The Darkwood Mansion in the Deep Woods

[Fenric]

Far to the south, away from the mountains and the wolf village, 50 miles from town, the woods grow dark and frightful. The ancient trees here crowd out the sun, and the forest floor is a maze of twisting roots, fallen branches, and decaying leaves. There is never a breath of wind among the massive trunks, and the atmosphere is oppressive with fear and gloom.

Deep within these deepest of woods there stands an enormous living darkwood tree that stretches to the heavens. It's black leaves shade out a clearing nearly a hundred feet across, and within the shade of the clearing the enormous roots create a myriad of caverns and hollows.

Inside is a majestic palace carved from the living darkwood of the mighty tree. It is a place of shadowy grandeur, with tasteful furnishings and fine art on the walls. The air is warm and comfortable, and the fear induced by the woods outside is nowere to be felt.

[DarkHunter]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/ttstocks/ElfMyobi.gif

*Myobi sits in the comfortable mansion in elf form, reading a book. mMyobu comes in, also in elf form*

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/ttstocks/mMyobu.gif

Good afternoon, dear Myobi. I apologize for being so scarce of late, but I've had a lot to do.

*Myobi rolls her eyes at him*

Can you just drop the suave act, already? Why are you keeping me here? You never ask any questions, you haven't made any demands, and you don't seem to have any particular agenda...

*mMyobu scowls for a moment, then grins evilly*

We just wanted you to be comfortable while we took care of some... business. I had hoped you would come around to being more friendly by now.

*Myobi rolls her eyes*

You mistake me for your sister

[Fenric]

*mMyobu appears again, bringing a flask and several glasses*

I've brought some refreshments

*Myobi looks up from her book*

Fine. I'm beginning to worry about this... why haven't they come to rescue me yet?

*mMyobu chuckles*

Maybe they don't know you're gone? My sister took your place, you know: Fenric is happily sleeping with his precious Myobi every night.

*Myobi goes pale*

No! That can't be true!

*mMyobu just laughs and hands her a glass of brandy*

[Fen3]

*mMyobu appears in a swirl of sulphorous flames*

Well, my dear, I just got back from spying on your foolish husband, and it appears that my plans have gone to tatters. They are coming, but they will not enjoy the reception they find here!

But first, I have business to finish with you...

*mMyobu grabs Myobi roughly and drags her away from the comfortable main room. She shreiks and pleads, but to no avail...*

[Kyrian]

In an amount of pure energy and awe that I don't think has words to describe it, Kyrian comes bursting through the front wall, entering into whatever room Fenric decides.

MYOBI?!

[Fen3]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/ttstocks/ElfMyobi.gif

*The terrified Myobi, still trapped in elven form, shrieks and screams as the tree threatens to collapse around her.

Kyrian hears it, in front and above him.*

[Kyrian]

Kyrian roars as part of the mansion starts to come down on him. Throwing his full, godly strength into it, he throws the section of wall away from him, and away from the rest of the mansion.

Myobi! Where are you?!

He rushes forward, into the next room, hoping to narrow down where she is.

[Fen3]

*Myobi's voice is much clearer*

KYRIAN! I'M HERE! HE TIED ME TO THE WALL!

[Kyrian]

Hang on! I'm coming up!

Kyrian takes to the air, and rushes straight through the ceiling, into the room above.

[Fen3]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/ttstocks/ElfMyobi.gif

*Kyrian finds Myobi tied to the wall, her robes in a pile on the floor. She is in tears and one of her eyes is swollen shut*

Help me...

[Kyrian]

Kyrian runs over to Myobi. With his right hand he start ripping the ropes from the wall. With his left hand, he lays it gently on her shoulder, and casts CMW on her, twice.

I'm here now sis....it'll be ok...

[Fen3]

*Myobi collapses onto Kyrian, crying. The tree continues to tremble, and loud creaks and cracking noises herald the imminent collapse of the entire trunk*

[Kyrian]

I'm going to teleport us back to the temple, are you ok with that, sis?

Kyrian holds Myobi defensively, protecting her from any and all falling debris.

[Fenric]

(( Giving up on the Fen3 account... ))

*Myobi nods as the walls splinter and the ceiling starts to come down*

[Kyrian]

Kyrian nods, and closes his eyes. A large chunk of ceiling comes down at them, and clips Kyrian just as the two vanish.

[Fenric]

*With a titanic, splintering crash, the largest darkwood tree in the forest collapses onto itself. The once magnificant mansion of evil is now a priceless lumberyard waiting for salvagers to come and take it away...*

[Fenric]

Kazuki sits among the tumbled timbers, lost and alone.

[Fen3]

A heavily armoured boot crunches in the undergrowth outside of the ruined mansion. The hum and tingle of powerful psionics ripples through the air.

[Fenric]

Kazuki looks up, startled and afraid. He starts to draw on his magic, even as he calls out:

Who's there?

[Fen3]

The footsteps stop, and Karl's voice speaks

Who else would bother to look for you? I thought that I had made a mistake in trying to get rid of that demon, but it turns out that I just hadn't gone far enough: Renrik should have been sent to get you, too!

[Fenric]

Kazuki's eyes narrow and he begins a spell

How much of that was really this "Bishamon", and how much was really just you? You're just jealous that you couldn't find anyone who could actually put up with your crap!

Kazuki finishes his spell, the effects of which are not immediately obvious. He takes refuge inside the tumbled lumber and begins another.

[Fen3]

A soul-blade bullet splinters several fallen timbers

How dare you! You miserable, pathetic excuse for a werefox! Your prissy, effeminate meddling let Loki free. Your whining let the dark powers very nearly claim the temple. And now your fraternizing with a demon cost us our parents, and very nearly cost both your wife and our sister!

How much worse does it have to get because of you? How much more does the world need to suffer your presence?

[Fenric]

Kazuki finishes his second spell, and sits in confused thought for a moment

Is this Bishamon again somehow? How can Karl be doing this? I've never known him to be so full of hate...

Another bullet splinters the wood around him, and he worms his way deeper into the jumbled heap, thankful that the darkwood is so remarkably dense and hard. He starts a third spell, and heads toward the outside of the pile, away from Karl.
[hr]

Izumi steps out of the shadows and starts to head for the huge pile of timbers, while trying to come up with some strategy to deal with the enraged werefox.

[Fen3]

Karl spins around to face Izumi

You! I should have figured this was all your fault to begin with. You're just as much of a demon as this Mikhail is, aren't you, shadow-freak?

Karl looks at his soul-guns and commands light

The weapons change subtely, and he fires at Izumi: bullets of blazing white radiant energy fly out at the startled shadow.

[Fenric]

Kazuki worms his way out of the back of the pile, only to see Karl shooting at his wife.

NO! You already killed Mikhail, do you have to kill everyone I love?

But, having prepared a fairly pointless Hold Person spell; Kazuki is once again forced to fail to help.

[hr]

Blazing radiant energy shreads Izumi's shadowy body and she fades into nothingness.

[Fen3]

Karl smirks as Izumi disappears, and then turns back toward Kazuki who seems to have a spell ready but seems to have chosen poorly. Karl raises his weapons and points at Kazuki's head. Canine Bone and Juniper

[Fenric]

Kazuki stands quietly

Is this really what you want, Karl? Is this what Kyrian would want of you? Is it all really that you wanted to kill me? Why didn't you just do that the first time, then?

Do you think this will bring Mom and Dad back? Do you think this will somehow make you better?

[Wukei]

The female Mikhail jumps in between Karl and Kazuki, his eyes glowing and the horns appearing on her head. You'll have to get through me first...and hope that you can kill me before I kill you. She has a second voice again, though the second voice still remains a deep male voice.

(There we go.)

[Fen3]

Karl's eyes go wide at the sight of the demon, and he grins

Life for life: thus I fulfil my duty

Karl adjusts his aim and pulls both triggers, then dispells his weapons and stands still.

[Wukei]

The bullets seem to pass through a dark fire and Mikhail pounches, her claws reaching for Karl's throat.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian appears. Put him down.

[Fenric]

One bullet is consumed utterly by the dark fire. The second is scorched, but still manages to be mostly intact and hits Kazuki in the shoulder. He falls in pain.

[Fen3]

Karl stands still as Mikhail's claws tear into his throat.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian casts CCW on Karl and sends a blast of force at Mikhail.

[Wukei]

Mikhail sneers at Kyrian as he grips tightly and yanks, attempting to rip Karl's throat out.

[Fen3]

Karl is healed, then his throat is torn out and his blood pours over Mikhail's hands. He mouths "I'm sorry" as the light leaves his eyes.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian rushes forward and drives his shoulder into Mikhail.

[Fenric]

Kazuki watches without really understanding, his shattered shoulder filling his mind with pain and his blood seeping into the ground.

[Wukei]

Mikhail stumbles back and growls. This is none of your affair.

She glances back to see if Kazuki is all right.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian draws Ebony and casts Greater Resurrection on Karl. It was, until you killed my paladin. Holy. He pulls the trigger, firing a holy bullet at Mikhail.

[Wukei]

Mikhail grimaces as the bullet enters his body. He...killed...me. It was vengeance. She steps back to try to get closer to Kazuki, her horns fading and her eyes glowing dimmer.

[Fenric]

Karl stands up and looks at Kyrian

Uncle Kyrian, please don't hurt Mikhail. I wanted him to do that... he deserved the chance to repay me for what I did to him.

Kazuki squirms over to Mikhail, gritting his teeth against the pain and casting a shadowy Cure Critical Wounds of his own on her.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian holsters his gun.

[Wukei]

Mikhail narrows her eyes at Kyrian and scoops up her lover in her manacled hands. She rushes back to the temple to get him cured.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian turns to Karl. You better have a good explanation for this.

[Fenric]

Karl looks sadly at Mikhail as he flees

As you should well know, Izumi cannot be harmed in her greater shadow form; just sent back to the temple.

You may well still want to hunt me down for this night: but do not take my sins out on my brother or anyone else in my family. I did what I did, not them.

He turns to Kyrian

My actions caused the death of many innocent people, uncle Kyrian: Some of which you are not yet aware of... I thank you for letting me serve you, and I'm sorry I couldn't do better.

Karl kneels down

I am ready to endure whatever punishment or penance you demand.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian's eyes slowly return to normal, and he looks at his paladin...no, his nephew. I can't.

[Fenric]

Karl looks up

I had to make it right, uncle... Or at least try to: Renrik killed him, and it was my money that did it.

Karl looks away

I want to go back to WinterHearth... I was useful there, and your gifts helped everyone. Here... I am out of place.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian offers his nephew a hand up. If it's where you have to be, then I can't stop you. But please, come visit. I do worry about you.

[Fenric]

Karl stands up

Of course I'll visit. And more often than I did before... if I hadn't been so caught up in my own little world...

Karl sighs

Enough of that.

(( And of this. I've got to get off to bed... goodnight ))

[Kyrian]

Kyrian smiles. It's going to be ok.

[Kyrian]

((Did you want any more of this Fen?))

[Fenric]

(( No, I think we'll call this little bit done: it served its purpose. ))