The Final Hunt

    Sylver, the Huntress of the Forgotten has been tracking Shiruba for some time now. She has sent a few of her hounds from time to time. Only /once/ did she ever get close to killing Shiruba, but the huntress let her go.

Why?

For a fair hunt, but she didn't go empty-handed. Oh no. She took Author Drake's granddaughter, the last living relative, with her, and all Shiruba could do--- was watch.

Now with a hunting moon in the sky, natural low lying fog over the grassy fields and only some rays of the moonlight making it over the tree tops, this day would be the final hunt...

    Unknown to Slyver however, Shiruba was ready and angry. Allies were called in far and wide to help Shiruba deal with the huntress. Traps were laid out and Shiruba herself acted as the bait.

A bait that would work perfectly, as Sylver did indeed come. The forest green scaled Salamander Vampiress walked out from the brush, willingly letting herself be seen, Gabriella being dragged along by a chain, which she forces the poor lander down in front of her. "Here I thought I'd have to string her up to find you, but it seems I won't have too."

Sylver then crouches down, grabbing Gabriela by the neck, as another dagger sits close to her throat. "She is tougher than last time..." Sylver then rests her own cheek against Gabriela's who tries to struggle but can't. "So, it seemed only fitting that I do this in front of you. Given how much you seem to care about this little whelp."

    Behind Sylver several glowing eyes can be seen. Soon several ghoulish hounds walk out, along with several skeleton wereFang wolves. "Anything you wish to say to her... Huntress Shiruba?"

After the last time Shiruba was done playing games. She pulled everything she could into the matter, not taking the threat Sylver posed lightly. Needless to say it is not easy to lay a trap for another Hunter, but they did.
Ithe didn't need to do this alone. And not just because she was a Guild Leader and could make people. These were people that wanted to help her, and that was an advantage over Sylver she would take advantage of.

The wolf girl rose to her feet as the other Huntress arrived, but paused a moment as she dragged in Gabriella after her. Her gaze locked with the girl even as she struggled. Her expression forced to be stoic even as it pained her to do so. Even as she mouthed a brief 'I'm sorry' to Gab.

Then let a bit more of a scowl show. "It's me you wanted. Let her go." She could shoot, but even she isn't fast enough to hit Sylver before she slit the girl's throat, or worse, pulled her in as a shield. "You don't need to do this and force her in..."

Goddesses damn all, if only she had been a little faster. A little better....

But. is she has to rely on more than herself to somehow make up for that lack...

    Setsuna wasn't stealthy, and as his entourage grew he was really getting a bigger and bigger footprint in these battles. So he simply stood back and watched, from the tree line from now and as the skeleton knight steps forward to attack and Setsuna holds his hand up to stop his own monster. Looking at the other adventurers he quietly speaks over the chim to the party, "Anyone able to make a precise shot to her hand. In case we need to stop that knife. Otherwise don't move till we have a way to save the girl."

    Merek looks to be wearing his dark attire with the beltcape about the waist in addition to a hood up, while he takes the time to move along in the shadows, singing to himself in his mind, while he thinks about it. A hand is placed upon the sword in his back sheath, "I can manage the strike to the hand if needed," he notes, while he takes a moment to nod along, "I'm not sneaky, I am fast though. And I'm good with my magical aim and arrow."

    Wisteria takes up her position, her dark armor and staying in human form helping her to blend in a bit more. The albino girl doesn't quite stand out so much as the albino bun. However she's here to help out and she has an ace up her sleeve, or rather on the little chain around her neck. She lifts up her jewlers loop to her eye, focusing in on Sylver.

    Somewhere out among the trees, there's an Arashi. She's staying well out of sight, and also well away from most of the others that have arrived to help Shiruba with her problem. Paitence is a virtue, and one that the war-horse is going to employ.

"I ain't exactly the king of stealth over here." Kaydon replies, "But once shit kicks off, I can grab her attention. I know she's here for Shriuba, but I think I can draw her attention my way."

Someone has messed with family, not by blood but by choice and adopted. You'd have to tie Gwen up and drug her to keep her from coming to help her little sister out. So here she was, she was following Shiruba's order. She knows to hang back for a moment she knows there's a plan. She is busy targeting Shiruba and Gabriella for protection she has to wait though for the time to move.

    Sylver's tail flicks as her 'pets' move more in the front, all growing and snapping their jaws. "No." She says simply. Gabriella gritting her teeth as she is forced to stand up. The adventures could all see how low the Lander's HP is, it was almost depleted.

"You nearly killed my mentor. /You/ nearly took away the /one/ good thing in this damnable existence. This hunt is not only by the queen's orders..." Her eyes narrow. ".. But to make sure you suffer for what you have wrought!"

"Author Drake was too weak to do this, but I am not..." She whispers to Gabriella, which causes the woman's eyes to go wide. "... and I'll give you a worst existence than what he was offering you..."

    There is a green glow from the dagger she holds as she whispers some words. A glow that Setsuna would know /all/ to well from his own studies. A spell that a few other have seen before, while others have not. Gabriella beings to struggle as she frees her mouth so she can speak, "Shiruba! Don't Gi-- Ahh!"

As Sylver holds the woman, the green mist swirls around Gabriella's body, causing that HP to drop more and more till it is seemingly 1. It is here that Gabriella's body starts to shudder as Sylver lets her drop to the ground. The young woman's body, with so much youth and beauty starts to decay like the plague.

Some of her flesh peeling away, her eyes becoming milky white as blood seeps down from her mouth. In that moment of transformation though, Gabriella's hand extends out to Shiruba as her name is said in a raspy tone, "... Shi--ruba..." Before she collapses to the ground, while Sylver stands there simply giggling, before actually laughing.

    Then that laughing stops and Sylver says simply, "... Kill her." Which the hounds charge directly for Shiruba. Only then does Sylver suddenly catch the traps placed around where the Caitsith Wolf is. Her eyes going wide, but to late to recall her pets!

The traps go off, one of them taking a great deal of the number of the Ghoul Hounds, while another cuts a slice of the Werefang's. Sylver meanwhile steps back and readies her bow as she then spots those hiding in wait. "Hmph." There in the trees, the bushes, and all about. "Smart pup." She says softly. "... I should have thrown away my hunter's pride and killed you when I had the chance after all..."

    Setsuna knows what is about to happen the moment he sees the green glow and gets a sinking feeling in his gut, " Go now! Knock the vampire away. Before it's to late." Setsuna sends his knight towards the huntress, and follows behind as fast as his magic caster legs will take him but he can already tell its to late. This girl, maybe he hadn't spent as much time with her as Shiruba, but no one needed to go out like that. Calling out over the chimlink, "Focus the minions , protect Shiruba as I think they are going to swarm her." As if to emphasize the point a spectral snake appears around his knights sword and begins to drip with venom before the knight tries to carve into the hound, " Take away her pets."

    Merek lifts up the sword of his, then he begins to maneuver while he tries to reach Sylver while she does that magic. "NO!" The man swings along and begins to sweep into all of the hounds when he comes upon them, two strikes with the flame upon it. "YOU CAN'T!" The man tries the best he can to reach them, maybe he can save the woman, maybe they all will be able, it is all that he can think about.

    Wisteria starts running, the quick shuffle stpe of the samurai, then her hand goes to her side, she produces a small glass sphere, she gives it a throw. The orb flying through the air to shatter amid the ghoul hound pack. An explosion of small crystals that all start a fast fungal growth when they impact, the fungus eating at the hounds.

Well it seems someone, probably not Kaydon though because he'd never let them get the drop on him, has given away their position.

Knowing the group won't be able to get close to the huntmaster without taking out her minions first. With a large group of the Adventuers going after the hounds, it seems. So he turns his attention to the werefang wolves, transforming into his own werefang form as he moves to clash with the group.

The plan goes to hell in a handbasket, by the time she can act it's too late for Gabriella. Gwen watches in horror as the transformation takes place and she then looks to Sylver. The towering woman's eyes narrow there's not much she can do now but fight. The hounds will have Gwen charging down on them with some wind-related sword tech, she just dives into hacking slashing, tearing at them with the wind. There's not much to say to the mindless undead honestly but the hunter behind this. Her sister has said all that really needs to be said at this point.

    Traps are sprung, creatures attack, someone that should have been saved, instead, dies. Watching it all play out, seeing the anger in Shiruba's eyes before lashing out, it is all emotion that Arashi understands perfectly. When the spikes of earth erupt, when the others move in to attack, Arashi does the same, dropping from the trees to attack the closest thing to her. Skeletons? Sure. Why not? It'd be a good test for Kaydon's loaner weapons.

The response from the Undead Huntress reveals a few connecting threads that still makes Shiruba's blood run cold. Oh she had figured the hunt on her had been because she had nearly succeeded in killing Author. But the connection Sylver had to him, and that this was partially some twisted attempt to both impress him, and prove she was stronger. By twisting it into a situation like this... Lines have been crossed, and there is nothing she can do about it.

"You really -are- a monster..." is uttered, barely over a whisper.

A hand reachs out, and Shiruba reaches forward to grab it. "I'm sorry, Gabriella..." She gives a tug so the girl looks up to her, even as much as the Cait doesn't want to see the fleeting last moments of losing humanity as she's collapsing. She crouches down to remain close to the same level, because she needs to say this. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you the life you wanted. That you deserved. Maybe it was foolish that I tried... But I will never regret doing so."

Shirbua refuses to let go of the hand, until she absolutely has to before risking being pulled into the effect. "I will never forget..." Her voice lowered into an almost mourning whisper.

"Or forgive those that ruined what could of been..."

Shiruba knows she has a few minutes to get in her goodbyes. The snapping of traps, of snares and covered pits behind her while she's doing so see to it. Sylver's pride, and desire to get at -her- had overlooked that there had been a setup.. and while it may of not been the Huntress caught as hoped, the traps did their job in evening the odds some.

Shiruba takes a step back, and reluctantly looks away. To look right at Sylver. "Oh, is that how it is? You want a *proper* hunt, but as soon as the hunted proves they're just as capable at their craft..."

Shiruba doesn't look away from Sylver. Even as the wind seems to pick up near her, flicking her ponytail off to one side. She holds up one arrow in her hand. "But you have no idea what you have really done..."

The ground rumbles, like the wind echoing the anger she is focusing hard on not showing. Some of that is released as several vicious spikes of stone -- a reminder that Shiruba is part Sorcerer and doesn't *need* to shoot arrows to use her magic -- slams erupts up in the path of the remaining minions.

"Because you had me right were you could of wanted me. Something that would of kept me at bay... and in petty spite removed it. I would of though a Hunter would better know that if you're going after a wolf, you don't mess with the pack..."

Her friends, family and allies jump in to deal with hounds and undead werefangs that weren't dealt with by the traps. "Because the Pack fights back for their own. And unlike you and your mutts, mine is here -willingly-."

    Setsuna's Knight tears into some of the hounds with te venemous weapon, causing the hounds to be rendered to pixel dust with ease. Merek moves in to also cut down some of the hounds as well, many of them igniting into flames, before vanishing into pixels.

Wisteria is the next as she moves in, the growth covers some of the other hounds, eating away their decaying flesh til they are no more. Gwne, Kaydon, and even Arashi join in. Smashing, slaying, and cutting the enemy apart.

Sylver watches Shiruba and then watches the other huntress' anger. There is a gentle smile there, before it turns into a snarl. "Gabriella!" She says loudly. "Deal with your-- old-- friend." Then snaps her fingers.

Even as Shiruba crushes some of Sylver's minions in the crush of flesh and bone between the rocks. The woman that once was, slowly rises up, before letting out a blood curdling scream! It was a scream that carried across the battlefield like a banshee's wail.

One that didn't help the werewolves either, as a few of them shattered from the impact.

    Setsuna watches as the situation unfolds and looks towards the once living Lander as he shakes his head. With a look to his knight and without a moment hesitation he stabs his dagger into the ground, pulsing earth magic into it before he launches the knight full force into Gabriella hoping to take her attention off of Shiruba and to draw the attention on to him. Looking towards Shiruba he simply says, " Go hunt your prey."

Kaydon is not going to break from his engagement with the werefangs, despite the damage that he's taking from their attacks. He hauls back, jumping several feet behind so he can get a bit of distance between himself and the werefangs, and then drives forward.

He unleashes a massive slashing attack, aiming to cover a cone in front of himself, right about head level in order to try to remove the heads from several of those werefang wolves with one strike. If he can clear that group out, it'll allow the group to focus on the two main undead.

He does come over comms, however, "We can't let either of them escape. Though the huntress is the one we need to worry about. Anyone got a way to lock her down?"

    If Shiruba's going to get attacked by her previous friend, then Arashi will simply step in to provide a nudge, some defense, and to hopefully help the hunter fight beyond the emotion that may come up from having to attack them. Gabriella's wail shrieks across the area, the dire-shire takes note of it, and then she quickly closes distance with both weapons brought to bear. "While I know this was supposed to be a really emotional moment and all that buut... would you kindly just shut the hell up?" Slicing!

    Shifts into her caerbannog form and with a burst of speed that leaves a thundering in her wake Wisteria charges towards Sylver, however she sets her aim so that her run takes her through the skeleton pack. She takes the hits the give as the undead swipe at her, only to expose that attacking the bun comes at a cost. Chains of black energy snapping out to grip the limbs that strike her, and then snapp into the ground. The vicious curse in her armor binding and hampering the wolves as she continues through them towards Sylver, her hand on the hilt of her katana, not bothering to slow down on her way.

    Merek lifts up that sword of his while he takes a hand to lift and to cast the spell for fireball, which strikes along the werefang wolves while he begins to maneuver into position. The man swings the weapon to finish the enemies off while watching the woman come back as undead. "We need to find a way to save Gabriella!"

Shiruba grinds her heel into the ground. Runes briefly flicker, and several more shafts of stone erupt out of the ground around her to reach high into the air. She suspects that the skeleton that was once her friend lacks the skill or dexterity Gabriella once had, and that seems to prove true. Shiruba on the other hand is able to nimbly climb up to the opening left at the peak for herself and perch on the ledge. An arrow is drawn in her bow, the head starting to lick with flames, though she briefly turns her attention to Sylver. "So, what's your game? Did you expect me to be so angry and emotionally broken I wouldn't be able to fight? That I'd be hurt so badly I wouldn't be able to strike.."

She pauses just long enough to shoot the flaming arrow down at the SkeleGabby to make a point.

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Shiruba gives a brief salute to Setsuna in acknowledgement as he sics his knight to aggro their undead ex-friend, then jumps down from the rocky outcropping. She turns, and stalks towards Sylver. Slow and measured in pace, neither hesitant or rushing. Just.. focused.

"Is this what you wanted, Huntress? To see me angry? To see me hurt?" There is a rumbling with each step, and considering the wolfgirl huntress' specialties it's hard to tell if it's the ground beneath her feet, the skies above, or potentially both. Regardless, the phrase 'tranquil fury' may spring to mine.

"At least -that- you succeeded at... But I don't think you grasp just what you've unleashed... So come, Huntress. Let's hunt. If you still have the guts for it..."

Shiruba stops, raising he bow at the ready. "... And if I have to string them up in the trees like the uneaten leftovers of a leopard's kill to get the point across to your damned Queen that we are not to be so callously trifled with!"

Gwen thinks in more of a tactical mode she does not want to feel anything right now really with what happened. The hounds are gone she knows the skeleton riders need to be taken out so they can focus on the main event without more adds piling down on them. She will cue another sword ar and lunge into the ranks of the undead, there's no real mercy in her movements or how she strikes. They have to clear the trash in the end and she will save her fury for the main event. Though Merek's words make her think of the man she's trying to save from the undead or at least find a way to put him to rest.

    Setsuna's knight is launched right at the once living Lander, who is caught off guard as the undead brings his steel in time with his master's magic, knocking her back slightly. As the undead ghoul attempts to regain her ground, Arashi comes in and strikes it across the cheek, sending it staggering back. Even Shiruba's own arrow that pierces her shoulder.

Yet the former Gabriella Drake moves quickly, more quickly than an undead should and slashes at them with her now clawed, skeleton hands!

    Kaydon's swing clips the Werefangs, before he finds one of them bearing his claws down on him, only to be interrupted as Wisteria moves in to interrupt the attack and make her own mark on the undead beast. Before any more of the Werefangs can move in, Merek and Gwen are quick to rid the remaining group!

Sylver though was not standing idly by as this was happening, instead the woman was already on the move, her hand pulling against the bow string of her bow, which started to glow as she did with dark energy, before releasing a shot, that turned into several across the battlefield in the forest.

    Though Shiruba asks her question, the Huntress doesn't reply to the other. Whatever was on Sylver's mind. Whatever her thoughts were... She wasn't saying it out loud. Not yet anyways.

When the undead comes at her anyways Shiruba doesn't even flinch. She snaps her arm up and angles it to intercept the claws with one of Thunderhowl's reinforced arms. Then she briefly looks the skeleton in what would of been eyes. Sockets? Whatever. There is still a hint of sorrow in her own voice. "I know you can no longer comprehend it... But I'm sorry. I will always be sorry."

Then her expression tightens back up into a grimace. "But I once told Gabriella to remember Author for whom he had once been, not the monster he had become... And I will do the same for you, my friend."

The longbow's arm erupts briefly in flames, but it is enough to force the skeleton back and away from her.

The flames continue for a moment, then draw away from the bow and into the arrow that Shiruba notches and draws taunt in it as she turns back to Sylver. "Well, com'n." Shiruba was normally not a mean person, but she was angry, and an angry wolf gave no shits about being nice or pleasant, and a more savage side was starting to show itself in the taunts. "I thought you wanted to kill me... Or did it dawn on you that doing so would mean you would have to deal with the -rest of them-, even more pissed off than I am."

She fires in the other Huntress' direction, the arrow erupting into a billowing conflaguration midflight.

    Setsuna looks at the undead lander as he stares intently for a moment a thought teasing his mind and even more so the words of Merek hitting him. Save her. It was an idea, it was a good idea, it was also near impossible. Glancing over he sees Shiruba finally begin to hunt her prey and he looks back at the woman. Raising his hand into the air as he begins to summon thunder and lightning down upon Gabriella. At the moment he really was considering what the best option was and it was painted on his face .

As Kaydon manages to get saved from being overwhelmed by the were fangs and the rest of the group is wiped out, he turns his attention towards the leader of the undead, "That is it. I am done with this bullshit."

Others are dealing with the transformed Gabriella. That part of the mission might have been failed, but Kaydon was going to be damn sure that the huntress wasn't going to make it out of here.

He draws his Damascus Blade off of his back, and charges forward, lowering his shoulder to slam into the side of Sylver and hopefully knock her off balance, before unleashing fury with the keen edge of his weapon.

    Wisteria continues to skip side to side as she bounds along at accelerated speeds, pushing her werefang speed with air magic. Her sheathed blade not exposing itself until she reaches Sylver, and then she still isn't slowing, the blade flashing out, the black energies of the curse on her sword flickering out to tag the boss, the disorienting and stun effects of the massive slash seeking her out almost like their own beast.

    It is -fighting- time. Everyone's moving in, Shiruba has her eyes set on Sylver, and Arashi is focused on the same. Problem is, as she charges with the intent to introduce that 1.5 sword into their gut, she doesn't find a really good stride. The swing is a bit erratic, at best.

    "Setsuna! Can you try and capture Gabriella?" Merek offers then, while he nods a bit, noticing that people will weaken the woman. The man shifts the sword with him, while he swings the blade of flame into the undead. "I apologize." It looks like he does not want to kill the woman. "We can try and find a way to save her in the future!"

It's a pretty good thing Gwen has picked up a new shield and she puts Stormwind to uses once more the magical shield is able to take the attack allowing Gwen to keep herself safe for the momen and now comes what has to be done. The man she was trying to save was a vampire. What happened to gab was a lesser form of undead. Sylver is someone to deal with, yet right now? Gab's suffering has to be ended at this point. With that Gwen is upon what used to b Gab.

"DIVINE WIND!"

The gale of holy wind comes as the Sylph attempt to just savage what used to be Gabriella.

    "I have every plan /to/ kill you Shiruba." Sylver at last responds back. "I just wanted you to /be/ in the moment. Like I did. Feel my pain. My anger." There was something else she was going to say, but her lips part, before they close.

Then she has to play avoid and get smacked around a bit, much like Gabriella zombie is doing right now too.

Only difference is, Gabriella lets out another shriek, while Sylver focuses fully on Shiruba, "Author... This is for you!" Then fire the shot directly for the other huntress.

    Claws and teeth, teeth and claws , as Gabriella attacks at Setsuna and he can't seem to get away fast enough, his hp dropping quickly as he does his best to get away. Even hearing Merek's request to take her alive he is at war with himself over it. He knows that the truth of the matter but at the same time, there is something tantalizing to the idea of stealing once again from the queen. An archer ghoul to add to his forces, possibly could be turned to a banshee even. Setsuna looks at Merek and then at Shiruba for a moment before he puts his hand to the ground. "Ash and Dust, form the bones, another is needed to be bound. " With out another word from the ground raises up several bones as they try to bind and lock themselves on to Gabriella's body. As long as it holds the bones of the undead would hold her, and give her a nice bone corset to boot.

"Winter Warden!" Shiruba calls out, and the elements of the storm respond in kind. A bluster of cold northern wind and fog briefly blow, swirling around the wolfgirl to leave a layer of ice and mist around her. If one looks closely they might briefly even see the visage of a snarling wolf shadowed in the fog before it consolidates upon her. Sylver's strike still hits her hard, but the frosty coating crumbles away like ablative plating as it partially slows down the shot. As the frothing mists roll down and away again, there's big red 'injury' gashes in her left upper chest and shoulder. But her variation of Frost Armor kept what could of been a vicious and possibly lethal hit to one that was only extremely painful.

But it is nowhere near the pain Shiruba has already felt tonight. Sylver cut her deeper than any of her physical attacks could. The resiliance of both mind and body that Li Ho had taught her was the thing keeping her focused on the matter at hand instead of breaking down. Mourning came after the battle.
Right now the wolf was out for whatever passed for blood in the undead Salamander's rotting veins.

Sparks crackle around Shiruba's eyes. If she had a hammer instead of a bow it'd be a passing impression of a certain comic book thunder god when he's about to bring nature's wrath down on someone. Clearly she is not backing down, not at this point. Ears slant forward and her eyes narrow, all her senses focused on Sylver. "You can make me feel all the anger and hurt that you desire." Shiruba draws back on the string of her bow, without an arrow nocked in it. Not that she needs to, as the elemental properties of Thundersnow Howl provide one of electrified ice.

"But you will never make me anything -like- you..."

There is a thunderous crack from the longbow as it fires, winds howling as it screams towards Sylver, the arcane archer's weapon living up to it's name to a furious degree.

    Merek takes another of the strikes, man he is a bit distracted fighting this woman. The man notices that he will need to protect people. The Bandit King had told him, 'How can you protect others if you can't protect yourself?' The man nods a bit, then he will lift up a hand while he begins to hold it up to the sky, "I call upon the power of the nameless lost, those who wait in places that are remembered."
    The whole field will begin to glow, covering the people with a sanctuary of defense and healing, "EXECUTE: Healing Force Field!" Lines draw themselves upon the sky sigil and rain upon the party, filling them with the warmth and reminding them of a calm while he fights with the party.

This fight is really between Shiruba and Sylver, but Kaydon isn't about to just let his friend fight them alone. Not when there's still a chance to help.

Now Kaydon might not have any magical ability, but that doesn't stop him from being able to use sword artes. Channeling his anger into the damascus blade, the weapon glows with a black miasma, and he aims it at the vampiric huntress, "Time for a taste of your own medicine."

He moves with that trained precision, years of weapons training and physical training working well in this world, and delivers a pair of black slashes in an X pattern across the huntress as he passes by her.

    Wisteria spins once she's past Sylver as her hitpoints are given a bounce by Merek, she was almost ready to go defensive but that lift has her ready to continue. Her blade snaps into it's scabard as she takes up her stance. Fingers flicking through the runes to start. She breaths in as darkness gathers from her armor into her hands. "Have this... Nightmare Sphere!" she calls out releasing the swirling ball of cursed energies directly at Sylver.

    Another chance to get a shot at Sylver? You betcha. Arashi was still angry with her last attempt! After a thunderous dodge thanks to well timed lightning step, the war-horse was poised for a pretty good hit. With all their bluster, the mare decides to turn the blade to try and just deliver a pretty substantial beatdown, only to have yet another off chance moment. The lunge and the descent is disrupted as they spot Kaydon surging in. Not wanting to strike both of them, Arashi changes the direction of the swing in the last couple moments. It isn't going to hit nearly as hard as she'd like. Not Kaydon's fault, either! The dire-shire liked to fight from the shadows.

The battle rages on the attacks come and there is no sympathy in her heart for Sylver or their word she marches toward them triggering another power.

"ANCHOW HOWL!"

Green wind surrounded Gwen's body as she stalks towards them. The green wind surges from her body and she keeps going and now she's starting to chant as she gets closer.

"They who dwell aloft have spoken. Let their words echo in your empty soul. Ruination is come!"

A small sphere of holy light forms at Sylver's feet and then explodes in a powerful blast of holy magic. Gwen's still heading right at them.

    Sylver watches as her arrow hits and she smiles wickedly as she keeps on the move. Only to hear Shiruba's rage and that thunderous crack!

It wasn't long till an element energy bolt slammed into Sylver, cutting through her leg, as she yelled out in pain! The vampire huntress slammed down onto the ground, rolling across the field, before trying to get back up, but nearly failed to even do that. "... Bitch!" She yells out toward Shiruba.

This leaves her vulnerable to everyone elses assaults, from Gwen, Kaydon, and even to Wisteria. Along with whatever else may come! The combination knocks her back with cuts, blasts, and slamming her into a tree.

    She grits her teeth as she tries to stand, only to find her bow broken in the assault, "No..." She picks up a piece of it, before her eyes close tightly. Then she snaps them open with a snarl on her face. She rises to her feet and then draws out her two daggers.

Her form suddenly flickers, as if suddenly 'teleporting', but in truth she is now using her vampiric speed to cut across the battlefield in attempt to catch all she can her wake before her leg fully gives out on her.

    As for Setsuna he has his own hands full, as the Undead Gabriella goes right after him as his spell doesn't contain her and tries to bite directly into his arm!

    Wisteria just can't keep up with vampire speed, even as quick as a caerbannog is... and so instead she flicks out a quick MindShock spell to get the vampire off her groove and help open an attack opportunity.

    Anger. That is something that has always been channeled well by Arashi during the right moments. Two below-average attacks, followed by Sylver getting a strong strike in on them, despite their parry, has really got the pwny seeing red. "Enough damn games!" is roared out before the dire-shire vanishes into the shadows.

    She's paitent. She'll wait. The very -instant- that Sylver comes to a stop, Arashi breaks free of the shadows, coming down with the full force of both the blades she had available to her. "Welcome to The End~ "

It seems that Shiruba and the others have things well in hand. So Kaydon has to find himself a new mission, though it's pretty obvious what that has to be. He could just kill Gabriella. That'd be easy. But maybe it'd be too easy. Someone told him the other day to stop thinking about this like a game, and think about how his skills could be put to use outside of just hitting stuff.

He puts his sword away, sliding it into the scabbard on his back with a click, and pulls up something out of his inventory. From the looks of it, it's chain. Heavy steel chain, looks like it could be from a boat anchor or something similar. In his left hand, he pulls out his sledgehammer, "I hope to hell this works." He mutters to himself, before he rushes right at Gabriella. He swings the chain around, and careful not to hit her with it TOO hard, slings it out of his hand and around her legs.

Moving faster than he would usually do, he circles her several times in order to wrap her up with the chain, and then yanks hard on it to pull her feet out from under her. As soon as she hits the ground, he drives a spike into one end of the chain to pin it to the ground with the sledgehammer, and then repeats the process with the other. That should hold her, for the moment...Until someone smarter than him can figure out how to reverse this.

The healing wave flows through Shiruba's body, the red marks on her upper body fading. It as much revitalizes her spirit, a reminder of all the friends and support she has right now. That is still the one advantage over these fiends she will always have. True friends, not just allies forced by the control of another bigger fiend. She turns her head just enough to nod to Merek in appreciation, then back to the other Huntress. Who tears across the battlefield with speed that is tremendous and terrible.

Sylver's strike audibly cracks and sparks... and it grates against the reinforced arm of Shiruba's bow when she parries and pushes the salamander vampress away! "A real huntress is always aware of her surroundings." Blurring speed or not, Shiruba's attunement with her enviroment could hear and feel her movements through the air and predict what direction she was coming from.

As she turns to face where the woman comes to stop from her blitzkrieg assault Shiruba is already drawing an arrow from her belt quiver, rubbing her thumb against the shaft briefly to activate the runes already imbued in it. "I've been saving this one, just for you." She flicks the arrow between her fingers to grab it by the fletched end properly, nocks it in her longbow, drawing back and letting it absorb additional elemental energy from the magic weapon as she takes aim.

"Reap the whirlwind."

And fires. With the precision to thread between the attacks of her teammates, as they attempt to confuse and stagger the vampiress salamander. The arrow doesn't react with it's arcane charge until it strikes it's target.

Then explodes.

Not with fire or bombs, but with a tremendous surge of wind pressure, being releases all at once. The fury of the storm that's been brewing within Shiruba, manifested upon her foe in a terrible tempest of topical storm levels of force.

    Setsuna is surprised as his bones break and is jumped by the ghoul and bitten and damn does it hurt. He cries out in pain as he pushes her off him and stubles back, grabbing at his shoulder. " Damn thing bit me, at least the vampires bite nicely. They sharpen there damn teeth." Setsuna is joking but his face keeps a serious look as he stands up straight and draws his dagger. He is about to move in to put her down when the chains of metal bind her and he stops and stumbles back looking at Kaydon unsure of what has happened. So he turns to the others and then looks back at Gabriella, contemplating before he moves in still to strike her with his nice and while her movement slows it will not last. No Setsuna can not seem to keep a grip on her.

    Merek looks to the people fighting with Sylver, he doesn't want to deal with that, even though he doesn't want to see people killed, what she did to Gabriella. If they can't manage to contain the woman, they won't be able to do a lot. Well, this is the only chance that she survives, when Kaydon chains the woman up, and Setsuna tries to capture. The man notices that isn't working. He begins walking up while he shifts a hand to his waist.
    From that, he draws a chain while he takes a look to what... Well, was? Is, Gabriella. The man lifts that up while he speaks, that husky drawl of his thoughtful, "I'm not going to let anyone kill you. I can't lose anyone else, not even... Well." The man spins the chain around the woman while he begins to swing it, then he speaks, "YOU WILL LISTEN TO THE COMMAND OF MINE, YOU WILL BEHAVE, AND YOU WILL ALLOW US TO TRANSPORT YOU!" The man charges all of his willpower into it, contesting the woman. This is all that he can do, she will be wild, she will need to be locked up, she will be alive. Was that really the best option, well.

    Sylver already knew that this mission was a suicidal one if she failed. There was no way to get home that the adventurers would not find her eventually.

There would be no reinforcements...

She was alone...

And she would die alone.

    Arashi comes down with both blades, ripping into the Hunter Vampiress, as Wistera's mind games cause her to nearly loose her balance on her already bad leg.

That leaves Shiruba. The very one she came here to hunt. Her eyes soon go to meet Shiruba's. Her teeth grit tightly, but when the arrow hits. Sylver actually smiles. "...Author... maybe we will see one another in another life...." She whispers out before the arrow explodes, sending her digital pixels in a burst of glowing wisps that slowly rain down.

    As for Gabriella however, Kaydon suddenly goes to chain up the undead ghoul and slams her to the ground. She growls, screams, and tries to get herself free. Struggling and struggling. For now-- the undead is contained.

Setsuna tries again and she snaps her teeth and lets out a loud shriek, yet here comes Merek who grabs her by the chains that Kaydon used and gets right in her face. Those undead milky white eyes go wide and she-- shuts up. For now. Though as he looks away, she goes to try and bite him, till he glares back at her.

    This won't end badly....
        Nope.
            Not. At. All.

    Finally. The proper bite of a blade into an enemy she had set eyes on. When Arashi lands, and the weapons are tucked away, she seems rather satisfied. That gets derailed, right away, at the sight of this woman being channed, tamed, and bent to the will of another. ... Frown.

    Without a word, the warhorse slowly makes her way across the area, slowly pulling the shorter blade that Kaydon had lent her. She has eyes on the person once known as Gabrielle, but those angry eyes turn toward Merek a moment later. "You," she points the dagger at Merek, her eyes pointing two more. If looks could kill... "I want you to think about something. I don't even know this person, but I do know they were important to Shiruba. I want you to really, really think, about what they are going through right now. They have been turned. They are a shadow of their formerselves. They are a monster that has no idea how the world works any longer. And rather than put them out of their misery, you have sentenced them to linger on as.." she makes a motion, looking disgusted, "as this." she looks back. "So I really want you to think about one thing. If it was you that was turned into this? ... Would you -really- want to linger on like that? Life over, but forced to continue? With your body nothing more than a holding cell? No senses, no thoughts, just buried in a shell of what you were?" She leans in close. "I'd rather die."

    Her words said, the dagger is put away as she wanders off. "If she hurts anyone, that blood is on you."

    Setsuna watches Merek and frowns a little. She may be willing to go him, but he knows how this is going to go. For a momet he even tightens a grip on his dagger ready to just end the struggle others are going to go through. So all he can do at the moment is move towards Shiruba and looks at her before looking at Gabriella. " Your alliance mate, your town , your ward. What is it you really want done with her?" Originally he had never considered capturing her but greedy eyes and a cry for help had fogged his view, however Arashi had a point.

    Wisteria moves along at a walk, the battle done, her ears fade away along with fang and fur to leave her just a tall albino girl in dark armor. "I haven't had a chance to see if perminent curses like undeath can be reversed... or even if they truely are curses rather than just a status condition." she chews her lower lip. "It's something that kind of bothers me a bit. I realy want to know more about curses that stem from older magic and what seperates a curse from other status effects. It isn't as if she died... her hitpoints never fell to zero... but now she's undead."

    Merek looks then to Gabriella, while he thinks about the whole of the situation. He nods a bit to Setsuna, and to Arashi. "We've... Watched, while an Adventurer. Was turned into an undead. Whatever the case, if we can save her, we can save anyone else like that, we can save Adventurers. I will make sure we find a place that we can take her in the Lands. Shiruba, I will think it is your call though. We've at least managed time to consider it," he keeps focused, he's been committed to it, he can't turn away from it while he keeps the woman from fighting along with the party.

Gwen does not give Sylver another look as she turns around to see that rather than be put down Gab is now captured.

"Why do you prolong her suffering look let's just end it here before somethign goes weong. Whatever is behind this could use her as eyes and ears for all we know and it s general risk."

She is not making a move to attack but she does not look happy about this state.

"It's on your head if this explodes on us."

She then heads over to Shiruba...

Kaydon sits on the ground, hands on his knees. He's breathing a little hard from the effort to chain down Gabriella. He can hear everything that the others are saying though, "I understand the concern from both sides." He says, quietly, "But if there's a chance, no matter how small, to save her, to save everyone who's been transformed by these vampire assholes, we need to take it."

He pushes himself up to his feet, and looks at Merek, "I know you and I don't always see eye to eye, but on this one I think we do." He understands where Arashi is coming from though, he really does.

Sometimes it hurts to not just take the easy path.

They did it. They actually destroyed one of the Undead Generals. She had come close before, but Author had managed to slip away at the last moment. This time, she didn't let that moment happen. If only it could be under less harrowing circumstances. But it can be done.

Shiruba watched the pixels scattered into the aethers. It wasn't quite the brilliant victory she had hoped for, but... she'll take it. She bested the other Huntress, by utilizing the advantages she had the monster did not. Mainly having actual support and not just minions to control.

Speaking of monsters...

Shiruba doesn't even look back to the other group. She doesn't want to. She can hear enough of what's going on, she doesn't want to see it. Instead she just sighs a long slow sigh as she bows her head. "Merek, your heart is in the right place... but you're kind of an idiot sometimes." There isn't any anger in her voice though, just tiredness. She's tired of all this, and with the fight over, some of the emotions she's been keeping down are starting to flow past the furious inner storm that was driving her. "That's not even her any more. It's just an empty, moving shell."

Shiruba looks down, pulling a second less elaborate bow out of her inventory and staring at it. The one Gab had dropped when she was abducted. The one she had been training with, because she wanted to be a hero like the man she remembered, not the terrible thing he was.. that.. "This is all that's left of the -real- Gabriella. I'm sorry, my friend. I'm... sorry..." It's quickly put away, as it's apparent with the rush of battle and anger fading the other emotions starting to get to her. "Sorry isn't good enough... but it's all I have."

Then her voice does tick up in firmness. "You find someplace to put it -away- from Shibuya, or where any Landers can be endangered. You mean well... But I will not have this turn into another -incident-." She doesn't have to specify, everyone should get what she means, as she turns her head just enough to look over her shoulder. "If it escapes, I -will- hunt it down and destroy it myself."

Shiruba... just starts to walk away solemnly. "I need time. To cope.... and prepare." She's can feel her grip failing on what she's been holding back, and she doesn't want the others that look up to her as a friend and leader to see it.

    Setsuna listens to Shiruba and well it's not the complete answer he was expecting. So Setsuna takes a slow breath and nods his head, he says nothing else as he begins to walk away before his shoulders drop and he looks back to Merek. " It's not going to go as well as you think. You'd be better with a warrio's funeral for her." With that Setsuna begins his walk back to where he chained his mount. It was a win, overall even if it was bloody and messy he'd count it as a finger cut to the queen today.

    Merek looks over to Setsuna and speaks to him, his voice unusually calm, "Do you have enough undead fully captured to experiment, and discover a cure, or work towards that?" he asks.

    Wisteria chews her lower lip. "I'm willing to investigate... but I'm not the necromancer." she says looking to Setsuna.

    Setsuna stops as he looks at his knight for a moment and takes a deep breath spreading his mind a bit thin. " I chose what I stole from the queen very carefully. I have been looking for a cure for seven months now and I haven't stopped yet. " A loud whistle is given as his mount rides up with the knight on top of it as he climbs on. " If I thought I could save her before she didn't have a body to return to I'd have said so. I would flaunt it and rub it in the queens face. I told you what I would do for her. Even if I had captured her tonight I would have simply given her a proper ending. " WIth a kick he turns his dire wolf towards the direction of the nearest port and rides off, to set sail back to Ninetails.

    Merek nods a bit to Setsuna, and looks back then to Gabriella. Why did he do it? Well, that's why perhaps. There's something that will be gained from it. "You know Gabriella. We didn't talk a lot, I know Shiruba well, is your friend. You be well alright, I'll say goodbye to you as well." Between the biting and looks his own mental control begins to shift away. He can't keep that up, he then takes a look to the glove which he places upon the hilt of his sword, which he draws from the sheath.
    He is not a lander, but he offers a song, he doesn't know what it means, only that it is sung in rememberance of those that are fallen. He is a member of the Cult of the Lost. This is a task he must do. He must understand, sometimes death is a release, not a burden. "Wee yea ra enne ar fee, ar dor, ar ciel," he lifts up the blade with both hands of his. His mind goes back to the funeral for his fiance'. Why wasn't he there to protect her. What did it all mean. Was she killed only for him to end up in this world, far away. His mind falls away to a peace, a look then to Setsuna while he begins to ride away, and to Wisteria. Then he takes a look and meets the eyes of Gabriella. "You find peace." Then he draws the blade into a clean strike with skill, right through her, tears coming from the eyes while he watches, staying there even while she will begin to digitize into pixels. "Forgive me," he voices, the husky drawl of his voice noticed while he waits. Then, when it is finished, he just watches the sky with the party.

Shiruba hasn't gotten far enough away yet that she can't hear. When the singing reachs her wolven ears perk up, and she glances over her shoulder to see...

"Thank you," it's barely a whisper, but it's there.

Then resumes her departure.

Gwen thinks to follow Shirubna but get her sister need some time and so she'll head another way as she hears the singing on her own departer. This world ... isn't a game. It can't be a game...