Several ice poles connecting one’s head to another, then the other, further and more. Crying woman and children, pleading for their lives as they are dragged by unknown force. The masked woman, Cindy, uses her telekinetic power to make them comes closer to the sharp pole.
[Woman 1]: “P-Please! Don’t do this!”
[Woman 2]: “No, Noooooooo!”
*STAB*
[Woman 1]: “Pleaseeeee…”
Their plead fall on deaf ears, she never stops until all of them are connected to each other. Once they do, they’re all gather in the air and mashed together. Staying there as she shifts her attention to the entrance of their hide out. Hovering past dead men and women all the way to the very end where a man without limbs lies on a pedestal of ice.
[Cindy]: “Now, where were we?”
[Cindy]: “Ahh, what was it called again? Optum Simucrum?”
[Deadhead]: “You monster.”
[Deadhead]: “No matter what you do, I shall endure. But know this, such treasure will never fall to the likes of you.”
[Cindy]: “If it doesn’t fall to me, it will fall to one much worse.”
[Deadhead]: “You say I shall cave in to the lesser evil because a worse one exist? Is that your excuse to justify what you have done?!”
[Cindy]: “I don’t need any form of justification to what I do. I will do whatever it takes to survive.”
[Deadhead]: “Survive… from what?”
She nded. Coming close to his eyes.
[Cindy]: “Unless you think a survivor is much worse than conquerors, I would suggest that you start talking. I’m running out of time, and I’m not about to waste it on you.”
[Deadhead]: “Do your worse.”
Retracting herself slowly, the straw doll on top of her bandages changes its appearance. Dark and icy. The deadhead watches every part of her movement. Squeezing her fingers under the bandages on her neck, when she pulls it up, darkness burst out of her. The man’s eyes widened as his entire body is consumed by it. Everything is pitch bck.
[Deadhead]: “Wh-What is this?”
He couldn’t even see his own body, but then a shattering voice unnervingly ringing in his ears at enough volume for one to deafen them.
[???]: “Wha-(*)*/.’;t oooooossssssss//// h,mmm[]-=:/./ this… for meeeeeeeeeeeeee,.;[\];;?”
The man gasps.
Meanwhile, unseen from the puddle on the ground is pitch-bck darkness outside retracting itself into Cindy’s neck. Wriggling inside before it starts to settle.
[Cindy]: “Hrmmm… a dead head is still a mess as always. It is impossible for me.”
[Cindy Puddle]: “Get back in.”
[Cindy]: “Hmm…”
The straw doll returns to its original form.
Inside the pitch-bck darkness, the man is shivering. Although he cannot see it, the creature in front of him has been cutting his neck over and over again simply by moving its stick for a hand like a scissor, but then, it disappeared and a woman with a bck hair appears before him. Still shivering in fear, the woman’s head turns into an indescribable creature that gorge the man. Instead of trembling, afraid, he has been put into an endless and a different degree of pain.
*Burp*
[Cindy]: “Hmm, I didn’t actually eat him, right?”
[Cindy Puddle]: “You mean him entering your stomach? No.”
[Cindy]: “Weird.”
[Cindy]: “I’ve got it though. Let’s look for it when we have a chance.”
[Cindy Puddle]: “A nexus-rank item would prove very useful, but time we don’t have. One more thing. If you simply just wish to use my power for such a short time, it is best if you just learn it yourself. Although only a short passage for you, holding Scissor off is quite… excruciating.”
[Cindy]: “Reminds me ter… when I survived.”
She flies to the surface, swinging her hand and command magic to strengthened the ice poles before connecting all three together. Right over her shoulders is the companion who has dealt with the unconscious nomad, now lifeless as his limbs drops on the ground.
Countless number of elves, dark elves, wood creatures, and air elementals, all lowered their body to welcome Cindy and Sis as they stride on the paved road with their spoils towards the castle. Three entities await them. Two demi-humans, and a monster.
{Era Windwhisper / Rank: Eternal / Approximate Level: 6000+ / Shadow Elf}
{Lyra Silverstream / Rank: Transcendental / Approximate Level: 3000+ / Gaia}
{Magnus Grimfang / Rank: Transcendental / Approximate Level: 3000+ / Blood Dragon}
{Sis Shadowbane / Rank: Transcendental / Approximate Level: 3000+ / Human}
{Cindy / Approximate Rank: Mythic / Approximate Level: 200+ / Human?}
A spark of joy in Sis’ faces the moment his eyes met the elf, Lyra, and the draconic humanoid besides her. Coming over to her all-tipsy hops as he approaches them.
[Sis]: “Hey, hey, heeeeyyyy, look who’s back from the dead.”
[Magnus]: “Hmph. Quite the spoils you’ve got there. Travelers, huh.”
[Sis]: “Yep, all 2000 or so of them. There’s a nomad in one of that ice, guarding them. And boy let me just tell you, he was strong.”
[Magnus]: “With your standards? I doubt he’s amount to much.”
[Sis]: “Oi!”
[Lyra]: “You look… rough, Sis. How about a healing?”
[Sis]: “Ahh, it’s nothing really, but it would be appreciated, my dy!”
She giggles. Letting the side of her stave touches his shoulder. Bright nature-like energy gathers to every part of his wounds, healing him. Magnus gnces over his shoulder, Cindy hovering in the air to match Era’s line of vision.
[Magnus]: “So, that’s the new member I’ve been hearing about.”
[Sis]: “Yep. She’s not really that strong, well, as in strength strong, but being incredibly useful is what got her favored by Xander. She’s also the one who pulls you out of the mine.”
[Magnus]: “Hmm…”
Era clenches her jaw as she gres at the location where Cindy’s eyes lie.
[Era]: “In front of their superior, one usually kneels before them. And yet, not spending the courtesy to even stand before them?”
[Cindy]: “…”
[Era]: “…”
Her eyes darkened as her irises mimics the moon, powerful aura unleashed towards Cindy, but she remains without as much as lifting a finger.
[Era]: “You,,,”
[Era]: “Trying to make a fool out of me, mage?”
[Cindy]: (head tilts), “Sorry?”
Grinding her teeth as her eyes widened.
[Era]: “Fine. Report.”
[Cindy]: “Ahh, I’m sorry, I report to Xander only.”
[Era]: “Sis!”
[Sis]: “!!!”
[Sis]: “Y-Yes, madam Era?”
[Era]: “Who do you answer to?”
[Sis]: “Uhh, that would be you, madam.”
[Era]: “Then why is this puny insect who’s supposedly following you is not answering me?”
Sis recoils by confusion and uncertainty, look towards Cindy, but she does not make a move nor does she make any suggestion by the use of her body nguage.
[Cindy]: “If you wish for a full report, madam Era, simply asks Sis about the matter. I must make my report to Xander, and him only.”
[Era]: “Nghhrgh.”
She turns towards the double door and the guardians open it as she enters with Cindy following behind. Such short interaction sparks hesitant to three others who follow shortly after. A grand room that encompasses majesties, one that should have bloomed under the sun, now solemn by the dark tempest outside. The Throne Room. One standing beside the majestic throne, a rge build of air elemental, fully armored, masked, and crowned.
{Xander Bckwood / Rank: Ethereal / Approximate Level: 10000+ / Tempest Elemental}
All but Era lowered their body in his presence, Cindy on one knee.
[Xander]: “Stand.”
She nods. The elemental shifts his attention completely towards Cindy.
[Xander]: “Did you run into any trouble?”
[Cindy]: “None, sir.”
Era with a face full of disgust looking at her.
[Cindy]: “2048 Travelers are all accounted for, including the ones fled from the capital. There were 280 guardsmen, many were dealt with by Sis, and there was one individual that stood out among them. A nomad, which has promptly been dealt with by him also.”
[Xander]: “The one who covets these travelers. Hm, did you find anything else?”
[Era]: “There must be a deadhead among them.”
Xander gnces at Era, and Cindy as well.
[Cindy]: “There were traces of deadhead, indeed, but neither of us encounter them.”
[Xander]: “And you didn’t track them?”
[Cindy]: “Unfortunately, I ck the ability to do so. I believe madam Zara Nightsong would be the perfect fit for that task, and perhaps dy Ael, with her abilities to communicate with animals and pnts, would be suitable as well.”
[Xander]: “Hmm, I’ll ask them.”
[Era]: “Lies! She’s lying, Xander!”
[Era]: “There’s no way she noticed a deadhead was there and do nothing about it! She must’ve look for them and hid them when she found it. You know how precious a deadhead is! I bet she didn’t even tell her partner about it. Well, Sis?”
[Sis]: “Huh? Uhh, well, I didn’t see any, but yes… she didn’t.”
[Era]: “See?! Don’t you see how suspicious it is that she didn’t tell him about the deadhead, Xander?”
He turns to Cindy, all eyes on her, but she simply shrugs.
[Era]: “You,,,”
[Xander]: “Enough, Era.”
She was close to unleashing her energy again.
[Era]: “Why can’t you just see, Xander?! You even gave her a position to safeguard the treasury and you know what she did not long after she’s there? She stole one of our treasures!”
Sis jolted, and Xander notices that.
[Xander]: “Has that reassure been returned?”
[Era]: “Of course not! She’s a lying thief, and you know what they do! They can only lie!”
[Xander]: “Then I command you to return the treasure you stole, Cindy.”
[Cindy]: “…”
She opens the back of her hand, signaling Sis. He stealthily draws the said treasure, the Tempest Spear, out of his dimensional storage and with his ability, transform the sword into a small needle and flick it towards her hand. She feels it stuck on her palm. No one but Xander notices it. Cindy then summons her dimensional storage and Sis dispel the magic within the needle, turning it into a spear as she pulls it out the space.
[Era]: “See that?! She stole your spear, Xander!”
[Xander]: “Hmm, do you have anything to say for yourself, Cindy?”
She presents the spear as she kneels on one knee.
[Cindy]: “I was just borrowing it for a bit. Thought I might need it.”
[Era]: “Hah?!”
As he takes the sword “You borrowed it? And, was it of any use?”
[Cindy]: “Yes.”
[Xander]: “Very well. For this crime, you will receive your punishment afterwards.”
Slight tremble, one of which Era and Xander notices.
[Cindy]: “Yes, sir.”
[Era]: “Heh, serves you right.”
Xander gnces at Era, seeing her smirk of satisfaction.
[Xander]: “Now that it’s settled. First of all, I understand your worries, Era, but her loyalty to Lerusagon has been proven time and time again. If you wish to prove her disloyalty towards her majesty, bring forth evidence just as substantial. Otherwise, I will not tolerate discourse made among us, even from you.”
[Era]: “Tch, fine.”
[Xander]: “Anything else you wish to report, Cindy?”
[Cindy]: “…”
[Cindy]: “Yes. Perhaps something slightly more important than a deadhead.”
All eyes turn towards her.
