Roleplay

@Lallie ( I hope this is an okay way to start, idk how you want to create/divide up characters)

It had been a particularly cold afternoon. The overcast had lasted for weeks now, and yet there was still not a single flake of snow to show the beginning of the Winters Fall. It was around this time of year that the festivities would begin at the first sign of snow, delights of the season prefaced with a soiree in the palace courtyard then shifted to a massive feast in the dining hall. Though most kingdoms would see a party in the cold to be ridiculous, it was not here. The beauty of dancing in the snowfall was more than just a tradition, it was a sign of renewal to their lands. When the snow would come, it would wipe the slate that was their lands clean, and in the spring, all of their fields would bloom with life, providing for it's people yet again.

All had begun preparation for the Winters Fall. The livestock had all been fattened up for the feast, an assortment of animals ranging from pigs and cows to what they called a tree grouse. It was a large bird, twice the size of an average turkey, grey and yellow with black tail feathers, but it's meat was marbled like that of beef, making it a crowd favorite every year. The butchers son was in charge of feeding the animals this season, and he made sure to do his duties diligently. The palace had also been mopped and wiped down. Every inch had been made spotless after weeks of hand washing. The servants were hard pressed during the winter to keep the halls immaculate for their inhabitants. Thankfully, this time of year meant they would be able to take part in the great feast, and that gave them something to look forward to after their wrists had been made weary from all of the wiping. Beyond that, all of the horses had been groomed, the outer gates had been refinished, and the evergreens had been trimmed precisely. All were prepared for the snowfall.

But things were different that year.

The sun faded after another dreary day, and the people were still once again. Into the dead of night, about four hours before sunrise, there was a strange sound to the south east of the castle. It had a rhythmic chime to it, and it became louder every minute that past. The guards could hear it outside, but they could see nothing. Their castle faced a great wooded forest to the south that stretched to the ends of the horizon both east and west. Dalwin, one of the watchmen of the south gate, looked over at his comrade. "What the hell do you think tha-". Before he could finish, there was a tight pressure that filled his chest. He looked down to see the arrow protruding from his breast, before falling to his knees, and ultimately collapsing.

((@Phantom365 - Pinging the first response. I am also subbed now ^^ ))

((It's perfectly fine! I wasn't expecting a start straight away, but that's ok! As for characters, I am not fussy in terms of who plays what, I am also more than capable of playing multiple characters. I hope my response is just as ok! Let me know if you would like more))

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It had been a particularly cold afternoon and with the busy preparations of festivities it was also time for those with less than pure intentions to be out and about. There were several thieves out around the town surrounding the castle, trying to fill their coffers with coin or trying to retrieve items that would help through another cold and dreary winter. All in all it was both a successful day for the thieves that had managed to steal things and get away with it and a successful day to those guards who had managed to catch them in their acts and thus receive payment for services provided.

In a little alcove hidden on the rooftops, where three buildings met, was a small shack, built from bits and pieces scavenged from around the large town. The little shack was sheltered from the weather, which was quite a treat for it's occupant, especially since she lived on the rooftops. A young woman moved to sit down against the wall, pulling a leather satchel in front of her and beginning to pull out the items from within. Izzy had a good run that day and had managed to steal a decent sum of money, food and some other essential supplies to help her through the upcoming winter. She sighed and sat back, running a hand through her long dark brown hair, ruffling it slightly, the slight waves tumbling over her shoulders. Her piercing green eyes gazed out of her shack and to the town below, watching as people went about their business, oblivious to those who struggled. A small frown formed on her lips and brow and she looked away from the scene below, another soft sigh drawing forth from her lips as the sun began to dip below the horizon...it was going to be a long night.

Into the dead of night, about four hours before sunrise Izzy awoke with a start, her keen sense of hearing picking up the faint sounds coming from the south-east. She yawned and rubbed her head, getting to her feet and grabbing a number of daggers, strapping them to herself. It was cold and crisp morning, the chilly air going straight through her. She shivered, grabbing the only cloak she had and wrapping it tighter around herself, drawing the hood up over her head. A small part of her wondered why she was even bothering to check out, though another part of her couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. So she carefully made her way down from the rooftops, her well-worn boots dampening the sounds of her movements as she landed on the cobbled street below. She quickly took off in the direction of the sounds, her curiosity getting the better of her.

((Sounds good! Response is spot on! I am pretty open so we can just take on characters whenever it feels right :) LOVE green eyes btw) Realized that I made a name too similar to one in my original post, so I changed the one in the og post because I like it here :P)

Screams could be heard all throughout the barbican. Soldiers rushed to the front gate and to their positions on the battlements. In the blink of an eye, they were under fire. Arrows hailed like a mighty wave, knocking lines of men to their knees in a matter of seconds. Commander Kerridan, a tall, older man with a scar that rose from his upper lip, ordered his men to hold their ground, as they shielded themselves from the storm. Several minutes passed it seemed, as all were knelt under their shields, the sheer pressure of metal crippling their movements as they waited for the fire to cease.

Soon enough, as quickly as the rain of arrows had begun, they had stopped, and there was a chilling silence. "Men! I need my infantry lines in front of that gate, now!" With a heed to their commands, the bulk of the soldiers marched in a hurry through the portcullis, where they were able to exit the front gate and move into position outside of the ramparts. Those who were left on the battlements lined with their arrows and prepared the catapults for the next wave. Kerridan, on horseback followed by the cavalry, made his way out in front of the castle gates, joining the infantry who stood organized, ready to face whatever danger was lurking within the wooded labyrinth. Kerridan turned towards the surviving watchman, his usual stoic face now turned brooding, and locked eyes with him.

"What the hell did you see out here? Who is out there?!" Their kingdom had encountered several well know enemies in the past, rival empires that had attempted to infiltrate them, but to no avail. They had always been one step ahead, having the best spy network in all of Erikshona, but no reports had forewarned them of this. How could they have missed an entire army marching on the castle? The thought was an unsettling one, and it crossed the minds of everyone who stared into the black abyss of the forest.

The soldier, stunned, stared into the eyes of the commander entirely speechless. His face was was veiled by mortification, leaving him in a state of shock. Kerridan shouted, "Speak damn it! What did you see?!" The frightened soldiers lip quivered as he tried to speak, but not before the enemy burst out of the trees like wasps. What looked to be men one second soon became an image that struck horror into hearts of every man standing there. Creatures, the likes of which their lands had never seen, were pouring from the forest straight towards the castle. With no time to think, the commander raised his sword and lead his army into a charge.

Kerridan's second in command, William, was up on the battlements waiting for the right moment to issue orders. He was much younger than his counterpart, but he exhibited elite skill from an early age, making him destined to be a viable part in the kingdoms military, whether that was his chosen path or not. William scanned the battlefield, waiting for the enemy to come in close enough. He raised his hand, and with a simple wave, the kingdoms arrows began to strike the enemy's lines. From his position, he could not see the faces terror that swiftly approached their castle. It wasn't until he could see trees falling in the distance that his heart sank.

((Ahhh I am glad hehe ^^ Hopefully this next response is ok, trying to integrate and develop interaction between our characters. I will be adding another a little later, if that's ok C: and hehe that's ok, I don't mind))

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As she headed along through the winding streets of the city, Izzy picked up on the screams coming from outside the walls. The sounds of dying men and fighting echoed around the city, quiet at first but getting progressively louder as the fight went on. She noticed lights beginning to come on inside houses and buildings, people waking up to the disconcerting sounds, some even venturing outside to turn their worried gazes in the direction the commotion was coming from. It wouldn't take long for panic to settle in amongst the city-folk, which in itself is just as dangerous as an enemy army. She bit her lip as she went along, she could do nothing for these people, she was just one person, not that they'd listen to someone like her anyway. Though her ever so slight guilt at not helping them was quenched when she saw some others beginning to go around to people and reassure them that things would be fine. So she continued along her way for the barbican where the noises were at their loudest, curious and nervous about what she would possibly.

Upon her approach she an intense flurry of action as guards ran to and fro to get into position, she saw arrows being loosed by the military's archers and she saw men falling from arrows that came from the enemy side. Due to being on the other side of the wall she couldn't see exactly what it was they were facing, but the inhuman hisses and screeches didn't sound particularly promising. She again wondered why she was even here, what could she do? She was a simple thief, she knew how to sneak around undetected, she knew slight of hand and misdirection, she knew how to fight hand to hand and wield a dagger, though she was out of her depth in terms of full on battle. Izzy huffed heavily as she looked up to the battlements where William was shouting out orders, her head tilting to the side as she watched him. William...like all guards, she'd avoided him whenever she could, because well, she wasn't exactly on the right side of the law. Though she'd always admired his very apparent skill and prowess.

A sharp keening cry broke her out of her slight reverie and she looked to the wall, hesitantly approaching one of the towers and quickly climbing the stairs. In the chaos she was largely ignored, which was what she wanted, that and no one was really near the tower she had climbed up. She peered over the edge, her eyes widening at what she saw on the other side. It was nothing she had seen before, and she'd seen a lot in her lifetime, the enemies that were on the other side were horrors to say the least. A small movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw one of the enemies had slipped unnoticed through the defences, either that or it had gone around the long way. Whatever it had done it was here and it was nocking an arrow into place, taking aim. Her eyes shifted from it to the battlements and she had a fair idea who the arrow was for. She sprinted along, weaving through the guards who let out exclamations or irritation and surprise, heading straight for William. "WATCH OUT!", she quickly shoved into him, and just in time too. There was an audible 'Thunk' and clatter as the deadly sharp arrow hit the wall behind where William was standing before clattering to the ground.

(Yay! Perfect!)


Within all of the chaos ensuing, William was calm. He was trained for this kind of thing, so though things were as tense as they possibly could be, he was confident that they would prevail. He was in full concentration mode, scouring the battlefield and reacting accordingly, that is until there was a loud shout next to him and he was shoved aside abruptly by a figure that was certainly not one of his men. He could hear the ping of the arrow, but at the time, it didn't register that it had been intended for him. At that moment, he wasn't sure if he was grateful or just really ****** off. He stood up quickly, pushing her off and backing up until he was about a bodies length away and eyed Izzy down, unsure of why or how she even made it up there without being noticed. His blue grey eyes were piercing at her from under a furrowed brow, one of which had a scar in the corner. Sweat dripped from his hairline and down his helmless face. He didn't hesitate, and immediately stormed over to her.

"You're going to get yourself killed up here!" he snarled. Just as he spoke, a hail of arrows rose above the wall. William quickly threw up his shield covering the both of them for a brief moment, then pulling away towards his position. "This is no place for a woman!" His wavy, dirty blonde hair whipped around as he twisted his head to call out to the men on the other battlement. He continued to bark out orders, not giving another thought to Izzy and whether or not she was still there. He had a one track mind right now, and that was to win this battle and keep as many men alive as possible.

Izzy scrambled up to her feet after she had knocked William over, backing up a few steps as he too got to his feet. She looked to the arrow and then to him, noticing the intense gaze he was giving her. She huffed lightly, noticing that he looked positively livid, knowing she was about to be chastised. Not that it really bothered her, she'd been chastised many a time in her life. Her own piercing green gaze met his blue grey ones, holding his stare and matching him, not backing away, she wouldn't let this guy get to her in any way. As William stormed over and threw up his shield she flinched slightly and ducked down.

"A thank you for saving your life would be great", she snapped back as they straightened up after the volley of arrows. "Your head was about to become a pin-cushion!", she hissed venomously, not liking the way he spoke to her. No place for a woman? No place for a woman her ***, she wasn't some dainty creature that sat tucked away in a house waiting for a man to come home. She'd spent a majority of her life scrapping about on the streets and surviving against odds. She looked over the battlement and quickly snatched a bow and arrow from the side, aiming and firing, taking out the archer who was lining up another shot at William. He had been completely oblivious to the man below, not paying attention at all. "Hmph...". She gripped the bow and arrow, she might as well make herself useful whilst she was up here.

As William continued to give out orders to the rapidly decreasing number of men, he could see the mysterious woman from the corner of his eye. He caught a glimpse of her firing and then the contact her arrow made with it's target, a decent shot he pondered, but not long enough to distract him from his duty. His army was being pushed back, almost into the gates of the castle. He searched the battlefield, littered with the corpses of his fallen companions. Many of the men, though older than him, he had trained himself, and for what? To be struck down by what he could now see to be masked, demonic beasts of some sort. Each mask was different, and seemed to be made from the faces of humans, dried, stretched, and painted in gruesome fashion. Considering the sheer number of creatures, that equated to hundreds, maybe thousands of fallen people. Fallen kingdoms.

William frantically scoured the bodies of the living and dead for Kerridan. Among the bodies of the horseless soldiers, Kerridans armor was not present. Those on horseback had been peeled of their steeds and had their skulls smashed under the iron heels of their foes. The pools of blood created a crimson gleam that shimmered in the light of burning torches. The scenes of carnage caught in it's liquid reflection. Time began to slow in William's mind as chaos ensued, and control of the battlefield was waning. Soldiers were frightened, screaming and running for their lives. Some were on their knees amidst the fighting, praying for the safety of their loved ones. He had never heard a man make such hysterical noises in the face of danger. As William continued to search for his first in command, all of the egregious sounds became muffled to the pounding of his own heartbeat. Men next to him on the battlements were falling one by one, punctured by arrows coated in an acidic toxin, causing painful shrieks that made his ears ring. He looked to his right, to see a man clutching his chest where an arrow had landed, before stumbling and falling off of the battlements into the pools of blood and fire. He then looked down about ten yards out from the gates. His eyed widened as he caught sight of his commander.

A large, lumbering creature had pushed through the crowd of foes towards the gate, where soldiers had retreated, locking the steel doors as well as barricading them. It had the face like that of a bull, it's eyes, the color of fire, visible from under it's black helm. Dread locks hung from it's lowered head, swaying under colossal curled horns as its massive body shifted forward. The creatures broad shoulders bore a sinister set of armor, spiked and impenetrable. It was armed with a mace, the end larger than the head of a man, and a shield, where Kerridan's body hung dead, tied to it's face with ropes. William's heart sank, time coming back to normal and the sounds of battle reclaiming its triumphant place in his mind. He looked to the men and the woman left of the battlement and ordered a retreat to the gates, his voice bellowing like the roar of a tiger. As they rushed down, the stone stairs shook and shifted at the shear force the creature smashed it's weapon into the gate. Over and over, the steel against steel rang it's chorus throughout the inner ward.

William gave orders to his men, who were lined up in front of the gate, ready to defend the kingdom's people. Their eyes were wide with fear, and the hands of some trembled uncontrollably. Those who lived closest to the gate fled from their homes, deeper into the ward. The king raced to the gate on horseback through the crowd, followed by his royal guard, which in itself showed the gravity of their situation. The royal family had always been fiercely protected, and they were sheltered by an unstoppable military, until now. King Absalom, looked to William with a fierce glare. Before he had a chance to get details on the situation, the sound of shattering stone and metal burst though the air. The bull like creature had finally torn down the gate, and a swarm of cretins raced through. William drew his sword, which was covered in unreadable text from an ancient fellowship of warriors long forgotten to men, back when more than just humans reigned in the world. He also had a dagger, given to him by Kerridan. He looked towards Izzy as the creatures closed in, and tossed her the dagger moments before he turned and swung at an opposing sword.

((I apologise for the delay! Something came up as soon as I said I was going to post >w< ))

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Izzy nocked another arrow to the string, aiming and taking out another creature that had crept it's way up beside the other one she took out, huffing and blowing a strand of hair from out of her face. This was a complete and utter mess, she wondered how on earth the guard, with all their scouts and men, had let an army get this close and had let an army catch them this unprepared. She ducked down behind the wall as an arrow flew past her, quickly peeking above it and returning fire, taking out the intended target. Yes she was out of place on the battlements, but what else could she do? Go back to her little shelter and twiddle her thumbs whilst the enemy was breaking into the city? No...despite her distrust and dislike of the guard, she felt the need to help. She listened in quietly as William barked orders out to his frantic men, taking into account what he was saying and helping out where she could, being careful of returning arrow fire. She peeked over the ledge to watch the arrow embed itself through the eye of a creature, a grimacing forming across her own features. The creatures and their masks, it unnerved her. She'd seen some bad stuff in her life, but this? It was far beyond what she'd seen. What on earth were these things? Why were they attacking? How long had they been around and doing this?

The smell of blood and burning flesh filled the air, thick black smoke rising from the grounds below. She'd killed before, she'd smelt a dead body before....but this was more than what she had faced. She paled slightly at the smell, feeling sick in her stomach though she swallowed drily, forcing herself to push through it, to continue on. She watched on helplessly as a man was hit with an arrow, beginning to foam around the mouth and cry in agony, a shudder ripping through her as the inhuman sound that tore from his lips. She glanced around herself, men were falling like flies, the sounds that arose weren't human but were sounds of animalistic terror. Izzy wasn't religious in any way shape or form, but the horrors she was seeing and the pleading and begging from other soldiers made her briefly wish that she could find some sort of comfort in a higher power.

She was broken out of her small reverie and thoughts by William's booming voice, noticing just how few of them were left on the battlement. She looked to him and nodded as he ordered retreat, quickly leaping up to her feet and running for the tower, moving downstairs as quick as she could without tripping over. She staggered a little as the tower shook and cracks weaved their way through the thick stone, dust and powder sprinkling down on them from the walls and stairwell above. She righted herself, making the rest of the downward trip and racing out and over to where the other men were lining up along with William. She made her way over, standing alongside his men, though what concerned her most was that the King was here. She had only ever seen Absalom once and that was a long time ago and from a distance, to see him out here, in the thick of things was disconcerting to say the least. He was out of his castle, away from his protection. Things were bad indeed.

The sound of shattering stone and metal made her skin crawl as she laid eyes upon the bull that had charged through, it was massive. Her eyes widened and for the first time in a long while, Izzy froze in fear. There was so few of them and still a streaming horde of creatures with an unknown number still in the forests beyond the walls. Out of the corner of her eye she saw William draw his sword and another weapon, a dagger, before realising that he was gesturing to her. She turned in time to catch the blade deftly between her fingers, flipping it over so that her hand wrapped around the hilt. Izzy took a deep breath, well, this was it. Now or never. Do or Die.

She drew out another dagger, holding it in her other hand as she leapt into action, blocking a sword swipe with one dagger and tearing through the chest of the creature with the other. She was a dual weapon wielder, she didn't have a shield, but she fared well without one. After cutting down one enemy she lunged to the next, swiftly ducking and weaving through the creatures in a dance of whirling metal and flesh. A skill and fighting style she had spent years and years practising and refining for a moment where odds were against her. She was careful to avoid attacks, knowing that half of the weapons were coated in poison. How long she could keep this up for though, she wasn't sure.

All other sounds were drowned out by the clangs of metal against metal. Soldiers were doing their best to keep the swarm contained near the entrance, though some were slipping through. Men and women from the city were coming to their aid with whatever weapons they had. Pitchforks, axes, pans, it didn't matter, what mattered is that they kept their families safe. Those not fighting were being escorted to the castle, where a keep was located on the east side, meant to protect the women, elderly and children in time of an emergency. This night was certainly that time.

With ground shattering footsteps, the bull creature bounded its way forward, sending several bodies flying with a single swing of its mace. The men's eyes filled with fear, and some ran in sheer terror of facing such an enormous beast. King Absalom moved into position as he picked the cretins off from the back of his steed. His rasping voice demanded his people hold their ground, "It's now or never men! Protect our loved ones, our children, our home!" His voice rang out into the night air, and all began to pick up in strength. The fire in Williams’s chest grew scolding, and he roared out as he continued to cut down his foes one by one. His fury made clear with every swing; the product of his fallen mentor.

As he began to slow down, he looked over in panic to see his king lead a charge towards the mighty beast. It roared in anticipation of a worthy challenge, and charged forward. Frantically, William tried to rush to his king’s aid, pushing and fighting through the hoard of creatures that separated him from his target. As king Absalom approached the creature, it lifted its enormous mace into the air before bringing it down onto the king’s shield with a mighty crash! The impact was enough to shatter the horse’s legs, crippling it to the ground, though Absalom was left unharmed. His voice rang out as he lay on the ground under his shield, "Now!" A group of seven men, some soldiers, some blacksmiths, others farmers, charged the beast from behind, focusing on its legs and waist uncovered by its armor.

The creature's anger elevated, and it whipped its shield around like a flying saucer, breaking the ribs and spines of those on its left flank. It then threw its right leg back, making contact with the others, sending them back ten feet. Enraged, the beast looked back towards Absalom, who stand waiting, ready to fight the monster head on. William watched as the scene played out in front of him. Helpless. He pushed even harder now, knowing what the cost of his failure would mean to their kingdom. He could NOT fail. He had trained his whole life for this, it was his only purpose, live and die for the sake of the king. As William pushed closer, he noticed a creature that was about to throw a dagger towards Izzy who was facing away from its direction. Instinctively, He rushed to her aid, cutting it down before its weapon left it's grasp. For a moment, he became entranced by her grace as she slew several enemies at once with nothing more than daggers. He had never seen such a thing in his life of fighting, such unbridled skill.

Absalom made eye contact with his enemy, staring it down like his glare would cause it to burst into flames any moment. The creature stomped, and opened its mouth, showing jagged teeth and letting out a mighty roar. The king then countered back with a roar of his own as he charged forward, sword and shield in hand, ready to destroy the evil. William was broken out of his gaze by the shouting, fixed now on the scene that was unfolding in the center of the chaos. As the creatures flooded the city, burning and ransacking homes, all he could see was the king, whose weapon made contact with that of the beasts. He then continued his way towards Absalom as swiftly as his feet could carry him. How could I have gotten distracted?! What was I thinking, saving that woman?!?

The king fought with immaculate skill, blocking all of the monstrous swings of the mace that came towards him. The one on one assault felt like ages, though it only lasted a few minutes. The creature grew angrier with every swing, as it could not hit its target. Mindless with instinct and fury, it dropped its weapons to the ground. Kerridan's, body broke loose from the face of the shield, rolling a few feet away, face down. It then reached out before Absalom could back away far enough and lifted him off of the ground, squeezing as his sword penetrated its hand. William could see the expression on his king’s face. He had never before looked so helpless. His eyes were transfixed in the fiery pools of the creatures gaze as it huffed with pleasure. Slowly, its grip became tighter, cracking his armor and his bones.

William was hysterical now, running full speed towards the beast, his sword ready for the attack. As Absalom let out a cry of pain, the creature focused on his misery, Williams’s sword cut through the tendons on the back of its knee which were exposed. The beast let out a shriek of agony as it crumpled down on one knee, dropping Absalom in front of him. Blood pooled around the king, as he dragged himself back away from the danger.

The sharp ringing of metal on metal. The metallic smell of blood. A frantic heart beating in her chest as muscles bore the strain of heavy blows and weight. This was all Izzy could hear and feel as she continued with her dance of death. She was running on sheer adrenaline now as she cut down creature after creature, being extremely careful to avoid their sharp blades with their wicked poison. She stabbed her dagger through the fleshy chest of a creature, carving upwards before drawing it out. A slight sound behind her alerted her to the attack of another and she drew up her left blade, bearing the weight of the heavy blow before stabbing into the demon several times with her right one, kicking its body away and down. She was aware that the city folk were helping to evacuate all they could for the keep and thus did her best to ensure that creatures were held up here whilst they were able to escape.

The loud demand of the King reached her ears and she stopped for a moment, very surprised that he was actually still out here fighting. If anything he should've been back at the castle under protection. Because gods forbid, if anything happened to the King and if he were to perish, the Kingdom would go into potential meltdown. Despite not caring about the King personally, she too couldn't help but panic as the beast charged for Absalom and crushed his shield and his horse's legs, wincing at the splintering sounds that were made as a result. That idiot! The peasants with the King attacked the beast and she couldn't help but watch on as they were flung back like rag-dolls, backs and bones broken. They didn't stand a chance.

She was unaware of the creature that was about to attack her as she continued her movements, focusing on every step, every twist of her wrist, every grab. If she made a mistake, she'd be dead. She was also unaware of the fact William had saved her, too caught up in her own attack. She took down several enemies in the course of his attention, and though she wasn't intending it at the time, a small part of her was hoping that, whilst she was fighting, she could be seen to be skillful enough to hold her own and not be seen as weak.

Izzy, too, was broken out of her concentration upon hearing the roar of the King, looking over to watch on as man and beast charged for one another. She watched on, her breath catching in her throat as the collision of metal and flesh filled the air. ...He wasn't going to win this, not at all. The beast was too monstrous and the King,..well...he would be incredibly lucky to survive this whole ordeal. A myriad of thoughts rushed through her head as she chewed on her lower lip, an old habit when she was thinking or nervous. What did she owe the King? What did she owe this city? Could she call it home enough to protect it, even if it killed her? Time seemed to stop momentarily for her as these thoughts whirled about, vaguely aware that the creature now had Absalom in its grasp and was squeezing him how one might squeeze a lemon for its juice.

She was broken from her reverie once more as she saw William run full pelt for the beast and the King, her eyes widening when he was able to get in close and cut through the back of its knee. Her heart lurched in her chest as the King was dropped, seeing the blood pooling out of him and watching the beast's eyes fill with unparalleled rage. The moment she saw it go down on one knee she charged for it, ducking and weaving through straggling creatures, ignoring them as her mind seemed to be made up in that moment. With the creature being down on one knee it lowered it enough for her to attempt something stupidly insane. But with what was going on, perhaps insane and stupid was all they had left. With a cry she readied her daggers, getting closer and closer. At the last moment she put all she had into leaping up, landing on the creature's back. She quickly scrambled up and rammed a dagger in between it's armor, the long sharp blade stabbing deep within the back of the creature's neck. She grabbed some of the long thick dreadlocks, ignoring how gross they felt in her hands, using them to keep herself on the now bucking beast. She wouldn't give up without a fight, and began to repeatedly stab into it.