Children Of The Fields (II)

        Last time...

    The adventurers came to the wheat field in hopes to figure out what may have been happening here. They not only had a member almost taken into the depth's below, but had to dispatch a Merchant Blade that had become a vampire.

The activity got the attention of the nearby Merchant Blade guards who came rushing over. In this, the leader of the small band has come up with a plan and he needs the help of the adventurers to see it comes to, hopefully, success.

    What is this plan?
    What will happen next?

    That is what we are all about to find out!

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    The group was asked to come to these same fields and same small town before the sun was to rise. Before the workers were to go out in the fields.

While the Merchant blades took their places, one Merchant Blade; The female soldier of the group; Is dressed up as one of the townsfolk. Though one could imagine the arguments that went back and forth over this, but yet there she was. Looking unarmed, oblivious, and with basket around her arm to do her early morning 'tasks'.

    The plan that she would be the bait. The undead who have decided to make this their hunting grounds would come after her and everyone would move in to quickly handle the vampires as they came.

There was also a thin rope attached to her, one that the leader hoped would go unseen, so when they did take her underground, they could maybe use that to not only find her, but get her back up, and perhaps deal with where-ever these youthful blood suckers were hiding.

Now, as she stands in the field-- It was the question of would these vampires take the bait!

    Merek looks to be with the party while waiting to see if the vampires take the bait. The man wields a weapon along with that dark attire hich he wears, waiting about.

    Setsuna would not turn down the chance to help out, or well really to do damage to the undead as he tucks himself in to the ground. Looking to his left is a skeleton knight, that when inspected would note that it is Setsuna's , as Setsuna then reaches out and adjusts the cloak that they are under. He would have rathered setting up with more time but this is as good as it was going to get. So now they wait and Setsuna spends his time dreaming of coffee and wishing the sun would rise so it would get warmer. Whispering to himself he comment, " Why is it always coldest right before sunrise."

Yeowang is impressed with the lengths the Merchant Blades have gone to. Bait is fine, but trailing a rope underground seems ... perilous. But this is all perilous, she imagines. She might have been bait as well, or at least she's looking someone innocuous, no weapons, ordinary clothes, no armor. To Setsuna, she replies, "Because the sun's been down all night. Sunrise starts things warming up again." Basic physics, nothing magical about it, she leaves unsaid.

    So far things are still being very quiet. Yet the adventurers don't see what is to come. Though Merek may get a hint of some movement.

There, beside Yeowang and Setsuna; along with his pet, rests down on the ground beside them. Hands resting in his chin. "Hey old man, how's it going?" He addresses Setsuna. "The hunting going good?"

    As for that movement earlier, Merek may catch the sight of some wheat moving against the wind. He also may hear a girl's giggle. Then like a snap of a finger, the female merchant blade suddenly goes-- Missing?!

Even the other Merchant Blades are caught off guard as one of them shouts out, "Desray!" That rope however-- that rope be uncoiling!

    "I think there's a... Well, I noticed it moving," Merek notes, while he begins to point when it looks like there's something that will be coming about for the bait. Though none of them, even him, are able to notice when it does. "Alright, let's follow!" The man draws that weapon, an axe.

Yeowang acks as the Merchant Blade goes missing, and takes a step in that direction before stopping and double-taking at the young man that appeared between her and Setsuna. Was she really not paying any attention at all? She'd prefer to think she was merely concentrating too deeply on the bait. Tunnel-vision is what it's called in coroporate circles, being focused too sharply on one thing and losing awareness of the rest of the situation. "Wait, who're you?" she demands, a bit brusquely because of the surprise. She'll follow up with an inspect, trusting the Merchant Blades to support their bait. She can follow them down in a moment once this is cleared up.

    Setsuna nods his head and responds, " Yeah I think so, we will find out in a few minutes how good we're hunting, kid." He simply lays there for a moment as he continues to watch the guard when he suddenly realizes everything and turns around to look at the teenager that has apparently just appeared. " Oh fuck." The necromonacer jumps out of his hiding spot and then turns to look at the lady who volunteer and sees she is gone and then turns back to the teenager, " Hey there , is this your doing?"

    "How could it be my doing when I'm right here." He gives a grin-- a fanged grin. Then he looks over to Yeowang as she asks, there is a glow in his eyes; A predatory one at that. "Just a friend of the old man, now if you excuse me..."

With a snap of a finger he is standing up a few feet back. "I'll catch you losers later!" Then down in the ground he goes!

    As for the rope, the merchant blades and Merek are both chasing after it. The Merchant blades attempt to tackle the rope and take hold, trying to see if they can stop it from going any further. However their boots start to slide along the ground. They will need some help from the adventurers!

    Merek looks to that rope while he begins to take both hands about it, then tries pulling to keep following where the vampire is moving the woman. "I need a little assistance," he notes, not thinking about the vampire which was trying to speak to them.

Yeowang blinks as the fellow vanishes into the ground before she can inspect him, but then the rope's getting away and ... they didn't tie it off? No one was holding it? These people are /awful/ planners, no wonder things have gotten to this state! She will grab onto the rope as well, taking hold now that at least it's not going fast enough to give rope-burn and she'll put her back into it to try to keep it from getting completely away. She'll keep her grip even if it means she's got to yield a couple steps, but working her way up the rope. "We've got to get up to the end of the rope." If we don't get the thing that grabbed her, they'll kill her or cut the rope.

    Setsuna was still focused on the kid, and wasn't to focused on their bait being dragged away right now as he responds, " You know what I mean damn it. " As he charges forward for a moment to try to grab the kid before he disappears but it is to late. As he turns back around there is a moment or two needed for Setsuna to get his bearings but he hears Yeowang's words and begins to run towards where the woman was, letting the others handle holding the rope. "I'm on it."

    The adventurers with the Merchant Blades manage to halt the ropes progress. Holding it in place at least, they can see that the rope is indeed underground. Perhaps with some Earth magic, they may be able to counter the spell and raise up not only the woman, but perhaps the vampire who is trying to steal her away!

Yeowang grunts as the rope slows to a stop, probably quite uncomfortably to the bait, and inconviencing her captor. She will go hand over hand up the rope, hoping to track it down to our quarry while not letting the Merchant Blade get taken any deeper. She channels Earth to try to slow our quarry down, and to try to land our catch.

This is certainly not what she planned on when she joined the game. Not that it's bad, but the promo poster didn't have players baiting vampires with a mercenary-on-a-rope. Just goes to show, you never know what can happen.

    Merek begins shifting that ground with the magic, while he tries to lift the woman back up from it. He nods a bit, beginning to shift the weapon while he takes a moment to cast the spell.

    Setsuna makes it to the end of the rope but he is still a bit jumpy. As he does his best to cast the magic that is required his lack of concentration seems to degrade the pillar of earth so it is more like a pillar of dirt as he does his best to drag them both up. Looking over at his knight he shouts at it, " I don't suppose you are going to get down there and find it. " With a grunt the knight also moves towards Setsuna and begins to try to dig through the dirt to get them out.

    Yeowang channels the earth magic, alongside Merek. Together, as the Merchant Blades help make sure the rope doesn't go anywhere or somehow break, the manage to counter the earth spell used by the undead forces!

Three vampires are suddenly forced to the surface, along with the woman, who looks unconscious. As for the three vampires, they seem very confused on what just has taken place, before turn to see the adventurers and bare their vampiric fangs in their direction.

Two fo them look like young teen woman, while the other is a slightly older male.

    Sadly, while Setsuna and his knight /try/ to do something to help. That teenage male of a nemesis for Setsuna's shows back up and pokes the Skeleton knight. "How did you pull this off I wonder." Poke poke.

    Merek lifts up the potion which he finds along his belt, then he swings that along into all vampires, blasting into them with an explosion while he takes a moment to take a stance with that axe.

    Setsuna and his knight take a few steps back as Yeowang and Merek force the creatures to the surfacce. As Setsuna again jump at the sound of the kids voice as he taps on the knight, tilting his head he stares at the kid for a moment and realizes who the kid reminds him of. With a hard swallow, as if he is swallowing his emotions, Setsuna clenches his left hand, the gold ring glowing a dark aura as the the ring on the knight does the same and slashes out at the kid with the same sword it use to use from its days on Helena's side. "Sorry kid."

Yeowang gives one final grunt and heave, and we've reeled in our catch. Three catches, in fact, vampires surprised to find themselves on the surface. She reacts immediately, a spinning back-kick at the closest vampire. The key to most fighting, at least in her experience, is to attack hard and fast enough that your opponent can't react or mount a counter-attack. It doesn't work at the very highest levels, but it works on most things. And if they can't keep up with you, they're going to get a kicking.

    They are indeed not as high level as the adventurers are and are quickly dispatched by Merek and Yeowang. The Merchant blades meanwhile go to check on their female comrade to see if she is okay. "Desray!" One of them says to her, giving her a gentle shake. "Desray wake up!"

However several more vampires rise up from the ground, all young adults ranging from perhaps twelve year olds to almost adult hood. They all growl at Yeowang and Merek, before they go charging in at them both, along with the Merchant blades who shift their stance. Hoping to protect their downed friend.

    Meanwhile the knight swings the blade and the young teen that harassed Setsuna back at the carnival before becoming vampire and now is a vampire, is hit by the blade in the side.

He grits his vampiric teeth before snarling at Setsuna. "... That hurt old man... That really hurt." Then swings his hand up, as he attempts to get the ground to swallow the Necromancer and his undead puppet.

    Setsuna leaps away as the earth tries to grab him and lands back a few steps staring at the kid. "Don't worry it will all be over soon. I will free you from the nightmare you are in. Now just tell me where the nest is and I will happily end this for you." With a sudden lurch the knight begins to raise up his sword like it is about to attack the kid again. However the attack doesn't come from the knight as Setsuna forms a ball of dark energy in his hand before launching it at the kid.

    Merek seems to think about it, then he takes a moment to begin shifting away that axe. The man draws what looks like a greatsword, taking the time to swing that into the vampires even while he takes a few strikes. The man looks about the place in thought while he tries to dodge about.

Yeowang's offense is, alas, overwhelmed by the vampire reinforcements, and she takes several hits as she gives ground, falling back to a more defensible position in line with the Merchant Blades. Dodging the attacks she can, she fights back frantically, punches now that it's mostly in-close work, short jabs while keeping her arms in, though if they give her room, she'll open up with a snap-kick.

    Merek is overran by several of the vampires, but his greatsword cleaves many more as pixels of light wash around him with each swing.

Yeowang equally is overran, but each of her kicks and punches connect, with like Merek easily again dispatching the hoard. The Merchant Blades near her try to also support her, along with Merek to keep Desray safe.

Yet, one vampire gets by then group. One vampire grabs the woman who is unconscious and tries to go back underground with her-- One of the adventurers, only one, just needs to act fast enough with a Physical grab to pull the woman out of the vampire's arms.

    Meanwhile as that is all going on, Setsuna is dealing with his own problem. Setsuna blasts the young male hard with a dark energy. Enough to send the kid off his feet and hard across the ground, which he rolls a few times.

He doesn't get up right away. His health dangerously low as he tries to pick himself up. "Hehheh.... Hahha!" The teen male laughs, as he gives a vampiric smile. His eyes just as crazed. "You think it would be that easy, old man! Mistress Odelle will never make it that easy neither will master Felix Nightshade!"

He then laughs some more before he coughs a few times. "You-- you adventurers... You are all in over your heads, heheh... The biggest show has yet to come!"

    Merek looks a little bit busy dealing with the enemies to actually try and protect the woman, although he does try. All the same, it looks like the party might be able to do it either way.

    Setsuna shakes his head and looks at the kid as he shakes his head, " Those in charge of you kid are definately not doing things for your best interest. However I didn't think it would be that easy." With it said he summons his shields of bones and darkness from the ground and tries to encase the kid in the bones to force control over him. It was a battle of wills and Setsuna apparently can't get through the programming that he had beaten once before. No , the rapid drain on his mana and yet he still tries, "Tell me!"

Yeowang gets her bearings back in the chaotic melee, spotting the vampires dragging off that one Blade. She moves with deadly grace, slipping between several vampires like a shadow across the moon to suddenly kick the one trying to get away with our bait, smack in the head, and as he reels with the hard impact, she'll grab the mercenary from his arms. "The biggest show may be yet to come, but /this/ show isn't over yet."

    Setsuna attempts to control the teen vampire. He struggles against Setsuna's will. As he does so, he grits his teeth, "... I... won't... Obey you!" He roars out before shattering the shied into million pieces. The shards of it blasting outward like in slow motion.

But the teen was tired. He was tired and that break took everything out of him. He falls down to his knees once more, his eyes growing dim as he simply smiles. "Death... death will come for you all.." He whispers, before seeming to fall to the ground, vanishing into pixels he passes away.

    For Yeowang, she manages to save the female blade before she is taken away, and the vampire that was trying to take her goes underground without a trace.

Merek finishes off the last of the few vampires, alongside a few of the Merchant Blades before the rest of the vampiric children all sink back into the ground once more.

The field becoming quiet yet again, with no trace of any of them anywhere to be seen.

Yeowang looks around thoughtfully as the field becomes quiet and the vampires don't return. "Well," she says thoughtfully. "That was a limited success, at least." We killed a few vampires and no one was captured, that much is good, bit it feels like they didn't achieve a particularly decisive victory. And it could have gone badly.

She'll give the Blade over to their healers, beginning some deep breathing exercises to speed her own health recovery. "Did we learn anything?" she looks to Setsuna, then Merek. She is not the scholar here.

    Merek nods a bit when all of the general vampires are defeated. With that, the man nods a bit, "Well, if anything, we at least dealt with the enemies," while he notes all of that.

    Setsuna covers his head as bone shards cut into his arms and body before he looks at the kid, is even about to comment before the kid vanishes. With his enemy gone he turns to go help Yeowang and Merek, fortunately they seem to have thigns in order. " You two ok? I appreciate you two managing the bigger problem, I had a personal ghost appear to haunt me. " Looking at the lander woman, he is glad another one wasn't lost while he was around. Turning back to Yeowang, " Let see , death will come for us all. Biggest show on the planet is coming. Also that someone has upgraded her firewall, and doesn't like me taking her toys." Sighing and rubbing his temple for a moment he adds probably more for himself, " Bitch needs to learn to share."