Old World Monsters Act One: Of Pagans

[The Silence and I]

John comes back to life, standing and adjusting the sword at his side, and walks over to the gate. He can make out several dim figures near the explosion's center and he stands in place for a moment before walking out along the land bridge towards these people.

As he approaches to a distance which allows easy sight through the night air he calls out to the gathered people:
"Ho! What is the situation here?"

For a moment he turns his attention to the one he does not recognize:
"My greetings, fair lady. I am John Smith, might I know how you came to be here?"

[Marcao]

[Italian] “A great deal is said about your family Lady Jhelian.â€

[LadyTevar]

[quote][Italian] “A great deal is said about your family Lady Jhelian.â€

[Charon]

The proper Manfred worked quickly to move the ebb and flow of water around him to shield him from the ice-shards, he pulsed water out away from him in a shockwave in the Evil copy's direction. If manfred was fast enough, it would deflect the shards, and then he could use the pulse in a counterattack by sending a wave up to grab and freeze the Copy's feet.


....

Manfred did not respond, save to speak in what seemed to be magical incantations. In two nearly silent voices, shouting back and forth, each at the other.

The other Manfred leapt away from the water again as the shockwaves leapt for his feet, using the air it launched itself into the air and landed upon it's precipace again. The other was clearly beginning to tire from the exhertion now, but this was the hardest it had ever fought Manfred, and the longest.

"Well, this is a right good fight huh? You still seem ta think you can beat me. Well I've got news for you!" The other's eyes were beginning to bug out of his head as he screamed louder and louder. "You can't beat me! I'm God! You hear me you sick sack of shit?! I'll bring you down! I'll bring this whole world down! And then... then I'll reshape it. And it'll be just how it was supposed to be!"

The other dug his hands deeply into the rock at his feet and began to scream a long line of incantations.

----------------

In the real world, the earth around Manfred began to buckle and twist as though it was the sea during a tumultuous storm, though Manfred never sank or wavered at it's center.

[rhoenix]

It took a few moments for Agrilos to reach a decision, though the factors of why it took him as long as it did to reach a decision weren't readily apparent. At last, he turned to Francisco, and addressed him with a calm smile, though there was a small hint of wariness in his eyes. "[Italian]I thank you for the offer of transport, but I will meet you and Per in the town proper.[/Italian]"

With that said, he got up, dusted himself off, and found that he felt much better now. Turning to John, he spoke in his curiously accent. "[German]It looks as if the Mage Francisco has things well in hand. Shall we rejoin everyone back in the town?[/German]"

After making a last-second check of all his belongings, he offered his arm to Jhelian with proper manners, and a mostly gentlemanly smile. "[Italian]M'lady Owl, would you care to walk with me back to town?[/Italian]"

[LadyTevar]

After making a last-second check of all his belongings, he offered his arm to Jhelian with proper manners, and a mostly gentlemanly smile. "[Italian]M'lady Owl, would you care to walk with me back to town?[/Italian]"

Take your arm, when we have not yet been properly introduced? What impudence!
He was wounded... perhaps he is not thinking straight?
*hmph*

Shyly, Jhelian took the offered arm. {Italian} "Forgive me ... I did not catch your name, m'lord."

Your mother would have a fit.
My mother would have both of them vying to escort her, merely by batting her eyes.
It is good you are not your mother then.
........ indeed.....

[rhoenix]

Shyly, Jhelian took the offered arm. {Italian} "Forgive me ... I did not catch your name, m'lord."

Her hesitancy made him think for a moment - and then made him suddenly realize that Italian women were used to different customs. Well, that, and she was right - he'd never formally introduced himself.

So, his eyebrows raised in surprise, he withdrew his arm and bowed formally. "[Italian]My apologies, m'Lady Owl for not offering it. I am Agrilos Menshir, hailing from Ireland. I am honored to formally meet you.[/Italian]"

That done, he again extended his arm in an unspoken offer, a twinkle of humor now in his eyes.

Depending on how much she knew, she would either grow thoughtful at seeing his rather young-looking self with silver hair and eyes, unheard of in Ireland...or she out of all the visitors to this small German village might begin to suspect what he was. After all, as far as he knew, those who could change their form and/or use magic tended to pay attention to other beings that could as well. He did in general, anyway.

[LadyTevar]

That doesn't sound like Irish.
Doesn't it?
No. It doesn't. He's also too young for white hair.
His eyes are light as well....
Say nothing. Be cautious.
Very well.

Jhelian smiled at him and took the pro-offered arm. {Italian} "I am most pleased to meet you, Mr. Menshir," she said, allowing him to start escorting her to the town. "I have cousins who have traveled to England and Ireland... they say it is a lovely place."{Italian} Her words and actions were as polite as if she were attending a garden party, not out in the middle of a burning forest after a battle.

[rhoenix]

It was strange how quickly Jhelian's words reminded him of home, and of the necessary intrigue thereof. The urge to not reveal what he was unnecessarily was a lesson firmly planted within him when he was young by both of his parents, for many reasons. Humans tended to fear what they did not understand, and a good number of djinn presented themselves as enigmatic as a matter of course. Worse yet, his being born and raised by djinn of different elements necessitated that he not reveal his origins too freely as well. The Wind Djinn were rather forgiving of such things, his mother had told him. The Fire Djinn however, from what his father had told him, were not as accepting.

Nevertheless, he was now in the company of mages, trolls, a vampire, and possibly others as well - perhaps he didn't need to be as cautious. On the other hand, old lessons and habits were hard to break. Besides, the first time he had to take wing and turned into a peregrine falcon in front of witnesses, they'd figure out what he was pretty quickly, if the observers in question had the vision of mages.

"[Italian]Ireland has a wild beauty to it that my parents still commented upon. It became their new home when they emigrated there from their former homelands after getting married. My mother in particular said she felt a strong draw to the wild places of that island. England was just as pretty, she said, but less...wild.[/Italian]"

Which was true, actually. He was simply leaving out...certain details, like his parents wanting to severely reduce the likelihood that they'd be found by other djinn on accident.

"[Italian]Tell me of your homeland of Italy if you would, Lady Jhelian - I've heard many things about that country.[/Italian]"

(EDIT: Forgot language tags)

[Shark Bait]

Per felt weight less as he drifted through an uncontious haze, it was very unsettling feeling, his whole body hurt and his stomach churned as he rose out of his dream like state. He could hear people talking near him but none of it made sense. [norse]Well that plan did not work out so well[/norse] he tried to say out loud but was fairly certain it came out as a gargled moan. He felt as though he was becoming some how more solid and attached to his body.

Per tried to sit up and only succeeded in rolling to one side and curling up a little groaning again. His head spun and he slowly struggled to get his legs beneath himself, [Norse] definitely worst plan ever[/norse]

[Comrade Tortoise]

The proper Manfred worked quickly to move the ebb and flow of water around him to shield him from the ice-shards, he pulsed water out away from him in a shockwave in the Evil copy's direction. If manfred was fast enough, it would deflect the shards, and then he could use the pulse in a counterattack by sending a wave up to grab and freeze the Copy's feet.


....

Manfred did not respond, save to speak in what seemed to be magical incantations. In two nearly silent voices, shouting back and forth, each at the other.

The other Manfred leapt away from the water again as the shockwaves leapt for his feet, using the air it launched itself into the air and landed upon it's precipace again. The other was clearly beginning to tire from the exhertion now, but this was the hardest it had ever fought Manfred, and the longest.

"Well, this is a right good fight huh? You still seem ta think you can beat me. Well I've got news for you!" The other's eyes were beginning to bug out of his head as he screamed louder and louder. "You can't beat me! I'm God! You hear me you sick sack of shit?! I'll bring you down! I'll bring this whole world down! And then... then I'll reshape it. And it'll be just how it was supposed to be!"

The other dug his hands deeply into the rock at his feet and began to scream a long line of incantations.

----------------

In the real world, the earth around Manfred began to buckle and twist as though it was the sea during a tumultuous storm, though Manfred never sank or wavered at it's center.

OOC: I am sorry for the delay, I missed this post somehow

The real manfred's voice echoed through the mindscape.

"And I thought I was delusional" The evil manfred had left himself painfully open. In a wizard fight, one did not stop defending themselves in favor of long drawn out spells. That was one of the first lessons you learn. Speed.

Manfred launched himself up out of the water and rode upon a column of it

"Preona shest navok, prestalindari"

He reached out and pulled, pulled the air from the other wizards lungs, and tried to pull out the other Manfreds blood

[The Silence and I]

In her distraction, Francesco had walked away, leaving Jhelian alone with John Smith. She started to ask what he meant to do as he ordered .. Agrilos? So that was the young man's name! ... to walk to town if he could. {Ger}"Should we to town walk also?" she asked in her butchered German, looking up to John Smith in confusion, before looking sharply at Francesco as she felt him call magic.

"Seems pruden--I think that is good, yes."

Turning to John, he spoke in his curiously accent. "[German]It looks as if the Mage Francisco has things well in hand. Shall we rejoin everyone back in the town?[/German]"

John nods as a response but says nothing, being occupied peering into the night around him: the dark forms of the trees, the dancing light of the fires and the matching shadows, the light from the town's edge playing on the water of the moat, hopefully not anything threatening, etc.

He lingers until Per has been teleported and the others have receded beyond easy earshot and mutters under his breath: [Italian]"A simple pilgrim indeed. And Per was underfed as a child. No simple woman travels alone in a strange land after dark!"[/Italian]
He kicks at a stick with his boot toe and walks slowly back toward the town, at which point a faint rumbling can be heard from that location.
[English]"Son. Of. A. Whore."[/English]
John stands for a moment, undecided, and then leans forward into a fast jog towards the town gate, arriving there about the same time Jhelian and Agrilos do.

[Charon]

The real manfred's voice echoed through the mindscape.

"And I thought I was delusional" The evil manfred had left himself painfully open. In a wizard fight, one did not stop defending themselves in favor of long drawn out spells. That was one of the first lessons you learn. Speed.

Manfred launched himself up out of the water and rode upon a column of it

"Preona shest navok, prestalindari"

He reached out and pulled, pulled the air from the other wizards lungs, and tried to pull out the other Manfreds blood

The other Manfred's spell sputtered and cracked as the air was pulled from his lungs. The other had enough time to counteract the movement of his own blood, keeping it within his body, but the sudden pull was enough to break him, and with his eyes wide in madness, the other Manfred sank once again into confinement.

----------------

The guards were being exceedingly cautious around the giant armored man who had suddenly appeared in their midst and spoken in the language of the Vikings.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Manfred still had work to do. He had to open the Sphere of Magic he accessed earlier, in order to not have it sit and fester, driving him crazy. That part was relatively simple. All he need to was touch it.

He called it forward, and set his hand upon it, unlocking its power to be slowly released.

Then, he left his mindscape

....

Manfred woke up from his stupor, and quelled the turbulent earth around him. The shaking stopped, and Manfred was once again his usual, if somewhat eccentric self.

[LadyTevar]

"[Italian]Tell me of your homeland of Italy if you would, Lady Jhelian - I've heard many things about that country.[/Italian]"

{Italian} "What would you hear?" Jhelian asked in return. "Would you hear of the cathedrals and palaces, or of the great works left by the Romans, or of the wonders done by the painters and sculpters throughout the country? Would you hear of the universities, and the scholars and students who clog the cafes and winehalls with their knowledge?" The smile she gave was teasing, a gentle bragging on how cosmopolitan Italy was and will be.

What else she may have said was lost to the earth shaking. "What...?"{Italian} she exclaimed, her body tensing.

Magic!
I smell it, yes! From the town!

Without a second thought she dropped Agrilos' arm and ran forward, rushing across the moat, pausing to look around for the center of the disturbance. "Pater Magi...." she whispered as the earthquake ceased with a wave of magic. {Ital} "How many mages are in this town?"{Ital} . She turned to face the spellcaster, and saw only a befuddled-looking elder sitting on the ground.

Be wary... one that aged is infirm of mind
And far too strong in magic. Yet... perhaps I may ease his mind...
You? Why would he trust you, a child just come into her spells?
....

{Ital} "Are you well, goodsir?"{Ital}

[Comrade Tortoise]

[ita] "That depends on how you define the word 'well'. If by well you mean am I in good health, then yes, save for the wound on my shoulder. If by well you mean 'your other personality did not just try to take over and had to be beaten into submission inside your own mindscape' then no."[ita/]

The wizard looked up and saw the young woman, of course, compared to him everyone was young

[ita] "Oh, I must seem rude. My name is Manfred, out of Bavaria. And among my wizardly derangements, of which there are several, one is a certain... side, that must occassionally be put in its place, as I have just done. Much to the consternation of many I am sure.[/ita]

[LadyTevar]

There was a pause as the young Genoese lady looked down at Manfred, while having her own internal dialogue.
He's deep in the madness
Yes. Do you think... I could help him?
......... Just introduce yourself, foolish child.

She blinked, and made a belated curtsey. {Ital} "I am the Lady Jhelian Tahalshia, of Genoa. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mage Manfred."

[Comrade Tortoise]

[ita]"As much a pleasure on my end as yours Lady Tahalshia, of Genoa. I trust my compatriots are well, or did some not survive?"[/ita]

[Charon]

As Jhelian continued her conversation with Manfred she felt a pressure in her head, it was an early warning sign to the witch with mind magic that someone was trying to break into her mind.

[LadyTevar]

{ital} "I do not know of all your companions, sir," the lady answered politely, not yet realizing that Pers had already been transported inside. "I can tell you the two who were outside the gates are well, as is Francesco."

Jhelian frowned slightly then, her eyes going distant for a second as she felt -something- trying for her mind. A simple gesture to turn aside evil, a softly voices "Avert", and she shielded her mind from the other's probing. The magic she used to do so was slight and subtle.

[rhoenix]

"[Italian]Indeed," said Agrilos, walking up to Manfred. "Per should now be within the town walls, thanks to the rapid transportation of the mage Francisco, and though I've been better, I've also been worse.[/Italian]"

Noticing the inward, strange look Jhelian had on her face after she answered made Agrilos' eyes narrow. He looked around for anyone staring especially intently at her.

[Comrade Tortoise]

[ita]
"We need to get someplace safe, someplace I can ward. The earthmover was no mage, he was a Dwarfborn, but he has an ally that is fully of our ranks, one who can weaken our magics and... probably other talents..."[/ita]

[Marcao]

He hesitated for a moment after Per was swallowed into the gateway he had crafted before he turned and began to make his way back towards the town itself. He could have tried to utilize space once more but he saw it as a needless expenditure of might. There were others within the town itself that would require his aid before the day was done. His steps carried him at a brisk pace towards the town itself. Before long he was crossing the threshold into the town itself.

His head turned as he sought to determine where people had gathered. His eyes caught sight of movement, he moved further into the town itself and caught sight of the congregation that seemed to be gathered around the other mage. He hesitated for only a moment before deciding against approaching. It would be best if he did not have to deal with Manfred at this time, there was something about the mage's mannerisms that had changed.

His attention slid elsewhere as he approached a guard out of line of sight with the others.

"Where are the wounded? I may be of help to them." he said without modesty.

[Charon]

The spell that had been directed towards her had obviously been weak in nature, her own hastily summoned subtle defense easily knocked it aside and while the spell attempted a few more times to break through her guard it could not and dissipated.

Looking around, Agrilos could see a number of people, many of them commoners who had left their homes now that the fighting was over, watching them, among them a few were staring intently at the newcomer.

The guard had been putting out the last ashes of one of the fires that had been started in the town as Francesco came up to him. "Eh? The wounded have been taken to the butcher's home." The man paused as he seemed to realize that wouldn't tell the mercenary where they were being kept. "Uh, it's that house over there." The man pointed. "There should be a few of ours guarding outside so you can't miss it."

[The Silence and I]

Seeing that no attacks are imminent John slows to a walk within the walls and gathers his belongings, including the two pistols among those items, and strides off to the inn. Inside, he grabs the pack and staff he left there and retires to his room [OOC: see out of character thread].