edged until she was back-to-back with Gracelyn. "I agree. Wherever we are, it's clear that we aren't welcome." then her eyes narrowed and a malicious look crossed her lips. "How's about we change up the scenery?" Farrow released an eerie yowl as Nova's hair billowed and rose up as if in a gale, her dress snapping as gravity suddenly became nonexistent at her feet. She raised up one hand and faced her palm outwards towards Sabriel. "You know, I think I can guess what you are, so you better start talking really fast if you want to keep from being turned to a pinprick."
Sabriel looked from Dahlia to Gracie, and finally his dark maroon gaze settled on Nova and her cat, Farrow. "You would presume to threaten a Warrior of Bastet? You do not know who you are dealing with, child..." "Whoa, whoa, everyone lets just calm down." Jubilee stepped forward and gave Nova a disapproving look. "He's not attacking us, so we're not gonna attack him. Okay?" Sabriel calmed down and turned to face Jubilee. "You are the students my mistress was talking about." The boy sniffed haughtily and tossed back his thick mane of dark hair. "And that must be the perversion of nature she mentioned, as well..." He was glowering at Farrow, disgust written all over his face. "Have some pride, brother cat. Lounging all day on the shoulders of some human girl? That is not the way for a cat to behave." "Hey!" Jubilee intervened before another argument could break out. "Uh, Sabriel, was it? Did you say your mistress mentioned us? I'm guessing you belong to..." Sabriel growled deep in his throat and his upper lip curled. "I mean, you must work with our schoolmistress, Toedorie Highborn," Jubilee back-pedaled. "That is true." Sabriel paused for a long moment to lick a spot on his wrist with his dark raspberry tongue. When he was satisfied, he continued speaking. "I am also a Warrior of Bastet, also known as a werecat." He stuck out his chest, filled with pride. It would have been laughable, if they hadn't all just witnessed him tear apart six Knights with only his claws and teeth for weapons. "I woke from my nap in Teodorie's room at Tower and Hall, and decided to go make sure all of you kids weren't up to trouble. When I couldn't find you, I followed your scent trails to the washer room and ended up here..." He looked at Dahlia and Nova. "This is my first time being here, just like you lot." Jubilee nodded and explained what was going on, how Teodorie's great-uncle, Hogarth, had protected this place from the Ragwitch for over fifty years, but now she was back and he was too busy being dead to help out. Sabriel looked lost in thought for a moment, then he grinned. It was a slow, creeping grin that transformed his face, making him look much older and creepier. Jubilee wondered how old Sabriel really was. "I will help you," Sabriel said, still grinning. "I could use an excuse to scratch and bite without getting sprayed with a water bottle by the Twins." He shivered and then hopped back into the war cart. "Everyone get in. We can drive this thing."
"Ugh. Seriously? Another cat in our group!" Tori exclaimed holding a hand over her nose. Cats stunk... literally. "Fine. Whatever." She walked over to the cart and lay a hand on it. Her face scrunched as she felt the vibrations moving through it. She was trying to decide if it was sturdy enough to hold everyone. Finally Tori shrugged and got inside. "Lets go kill ourselves a Ragwitch." She said with an impish grin.
"Lets go kill ourselves a Ragwitch." Dahlia then spoke "Technically speaking, we handled the scissors soldiers one by one. Then this catguy appears and finish a bunch of them by himself. To add that he is just some high ranked Warrior, meaning that there must be more like him, and even more skilled. Now you add the story told us by the mistress and that ball of cotton. Apparently it was just luck they managed to contain that Ragwitch..." She then pressed her finger to her forehead, closed her eyes. As looking for more info, but considered that it was enough. Opened her eyes and said "So in comparison we're a bunch of cannon meat, and totally unnable to do anything if that Ragwitch were to appear now. In other words, your suggestion or idea is unrealistic, irresponsible, and plainly stupid"
"Ugh. Seriously? Another cat in our group!" Jubilee couldn't help but giggle at Tori. It was too taxing being the most mature one in the group all the time, sometimes she just wanted to unwind. "So in comparison we're a bunch of cannon meat, and totally unnable to do anything if that Ragwitch were to appear now. In other words, your suggestion or idea is unrealistic, irresponsible, and plainly stupid" Dahlia said as she finished her speech. "Whatcha talking about, freakazoid?", Tootey sassed, frowning. "Of course we can defeat the Ragwitch. We just need to find out her weakness, and the Patchwork King knows her better than anybody. He worked closely with Hogarth and his daughter, Seamstress, back in the warring times--he's got to know a thing or two about how to defeat her." "That was a very intelligent and well-worded speech, I must admit," Sabriel sniffed, speaking in airy tones. "But you got one thing wrong. I am the only werecat in this place, or else I would have sensed another one of my kind by now. Also, werecats don't fight amongst ourselves. We prefer mind games, such as chess. We only fight other races, because they are too dumb to be reasoned with." Jubilee sighed wearily. She could tell Sabriel was not going to be a very sociable character. So she stepped onto the cart and gripped the control handle, which could be toggled in any direction to drive that way. The war cart had enough room for all them to stand inside--it has no seats--and Jubilee was a quick study at the controls. Soon enough, they were moving, with Tootey the Explorer giving directions from her perch on Jubilee's head... In hardly any time at all, they neared a small village. It looked prosperous enough, but the streets were packed with refuges and their children. Tootey communicated that they had been run out of their native towns by the Ragwitch's forces and were taking refuge there. Finally they reached the portcullis of a looming castle, made of pillow-shaped bricks with crisp white sheets flapping from their flagpoles. A guard, with only a tall wooden staff with a knob on top as a weapon, was about to search them but Tootey just explained that they were on official business and couldn't be delayed a second more. The guard asked what kind of business and Sabriel gave him a black look and ordered him to do as he was told. Sabriel's face looked so much more grown-up and formidable when he was angry. The guard gulped and let them through. Inside, they walked into an open courtyard where more guards with wood staffs hurrying around. They were preparing for battle. One guard noticed them and froze like a statue. "Who let you people in? Are you here to kill the King?!" He looked panicked and he held out his staff horizontally, his hands trembling with fright. "Tootey? Is that you?" A far older, wiser voice came from across the courtyard, and an elderly doll man came out of a dark archway with the aid of a short walking stick. He wore a fancy jacket laden with tons of medals and ribbons, and on his head sat a simple gold crown. Jubilee had somehow expected a strong, dashing young man as the Patchwork King and she was sorely disappointed. She guessed it made sense he was so old, since he had probably been king when Hogarth had come here as a boy, all those decades ago. "Oh, Tootey, you have returned. Is this the help you got for me?" Tootey looked sad and the King nodded, as if he had confirmed something in his head. "Hogarth finally passed away, as we suspected. It wasn't like him to stay away so long, it had to be something serious. Well, these young people will have to do." The Patchwork King smiled at them, his dull black button-eyes sweeping over their group. One of them was a little loose and it wobbled when he moved too fast. "Why are the Woodpole Guards getting ready to fight?" Tootey asked, a worried look on her face. "Is the Ragwitch coming here? Has she made it this far already?" "No, no, my men heard rumors of a skirmish by the river where several outsiders used strange magic," the Patchwork King said. "My men assumed it was the Ragwitch, but now I'm assuming it was just you all?" Jubilee nodded. The Patchwork King yelled for one of the Woodpole Guards and told them to tell the other they can calm down. "We need to know the Ragwitch's weakness," Jubilee announced. "How do we defeat an immortal witch-doll creature?" "I can tell you that," a velvety soft voice intoned. A tall, willowy doll came down a flight of stone steps, her white silk dress flapping around her narrow figure. Her hair was made of blue yarn and tied back in a single braid. Her eyes were reflective silver buttons that swirled with shards of rainbow colors, like an oil sheen. She was apparently the princess, Seamstress, the one who did magic. "I created the Ragwitch," Seamstress said calmly, silver eyes shining on them all. "I was young and bored and I had a basket of fabric squares, so I sewed a dollie. While I worked I could feel something influencing me, but it was so, so overwhelming, I couldn't stop. It was an evil spirit wishing to have a physical body and it used me to get one." Seamstress sighed. "But that was the Ragwitch's undoing, once she assumed an earthly vessel she became killable. Yes, she can be killed, but only with the Enchanted Needle..." She trailed off. "Okay...so where is it?" Jubilee prompted. "We kind of...lost it."
"We kind of...lost it." Well... that's a good beginning. Dahlia wandered into her thoughts, certainly this was a good way to give a bit of move to her life... but what was all this? They actually entered into a textile fabric through a hole behind a washing machine?. She sighed... "Uuum, technically is a rag, why don't we burn it with fire..." Said Dahlia Of course sarcastically, as she knew that it was supposedly inmortal, but for a moment she wondered if these amount of cotton and cloth knew how to use fire, or if they feared at least. She then pressed her finger against her forehead and asked. "Come to think... why do you have a cat within your ranks?... I mean, they technically scratch clothes...."
Miri: A Debt... "We kind of...lost it." Miri glanced up, her eyes liquid silver. "Did you lose it or was it taken?" Unlike some of the others, she held no fear of this place or Sabriel. Being an only child on a small, sparsely populated island, she hadn't had much in the way of friends. There had been a mere handful of children in the village, which was more than three miles distance from the house she had shared with her mother. Pocket dimensions existed in other odd corners of the world, including her home island. The passage way ran through a tidal pool. The beings of that pocket had been the only friends she had known. Imaginary to the normal folk of the island. They couldn't see the Tidal Migrants. Miri knew she owed them a debt because it had been amongst the Tidals that she learned she was a Magister, not a lunatic. They had shown her the basics of controlling her talent. Even Gram Norde didn't know about the Tidals. It was a secret she was diligent to keep. Now she had a chance to repay a kindness. She wasn't going to let the chance pass her by.
"Listen, girl," Sabriel said to Dahlia, his voice scathing. "I am not "among their ranks", I am Teodorie Highborn's assistant at Tower and Hall. I was asleep when you and the other students arrived, but I followed you here when I saw that you were not in your beds. NOW do you understand?" Sabriel had no patience for repeating himself. Jubilee stood between them. "Okay, break it up, guys." She crossed her arms and faced Sabriel. "I'm assuming you have better manners than that. Use them." Sabriel hissed at her, then turned away in a huff.
Miri glanced up, her eyes liquid silver. "Did you lose it or was it taken?" Princess Seamstress nodded and smiled. "You are very smart...yes, it was taken. By the Ragwitch. It is an embarassing source of shame for my father and I, but on the same day I made her, she stole our most prized treasure--the Enchanted Needle. It is the first needle ever made in all the Realms and it has great magical power. The Ragwitch cannot use it because she does not know how, but she knew it could be used against her so she hid it away somewhere. It could be in one of three places. "The grave site of her beloved pet, Naga. It was a nightmare beast that she rode into battle, but Hogarth killed it with a spell a long time ago. "The other place could be the Dungeon...a labyrinth of dark, cursed tunnels. The Ragwitch once used it to store weapons and looted treasure. "And the last place is her stronghold, the Dark Castle. No one has gone in and come out alive." Jubilee chewed her lip and made that squished up face that meant she was confused and irritated at once. So she turned to her gang, like she always did when they had to make an important decision. "Which one?" she asked simply.
Dahlia raised a hand "The dungeon.... I mean, they have weapons. We can stole something useful." She made a gesture and said "I mean, take a look, the only aid we can ask is for a bunch of cloth.... the cat at least seems useful somehow. But well, if we grab some nice then it'll make the task easy" She then concluded with her usual smile saying "Don't you think?"
Miri: Questions...Again... "Which one?" she asked simply. "We can cover more ground if we split up. We also improve the odds of finding the Needle sooner rather than later. And from everything we've heard, I think we would do well to keep the element of surprise on our side. Tootey and Sabriel seem to know their way around. Half go with Tootey, half with Sabriel. One group to the grave, the others to the dungeon. The castle, however, I think needs to be approached as a last resort, with the whole group in keeping." She looked over at the Seamstress. "Is such a plan plausible, or do we only get one choice?"
"Well, I'd hide it in a Dungeon. Personally." Tori said. "If it is there I can't imagine the labyrinth would be to hard for me to navigate. After all, I see differently than you guys do." She tapped her tattooed foot on the ground. She found the soft quilt to be a very pleasant thing for her bare feet to stand on. "But wherever you guys decide to go...I'm cool with." Tori shrugged her shoulders and stuck a piece of bubblegum in her mouth. "Half go with Tootey, half with Sabriel. One group to the grave, the others to the dungeon. The castle, however, I think needs to be approached as a last resort, with the whole group in keeping." Tori cocked her head so her ear was pointing in Miri's direction. "I like you. You seem to think more smartly than the others."
