[Plot] [Open] Week 029: Cease and Desist

[Nargles]

The searing light left blotchy spots in his vision. A few moments passed before he regained some semblance of what was occurring. With the darkening magic dissipated, the hidden demon was revealed. It appeared to be a laicar silhouette that was somehow given form. Its side appeared partially caved in, a remnant of Orator’s earlier attack. Two claws erupted from the ground, grabbing the demon and easily wrenching it back into the ground. It was abruptly returned to its own world.

Within seconds, guards had surrounded Orator, sharpened blades held only inches away from his body. Nisi walked forward, though slightly unsteadily as a byproduct of the searing magic. He reached down, grabbing the surprisingly hefty hammer from in front of the man, throwing it to a guard behind him.

“Wise of you to listen,” the machina replied in an unforgiving tone. He reached under his cloak, procuring a set of heavy, metal handcuffs. With a click they were locked around the criminal’s wrists. The demvir appeared hesitant for a moment, on guard for any non-existent trap. After the violent altercation that had occurred, why was the mastermind of ANO so... willing? Was it a realization of how futile the odds were, or a piece of a greater machination that Nisi was unware of?

However, now was not the time to worry about such thoughts. “Lock down the area!” he announced to the remaining guards. He grabbed the Orator by the cuffed wrists, pulling the man up to his feet. “Alert Zephyrus and the Arcanum,” he continued in a measured tone.

He paused for a moment, looking at the captured anarchist. Was it truly over?

Final: [1523]

 

[Inks]

For a moment, Eloquii remained silent, wide gaze fixed on Keydis. Even as the binding light faded from around his wrist, the spurii didn’t move, head tilted, expression muted for once.

Her arms…how did she…?

Was that some sort of spell he didn’t know? Something that let her skin deflect the cutting edge of a blade? They had looked like…It looked like they had…

A strange, unfamiliar sense of curiosity curled his thoughts, and El tapped at the keys around his neck with his free hand, jangling them.

Then, as the dust settled (literally and figuratively) and the Orator let himself be seized by the many, many Conexus guards ringing the West Gate area, Felo pawed at his ear and El remembered himself. He shook himself, and grinned.

“Haha! Well, what do ya know! Shortstuff,” he called out, bounding over to Keydis, seemingly oblivious to the tear tracks drying on her cheeks. “See that? Clearly, I’m a good luck charm! I didn’t even have to do anything. I just show up, and things fix themselves! Well, I mean, that one guy got away but...” The tall spurii’s voice was loud and animated, cutting through the semi-baffled, semi-formal silence that had descended after the Orator’s surrender.

Whatever intense, conflicted emotions the rest of the fighters gathered were experiencing, Eloquii clearly…wasn’t.

He caught a light blue gaze looking in his (Keydis’s) general direction, and his smile brightened to something grossly incandescent. He threw up one feathery, clawed hand in a jaunty wave. “Annora! How’s my favorite accomplice doing? That’s a very nice…huge…axe…thing ya got there! Can I just say that I’m very glad you never used it on me?”

[277 / 845] Final??​

 

[Dysney]

Acer aimed his weapons at the Orator to cover Keydis' attack and hesitated for a moment to assess where he should shoot first. His hesitation worked in his favor, he might have accidentally shot Annora if he'd pulled the trigger a moment sooner. Frown in place, he gestured to his subordinates to assist them as he approached.

Keydis beat him to the punch, the Conexus guard's breath caught in his throat as the man's weapon collided with the girl's arms. A mixture of shock and relief flooded his system when Keydis somehow survived the attack unharmed. He wondered, what kind of skill she had to be able to conjure that metal.

The sound of Nisi's voice broke his curious trance, snapping the velen back into reality. Acer waved to Ezra and Lila, the trio approaching El, Keydis, and Annora.

Lila glanced at the Orator anxiously, grip tightening on her her guns, but Acer shook his head and gestured towards Keydis and her friends.

"Well, I'd like to ask you two ladies to accompany us to the nearest station. I think your actions have proven you're no terrorists; there's no need for you to run around with bounties on your heads, right?" the grey-blue velen offered. He gave the trio a friendly smile.

Lila and Ezra moved to handcuff Keydis and Annora, but stopped when Acer gave them both pointed looks.

"There's no need for that."

"But, sir! These women are--" Lila protested.

"Lila. They assisted with the capture of a known terrorist. You know this means their own bounties are to be forgiven. We are here to uphold the law, not antagonize citizens with paranoia and politics."

"Yes, sir," Lila sulked.

"Besides," Acer grinned, "they have a bounty to collect!"

[1111] Final?

Sorry I disappeared y'all