The Castle (IC) [M] {04}

[Prof B Hunnydew]

With lightening speed, and desperate need

Bam's Butterfly messagers do their deeds

Through ceiling and walls
but not down halls
they go on to delieve their calls

To each ear, a ball light does near
message comes out
as whisper, but inside soft shout

"Awake!, Awake!
Wolf, Kitties, and Drake
To arms  to arms
Sword, Spell and charms
An evil comes to more than Harm
Do you hear, Do you hear, the Battle is here
For the monsters do creep
To take back the Keep
All is stake
You must awake!"  Said PBH message.

These to messages are heard by Mel, Aisha, and Rynkura,  and Jeremiah. 

A black blue butterfly silently wing its way into Cog ear under his pillow.  Only a dark blue glow is seen for a second by his ear.   And then he ears the Message too.

***
Bam Hugs Gina for a second, "Now where must we go to defend your duty?" smiles Bam

[lucas marcone]

Ian woke up with all the commotion. He was still walking the halls when Kaeton brought the "Legion of Doom". "Ay! Who are you? and what the FIZZNUCK you doin sneakin around!" Ian hadn't realized yet that they were enimies, nor had he his guns on him. Luckily he was right next to his room.

[Angel]

Ketefe woke up to the sounds of battle.

Her door was shut, so she didn't know what was going on, but she knew that it was bad. Shouting, growling, and general chaos - that was all she needed to know. She pondered for a moment whether staying in bed or going out in the hall would be a better idea.

If I stay here, I won't get hurt and I won't hurt anybody else. Not to mentiont that if the attacker(s) come in my room, they're cornered. But if I don't go out there, someone else might get hurt, and then how will I feel?

She hesitated, then silently got out of bed. She pulled her favorite outfit out of her bag - a black tank top, ripped at the hem, and a pair of black shorts, ripped at the cuffs. She tied her mask on and unsheathed her sword.

She opened the door just a little, then stood against the wall, watching and waiting.

[Sunblink]

In response to the degrading scratch to her neck, Keaton purred, inclining her head just right so that way she could receive more of the massaging claw. Sadly, such condescending caresses didn't last for long, as Sal withdrew her hand a moment later and crouched down, openly searching for something. Keaton watched without any perturbing revelations as Sal released the spider, gaze slipping deliberately from the arachnid woman to her little brethren scampering across the floor, its tiny body waltzing up the bed and mechanically latching itself to Cogidubnus's body. Responsively, Cog unconsciously leaned up, the spider having succeeded its mission in possessing his body and keeping his movements curbed. With the danger subsided, Sal entered the room, drawing a blade from the folds of her robe and flexing it over Stygian's sleeping form.

Then Cogidubnus attacked.

It was quick, violent, and all-too horrifying, the transformation seizing Cogidubnus's formerly anthromorphic features and bending his body into the terrifying shape of the Wolf itself. Muscles rippled beneath lank gray fur as he sprung off of the bed, launching himself at Sal and instantly locking teeth onto her head, ripping and tearing at her right before Keaton's very eyes. Watery, atramentous blood splattered in gruesome gouts on the floor, forming a twisted halo around the writhing, struggling pair as both arachnid and canid fought against each other, teeth and claws rending flesh and hair and--

She couldn't stare any longer. Without hesitation, Keaton whirled around and dashed away, rushing as fast as she could, pushing so much energy into her body her legs ached and her muscles screamed in protest. Ultimately she found herself dissatisfied with the speed she was moving at, so she employed the use of her tentacles, materializing them from her spine (as her wings emerging would rip at her clothing) and using them to brace the ground, carrying her like a spider's legs. Catapulting herself down the stairs, she reached her new companions--the aging bat and the panther--gesturing wildly to them.

"Things have gone wrong!" she exclaimed, "The wolf's awake, and he's attacking Sal, and--shit shit SHIT, you have to hurry before she DIES and the bat wakes up!" Keaton was openly panicking at this point, finding herself aghast at the prospect of failing these people, especially the possibly-deceased and mangled spider-woman. She couldn't let her die. Couldn't let these people down. Couldn't...

Couldn't fail.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

The metallic taste of blood mingled with the dry and sandy feeling of hair in the Wolf's mouth as its jaws closed on the spider-woman's head. She shrieked as she was torn off her feet and hurled over the bed, the dagger being wrenched from her hand. The two shapes ripped the sheets with them and hit the side of the bed, tumbling onto the floor, a thrashing chaos of too many limbs and fur.
   Startled into this extremely rude awakening, Stygian cried out and growled, backing up against the head and side of the bed, black eyes following the wrestling shapes on the floor. Confusion and anger mixing in her sleep-drunken head, she spat a furious hiss and threw herself over the bed toward them. Cog, or whatever he had turned into, had taken a deep bite into the spider's skull, but found her surprisingly tough to chew. She in turn had begun raking him with her multitude of claws and kicking with her powerful legs to throw the raging wolf off. Both of them were horrendously strong, and it was hard to see who had the upper edge. Stygian had no way of throwing herself into the fight.
   It seemed like minutes went on, though it could only have been a few seconds, before a sharp crack and a wet, tearing noise split the chaos, followed by a terrible shriek. The two shapes tossed violently, before the wolf was hurled into and crushed a cabinet against a wall, and Sal threw herself, crying with pain and breathing raggedly, out through the door and down the corridor in an adrenalin-spiked rush, holding one hand over the gaping wound left where one of her arms had been.
   The wolf was ready to pursue. Despite its flayed hide and a broken rib, it had gotten off easier than the spider had in the fight, and rose to its feet without trouble from the wreckage of the cabinet. Huge paws padded against the door and wiry muscle quivered with tension, the scent of blood filling the beast's nostrils until the rush was strong enough to turn the world a snarling red. Stygian watched the ragged, dark creature, thoughts rushing. Already her own head was swirling with the metallic scent, and her mouthflesh and fangs had turned black, as had her fingers whose tips were now long, knife-like claws. But though she wanted to hunt down the spider just as badly, the sight and state of Cog drew her mind more strongly.
   He's in a rage. What is he going to do? The thoughts were hazy and quick, and terribly unfocused. This was not the sort of situation she liked handling. If Sal is back... She can't be here alone. She wouldn't just come back without help. Another thought struck her, hard as a bullet from a gun. If Cog goes out there, he's not in control! He's going to get killed! She gritted her teeth. Somehow, she had to stop him.
   Just before the Wolf went out the door, something stopped it. A weight landed on its shoulder and an arm laid across its back, a comparatively small but strong grip that tugged at it and held it back. A quick stab signaled the death and removal of the spider from its neck.
   'Stop! Don't...' a voice pleaded, close to its ear.

[lucas marcone]

Ian rushed into his room and neglecting the holsters or the belt they're attached to he drew his guns and bolted back out the door intime to see the stange spiderlady pass him. He put a gun to the back of her head and an arm around her throat. "Now, you're going to tell me who you are any why you're attacking people! And no, you don't have a choice."

[Cogidubnus]

 The Wolf snarled as a weight dropped onto its back, turning its head as far as it could to glare at the thing suddenly atop it. The mindspider, distressed and panicking, was doing it's utmost to reign the beast in - and the Wolf constantly twitched and shuddered, as though afflicted with some sort of palsy or chill. A low growl escaped its throat, one gleaming yellow eye regarding the bat. Deep in its mind, a single voice seemed to be buried underneath the wrestling giants, desperately trying to break to the surface. The Curse had already taken into effect, but neither the curse nor the mindspider were really operating as they should have. The lychanthropy had yet to completely dominate the wolf's mind, courtesy the struggles of the spider, and all was not yet set in stone.
A jolt of pain shivered up the Wolf's spine, and suddenly the spider was silenced, sharp pain receding in its head - the Wolf stilled for a moment, confused. The tiniest crack was left in it's defenses. At that moment, the bat chose to whisper in his ear, igniting something distant and dim within the Wolf's brain - and with everything left to him, Cogidubnus struck, the walls in his mind splintering and shattering as he fought to free himself.
Sebastian reared back for a moment, the wolf under her suddenly convulsing and snarling, yelps and whines interspersed with snarls. He looked almost like he'd gone into a seizure, and for a moment the bat was afraid perhaps the spider was still alive somehow, malfunctioning in his head. The Wolf thrashed for a moment, white, bloodstained teeth dripping, when it finally settled for a moment, the writhing body stilling and closing its eyes.
When they opened again, Cogidubnus was staring out. The body underneath him suddenly seemed to liquefy, twisting and snapping back into the form the werewolf normally took, the feral wolf becoming once again the swordsman.
Cog groaned for a moment, putting a hand on his head, and breathing raggedly he looked back at the bat sitting atop him. He looked at her wincing, as though in pain, and he exhaled slowly, brushing a bit of hair out of his eyes. He looked as though a torturous headache had just settled on him.
"Get off. We still need to kill her." he said, looking up at Sebastian. He paused, blanching, and seemed to soften for a moment. "I'm...thank you. I've never..." he sighed, and nodded out towards the window, and the setting moon. "Thank you." he said, waiting for the bat to let him up.

[Boog]

Jeremiah, as expected when he sets himself a deadline, had ignored it and fallen asleep amidst his books. Bambi's little butterfly spell was at first barely able to make a dent in the amphibian's lethargy. However, having nothing better to do, the spell was persistent and continued pestering at the frog until it was rewarded with his shaggy, orange and black head slowly rising from its makeshift pillow of notes.
A couple seconds later comprehension spread across Jeremiah's face. His first impulse was to run screaming, but thankfully managed to stop himself. The spider. Oh gods, the spider. She was fairly scary in her own right, what with being a gigantic arachnid with the power to control one's mind. He remembered how invasive it was, how horrible being controlled in that way could be, the touch of one of her little spider's upon his mind being akin to tar pouring down ones throat. Worst of all though, was that the first time the Lunacy had actually harmed those around him was when it was using what her spiders brought out in him.
I can't let her catch me. Oh GODS I can't let her @!$%ing catch me!
Your capture would be to our benefit. It would keep you alive.
I'm not having anyone usurp MY control! It would probably be a better sign if that last one had been Jeremiah, rather than Bal, but that was all beside the point. Every instinct was telling Jeremiah to hide, to panic, to run-
But it would be shameful, wouldn't it? the frog considered this last thought, and was horrified to find that it was his own. Oh gods, have I finally lost it? She'd slaughter me!
But if I left the others, I'd be ashamed of myself. With more reason than I already have. At least with the curse I can't claim that it wasn't my fault, but if I abandon them...
What good can I do here!?
... What good can I do elsewhere?
Don't try to argue a point with yourself, readers. It's never a fair fight.
Still shaking in his tweed coat, casting an illusion to hide himself from sight and clutching a book of spells probably too powerful for him to use, Jeremiah slipped down the hallway to find his way toward the rooms where the others were. Regardless of moral obligations, he sure as hell wasn't going it alone!

[Aisha deCabre]

During the drama that had started unfolding in other parts of the castle, Rynkura hadn't drifted too far into sleep, only enough to have a curious dream with realistic-sounding words of caution...the healer never really did sleep deeply when she was somewhere other than the safety of her monastery.  Such was the case this time as she would soon find her diligent caution to be justified...

The tigress's ear twitched...though her room was one floor down, the sensitive hearing of an Angel in disguise could quite well pick up the suddenly curious sounds passing through aged stone, soluble to noise waves.  She hadn't moved an inch in the sheets, but one eye opened curiously to scan the darkness.  It was all coming up from above...a bit of struggling, snarling...and finally, screaming, which made both eyes snap open quickly and her body start to rise from the bed.  This was a noise with a tendency to carry.  In her experience, she could immediately note the intonation behind the sound.

Pain.

What in all the blazes?  Rynkura wondered.  She was staring upward for a moment or two, reaching for her staff as it emitted a soft white glow.  But just as soon, the noise had all but calmed down.

Ears pinned against her head, she hummed quietly while she strapped the sword she had brought around her shoulder and carried her staff so that it wouldn't clack against the ground.  The felid closed the door behind her quietly and, after another brief look, took off in a quiet, loping run...as quiet as a tiger could make it, up the stairs toward the disturbance.  Whatever is amiss...

*     *     *

The.  Night.  IS.  NOT.  OVER.  YET!

Aisha opened her eyes with a hiss through her teeth, eyes narrowed dangerously...all patience having been drained from her system.  For a while it seemed that she was finally about to be lost to her dreams...but for the curse of being the light sleeper that she was, the panther awoke with an angry shudder.  Not to the fading, but lingering pain in her head...not to the noises that unknowingly was three floors up...

No, what woke her up this time was as gentle as could be...a slight tickling on her ear, followed by a familiar "caw" noise, the sound of the raven's curiosity at having spotted something, still perched above her on the headstand.  Please don't make me kill you, cuervito...She paused to calm her seething down and flickered her ear to get whatever it was off, then swiped the air to grab the insect and brought it to her face.

...A butterfly?  She sneered, and so too did the raven, it seemed.  The little thing looked quite strange...and it couldn't have come from the window, as it was closed.  But what got her attention was the sudden warning it gave...more like words in one's head than an actual voice, but it had an urgency to it.

Aisha was about to figure that she was still dreaming, but all of a sudden, she heard what seemed like hastily-running feet through the halls of the first floor.  Her hearing not as developed as her mentor's, she nevertheless was curious enough to get up and get dressed, regardless of all tired nerves telling her not to.  This time, something told her to bring her weapons...perhaps it was the sudden vibration while sleeping, what seemed like a violent scream...

Boomerang clenched within her tensed and trigger-ready fingers, the huntress put her ear to the door, and then threw it open, ready to confront whatever was disturbing the peace this time...

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel, asleep with the book fallen across her chest, awoke from her doze with a start at the combination of Bam's whispering voice and the faint sounds of a fight drifting under the door. She wondered if the wolf and bat were arguing once again but Bam's message spoke of monsters. Quickly dressing she moved to the door and listened for a moment to see if she could figure out what was happening.

[Stygian]

Ragged and bloody and injured though she were, the spider was still definitely not the sort of opponent that Ian probably expected, judging from his approach. His attempt at capturing her startled her, but she was much too high on pain and rushed to respond as he would have liked. And even more significantly, she was not unused to attackers, even ones with guns. She threw herself forward at the same time as she knocked the gun out of his hand and numbed his arm with a lightning-fast strike, then threw him into the wall as she shook him off, sprinting down the corridor.
   Just when she caught sight of the jackal, Sal stumbled and turned, blood spattering the floor around her. With a deep hiss she forced her four unoccupied arms to start working. Untangling long strands of web from underneath the flap that covered her abdomen, she hastily wove a thick web to block the corridor behind her, and then dragged herself up to her feet to move over to Keaton.
   'We're... compromised, master...' she hissed, leaning on the railing upstairs and looking down at the other two, standing down in the entry hall. 'Will we... just kill them now?'
   The aged bat scowled up at the spideress, hand clenching on his staff. He turned to the green-coated man. 'What did I tell you?' he said simply, before walking over to the stairs and up them toward Keaton and Sal. 'Let's make this quick and bloody then instead. Sal, make sure to heal.' He tossed her a vial of some dark liquid from out of his jacket. 'I don't want you completely useless...' he snarled. The spider bowed her head in shame, yet for a second she gritted her teeth, and a flare of anger almost seemed to well up in her eyes before she could quell it.
   Downstairs, the panther in the green coat simply shook his head, before joining the others.

- -

Stygian let Cog go slowly, backing off and looking down. 'Don't mention it,' she said, ears laid slightly back. 'Though right now, we need to warn the others and regroup.' For a second she looked down at her still naked form. 'And I think I'd like to...'
   Before she had time to finish the sentence, she looked up in realization. 'I should get my guns.' How are we supposed to alert the others in time? Where should we meet? She darted her eyes to Cog. 'Can you make your way to the others? I'll be back once I know who we're up against.'

[Sunblink]

The sound of ragged breathing alerted Keaton to Sal's arrival, a horrified, stricken expression engraving itself along Keaton's angular features once she witnessed the arachnid-woman's bedraggled, bloodied state. Desperately, she felt the need to run over and bandage her wounds, to apologize profusely for a failure she did not commit, but curbed this inexplicable impulse--there would be time for begging for forgiveness. Now was not that time.

Now was the time for retribution.

Reaching up, Keaton grasped the handle of her unattended mace from where it was strapped to her back, the tentacles which she used to catapult herself down the stairs lurching back to life. The anubis-esque heads signature of the Jyraneth clan molded themselves from each tentacle's lengths, muzzles stretching and shaping, bladed teeth budding like tiny thorns within their mouths, encrusting them like barbed wire. Dozens of brown, owlish eyes all blinked, then narrowed, as their owner whipped Catastrophe from its holster, running after the aging bat up the stairs.

Deep within the pit of her pupil, something sanguine stirred and seethed where it rested, twisting like the core of a flame as a wicked, insane smile spread across Keaton's muzzle.

Those bastards were all going to die.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog stood up slowly, tired from the ordeals of the previous day, as well as his rapid transformation to and from the Wolf. His head pounded with both mental distress and lack of blood, and as he stood the world seemed to fuzz for a moment before clearing. He sighed, nodding at the bat, and walked over to the chair with his clothing.
"Yes. I can." he said, slipping into his pants quickly. They were still a little damp from his foray in the rain, but not nearly as bad as they were. The shirt was quick to follow, and Cog spoke as he dressed himself. "I'll find the others, and head downstairs." he said, narrowing his eyes as he buttoned his shirt. "Where there's one mindspider, there may be more." he said bluntly. "Mel is safe. I don't know about the rest. We'll have to check." he said, pulling on his boots and then throwing his coat about him, the jacket whipping for a moment before settling. Kneeling, he picked up his sword slowly, and then set the pair of glasses he'd set on the mantle back on his nose. He nodded.
"Come back soon." he said, slipping the sword into his belt, and as he walked out he began arranging his various charms around his body, the air curdling around him for a moment as he exited the room.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"Come On Gina, The others are awake by now, if not by my butterflies then by the noise out there. Just what or where would else guys want to be in the castle?  You need to ensure that they don't get it, but I will help..  Gina you need not tell what it is? But we can defend the entrance to its hiding place." says Bam  

Bam gets up to go to the door to the hall, but Gina shake her head NO No and goes to the wardrode and opens a hidden door brhind it.  She leads the way between the  walls with Bam come behind.  

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Hearing a thud outside Mel opened the door a crack to see Ian laying on the floor alongside a wall, the plaster overlay broken away to show the sturdy stone wall underneath. The only other thing she saw was a dark sticky blood trail going down the hall heading towards the stairs. She moved quickly to where the rat lay unconscious. "What the heck did you tangle with?" she asked the air as she used her magic to check if he had broken anything.

[Stygian]

The bat didn't wait. As soon as Cog left the room, she gathered up her clothes and opened the lone window in the room, scrambling out and scaling the wall upwards, toward the fifth floor, her form turning dark and shadowlike as she did. She had left the guns in the master bedroom, rather than the tower.
   The creature that seeped into the bedroom through the shadows was just recognizable as humanoid, a haze of blackness with gleaming eyes. It part walked, part slithered over to the table beside the bed, opening a bag and taking out what it had sought for with long, clawlike fingers.
   Two metallic clacks, and then the thing was on the move again.

[Aisha deCabre]

More discernable sounds could be heard as Rynkura traversed from the second to the third floor, following the inconsistencies with her ears like a bloodhound to a scent.  Her staff illuminated every step she took through the ominous passages like a beacon, flickering between bright and dim as she made her way through.  It was like it had detected something escaping or fleeing from the scene.

One could probably argue that the trouble was none of the tiger's business...she had begun to feel like an intruder in the castle despite the welcome she had gotten after healing the dragon.  But what she had heard was a cry of pain, for certain...thus, it was the healer's business.

Rynkura wasn't even winded as soon as she made it to the top of the stairs in a loping run, clutching her staff with both hands in a defense posture.  She could pinpoint the sound of someone coming her way towards the stairs.  It didn't take long though for her eyes to get used to the darkness ahead with another dimming of her staff, and to make out the shape of Cogidubnus.

"Sir Mithlome?" she queried with a tilted head, but her voice had turned quite serious as she gripped the staff, ready to use it if need be.  "I've heard something horrid.  What's happened?"

*     *     *

"Who's there?" Aisha demanded in a harsh whisper...she was sure that whatever was running had come near her door.  She crept quietly through the first-floor hallway on bare and padded feet, her dark fur blending in well with the shadows in the night-drenched building.  She was even careful as to put her tail ring into a pocket, to keep it from glowing too brightly...in case the cause was of the demon persuasion.

The panthress was also sure that she could hear voices up ahead, somewhat quiet, but not trying to be...past the library, somewhere.  Was one of them...?  It was hard to tell, but one of them was perhaps familiar.  How, she couldn't recall, but...it was different.  Intruders.

She lingered near the library for a moment, wondering where the others were.  If nobody shows up, I'm making a break for the stairs... she thought, gripping the amulet that she remembered was around her neck.  A very quick break.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog walked softly through the darkened hallways, his senses set on a razor-edge. His arms felt weak, and his head light, but moving about seemed to be helping somewhat. He took deep breaths, his headache subsiding, and held on steadily to the little silver cross in his left hand. Magic flowed from it into Cogidubnus, healing and restoring what it could to him. He needed rest and food, but this would have to suffice.
Rain pattered against the iron-veined windows, lightning occasionally flashing through the glass to light up the hallways, casting a strange chiaroscuro on the interior. He listened past the rain and kept moving, listening for the sounds of Sal's pained movements, or the telltale skitter of another mindspider.
As he approached the stairs, however, he could hear a regular thump ascending the stairs, and a pale, blue glow ascending with it. He made out the form of Ms. Msh'Taan, her staff hitting the carpeted floor and glowing with the blue light. Cog paused, taking a slow breath, and surreptitiously placed a hand on his sword hilt.
He nodded as she spoke. "Yes. Sal is here." he said, approaching the tigress slowly, almost passing her. He made a show of looking down the stairs behind her. "I think she's injured. There may be more." he said slowly, suddenly grabbing the tigresses hair, bending backwards to look at her neck. He dropped it again instantly, turning and bowing.
"My apologies. I don't know who might be controlled." he said, his face apologetic. "We need to gather the others. Stay close."
Cog turned again, descending the stairs and heading forward into the darkness.

[lucas marcone]

"Mel, zat you? What the FUCK whas that?" Ian moaned and looked over just in time to see Kaeton running up the stairs. He used his good hand to shoot a few shots at her "Why are you helping them!?" He wheezed out.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

With a soft click and creak, Gina and Bam appear from behind a bookcase into the Library, If the others could make it, they should show up at the library.... Beside the secret door, the only other door in was the double doors at the entrance.

"Come on We have to make this place defensable"  says Bam as she move the chairs and sofas back or near  front of the door.

PBH

[Angel]

Ketefe stepped slowly out the door, sword ready. There was blood on the floor, and Cog and Stygian had been there, but were gone. Mel and Ian were a little farther down the hallway, and Ian looked hurt. She walked a little closer, not saying anything yet, but she jumped back when Ian started shooting.

[Aisha deCabre]

When Cogidubnus reached her, Rynkura noticed that he looked a little weakened, though she wondered if that had something to do with the disturbances...she supposed it did, by the way he spoke when he came past her and started to the stairs.  He also spoke slowly, as if cautious.

Sal?  Sal... The name was somewhat familiar to the tigress, but it didn't hit her until the wolf had said that there may be more around.  Her emerald eyes widened, remembering the summary of their adventures in the castle that she was told.  Sal!  The one responsible for the spiders.

But Rynkura hadn't time to elaborate on the subject before she snarled in surprise, having the braid of her hair grabbed.  It was only for a second, but when she took the long strand back from the wolf and whirled to glare at him, he had bowed in apology, reminding her of the reason for his suspicion.

"Hmph," she dismissed and tossed her head, taking her staff in both hands again.  "Understandable, sir Mithlome.  I assure you though, one of those things would have a lot of trouble trying to take me."  The healer gave the wolf a slight grin, and then proceeded to follow quickly down the stairs.  It was only moments after walking that she heard the explosion of gunshots somewhere on the floor...but the tigress couldn't turn back, if these things were as dangerous as Aisha had made them out to be.

Please watch yourself, my girl.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Ian startled Mel by coming out of his daze in a violent mood, shooting wildly at everything nearby and screaming. Moving quickly before he could shoot her or Ketefe she clamped one hand down over the rat's shooting hand, long claws burying themselves in the marble floor. He wasn't getting that hand back easily. Her other hand came down on his opposite shoulder, pushing him flat to the floor. She had no idea who was attacking whom or where the blood on the floor came from but the first guess was that the armed and violent "college student" who had arrived only a few hours ago was the one up to no good. "Calm down and explain yourself," she demanded.

[lucas marcone]

"The bitch...working for.....spider..." He trailed off finnaly being overcome from his concusion he passed out.

[Stygian]

The trio were making their way through the castle, the bitter-faced Sal trailing the stern bat and the relatively calm panther. As the spider had cut off their closest way back to the guest rooms, and they were to prepare, they chose another path, deeper into the castle, heading for the central stairway.
   'This place still has darkness clinging to it,' the bat said, looking around. 'A "bulwark", they used to call it.' He snorted, a bitter smile tinging his features. 'Fools.'
   'Well, the closer to Hell, the easier for us,' the panther replied. He regarded the bat with a sort of bemused skepticism for a moment. 'I hope you can call on some good aid, Don'Chel. I however am not about to stand around and wait for my minions to do the job, summoner.'
   The other man snarled under his breath, but did nothing else to show his discontent at the insult to his pride. 'Perhaps the most valuable commodity of all in a battle is time. And often you lose more than you gain by rushing headlong into things. Think about it, Be'Laan.' The feline only chuckled in response, as they kept walking into the darkness.
   When they came to the great round shaft that held the central stairway, the three figures paused at the bottom. Shortly after, the spider moved away. And far above them, a shadow slowly, carefully backed out of sight, slipping fast away between columns and down a hallway, making its way downward.

- -

As Cog headed carefully down the night-darkened corridor, past an intersection, a sudden movement of something in the dark made him tense and coil like a spring. It was only when his blade was already out of the sheath and halfway through the strike that he stopped, seeing the face of the one pointing the gun at his face.
   'Ah, it's you,' Stygian said, obviously relieved, and relaxed as much as he could, though that wasn't very far considering how he looked. The bat's fur was standing, his hair slightly messy as if he had ran, and there was a big patch of dust on his black pants. For him, that was a serious mess. He stepped forward and took a look to the side, seeing Rynkura approaching behind the wolf, and only then let his firearm drop to his side. The thing was huge, an eight inch metal cannon made in dark, polished steel, its twin in his other clawed hand.
   'I know who we are up against now,' the bat stated, as soon as Rynkura was with them. 'And it's bad. Where are the others? We will have to stick together. For everyone that gets taken by a spider, this gets much harder.' The first thing they had to do, in fact, was liberate Keaton. She could shapeshift, and use the darkness of the castle. She would have an easy time infecting the others.

[Cogidubnus]

 The wolf exhaled slowly at the bat, glittering blade lowering, and took a step back as he swung it to his side, the thing seeming to glow in the low light as he drew it across and then sheathed it. He paused for a moment, his eyes sliding over the guns the bat had brought, and nodded as he turned.
"I haven't found the others yet. Ms. Msh'taan heard the...noise, earlier, so perhaps the others have too. They shouldn't be too far ahead." he said, nodding down the darkened hallway. He looked down the hallway silently, listening, before turning back to the bat. "What do you mean, 'who were dealing with?'" Cog's narrowed one eye, and began moving forward down the hall. "There's more here than the spider?"
He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the place, and tried to sort out where the others might have gotten to. He caught the dragon's scent floating up at him - reptilian scents were usually very faint. She was close, then. He moved forward into the darkness, eyes peering through his magic-seeing glasses.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Spells of protection and seals around the Library, Bam makes it invader spoof from the tiniest bug to a largest troll-bear.  Now, she sweeps and scans the two-story room quick, and finds that only she and Gina are in it.  No other creature or bugs, not even a small mouse did she find inside the library  With the secret door locked to open at her touch alone, and the main dooor the only way in.  Time to call the others.

"Now, Guard the door, Gina.  I will call the others, " say Bambi as she calls up somemore butterflies messenger.  She must sit still with eyes close...as she sends off butterflies..through wall and ceiling.

"Find the Nook, with a good Book, Come here is right, together we fight" says a glowing butterflies in the face of Mel, Cog and Stygain, Ketefe, Jeremiah and Aisha and Rynkura.  

The one for Keaton stops in front of the sucubus, fly around her confused at the small smile on her face. Then it sees Sal, and the old bat.... "EEEP" it crys and starts to fly away.

[Sunblink]

Charging up the stairs, Keaton was nearly unstoppable in her approach, feet leaping from step to step. Hand tensed around the length of Catastrophe's pommel, clenching it in its pallid, death-like grip. Once or twice the urge to make it come alive with lightning and strike at random at the slightest movement or tension lurking in the shadows tempted Keaton, but she knew that speed and stealth was of the utmost importance. Destruction and bloodshed would come at its opportune time, and as desperate as Keaton was to engage in it, it would have to wait.

One of the corridors--the primary shortcut--was entirely sealed off with layer upon layer of opaque, mucilaginous webbing, most likely Sal's work. A single glance confirmed that touching it would likely end up with Keaton becoming entrapped in it, so any efforts at breaking down the web would result in disaster. Sighing impatiently, Keaton turned to the side, weaving down another exit. Probably a longer one than her other route, but if it helped her reach her targets, there were no complaints.

Along the way, Keaton briefly studied her strategy. The last time she attempted to use the shadows to traverse unseen, she had been detected and stopped by Stygian. Experimentation had no place here--it was now or never, do or die. She didn't know if they would hesitate to use force on their old "friend," but if they did it would be their final mistake. Up ahead, just around a corner, Keaton noticed something akin to a grey smudge and an alabaster-gold blur. Ducking out of sight, Keaton used a tentacle-head to crane around the corner, using its eyes to observe the two. One brown ocular stirred in hue, gold light circulating in its center, then spreading, encompassing the iris and the rest of the cornea in opalescent orange.

It had happened on impulse, mostly. Strangely enough, with Keaton's enhanced senses came the flexibility to control the advantages of her eye, such as using it to augment the vision in her tentacle if she concentrated just the right amount. Blur focused and tensed around the vortex formed in her mind's eye, locking intently on Stygian and Cogidubnus's shapes. Satisfied, Keaton withdrew the tentacle before it was noticed, then opened her eyes, feeling herself slip out of her trance. That was strange, but if it worked to her advantage, she wasn't going to complain.

All she needed to do was wait for the right moment to attack...

Ripples coalesced and shuddered along the length of four of Keaton's tentacles, liquefying their jackal-like heads and withdrawing them into strange, bulbous appendages, then lengthening and curving them into bizarre, crescent-like shapes, reminiscent of the blades of a scythe. Silvery metal outlined the very edges of the acute sickles, glimmering subtly, then muting as they turned into an obsidian, lusterless black.

...then they would all die.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

Rynkura's breath had caught in her throat at the sudden flash of shadow and a gun muzzle at the wolf's face, only for them to figure out quickly that it was Sebastian.  The thought of which gave her a bit of relief, but the tigress hadn't spared more than a nod of greeting to the bat when he appeared...believing in part that he had something to do with it, whether or not he meant for it to happen.

She nodded in agreement with Cogidubnus.  "I would assume that the others, if they are smart, would not have dismissed the disturbance and will be found easily."

Though there was relief that a few of the others were indeed nearby, Rynkura inclined her head in thought as she followed quickly, narrowing her eyes and clutching the staff with a sudden and harsh grip.  The orb on it glowed brighter.  But yes, what others?  There's just something in the air that's...wrong doesn't seem the right word.

*     *     *

Aisha quietly growled to herself.  She had her back firmly pressed against the wall near to the library and her body stock still, looking as if she was one of the statues that adorned some of the hallways; the only difference being that she had distinguishable red eyes.

The jaguaress just listened to the voices until they started to fade, her lungs filled in quick intervals of breathing in between the time.  Still the footsteps that had passed her room never heeded her voice...and the others...she had no idea where they were.  She would have heard their own voices on the first floor.  So perhaps they were upstairs.

With a sigh of relief after the silence, Aisha made up her mind.  Clutching the amulet, she activated the enchantment of speed and felt the power flowing through her legs, picking a known direction towards a staircase...anywhere but the direction that the intruders headed...and found herself dashing across the halls in a blur as soon as the command to run had crossed her mind.

Corner after corner came and went in a flash, as she quickly crossed paths with the library doors and somewhere past the entryway...and yet she could just be seen by the observant or heard by the extra-sensitive.  The panther almost literally flew up a set of stairs...

And braked quickly.  The stairs she was climbing on had suddenly just stopped, her head very nearly caught on some strange substance.  The panther froze, wondering what had blocked the hallway, before going back to the previous floor to regain her bearings with a very disturbed scowl on her features.

What floor am I on...?  Oh, this must be the second,  Aisha deduced as she tried to shake the dizziness that came from high speed.  The corridors were dark and harrowing...and silent.  Empty.  She slapped her forehead in frustration, almost tempted to let her claws dig into her scalp where the headache still lingered.  Where the hell IS everyone?

But here were voices...short, but clear.  One more to go.  She dashed across the hall to find a clear set of stairs and soon found herself within hearing range of someone.

"Mel?" Aisha called out with caution, keeping her boomerang drawn.  Her nose caught a strange scent...the web-like barrier was near, covering an entire portion...and with their recent luck with spiders, the panthress felt her spine crawl, and she kept the boomerang drawn in front of her.  "Mel!  Donde está?" she called again, her eyes scanning every bit of shadow...side, front, side, quick head turn back...and the ceiling again.  She had to find someone...!

[Boog]

Jeremiah headed for the guest rooms the long way, on the basis that taking a longer and more convoluted path would keep him the hell away from that spider woman. On the way up he stopped, looked around the stairs he was ascending, and looked down at the book he'd grabbed.
Spells of Defense for Vagrants, it said, the flowing cursive of the title staring up at Jeremiah as if it too was willing him to figure it out.
Finally giving in to narrative expectation, the frog whisked out a brush and the little bottle of ink he'd picked up in town and got to work. It took him a few minutes, but finally the artist finished what could be called one of his few functional pieces. It was an interesting spell, woven amidst the ink and channeled through a symbol that was almost, but not exactly, a circle with a triangle in the center and words around the lines of the triangle. The way it worked was rather clever. It was technically an illusion with elements of hypnosis so that it would effect senses other than sight. In terms of the illusion itself... It was a bit of an experiment in surrealism for him. He wasn't too satisfied with the results, it would be nice to tweak it some more, but...
A noise, down the hall. Jeremiah fumbled for his brush and double checked that he had everyone's name around the circle. Cogidubnus, Gareeku, Aisha, Bambi, Ketefe, yadda yadda... Right, Keaton. Adding the Jackal to the list with a flourish, he hurried upstairs. He didn't have to worry about the spell being too weak to hold someone all that long. He knew he didn't have much power to use, so the spell would use that of the victim.
--
And soon after reaching the others, almost tripped over Ian and Mel. "Wha-?" He staggered around them clumsily just in time, "Whatappened? What's going on?"