The hoarse shout came from the stairwell. The velen guard from the roof, still bruised and battered, was stumbling down the stairwell, shouting. "Alert! Intruders!" He clutched his rifle across his chest though he was bleeding from both shoulders.
Both guards in the entryway rushed forward, meeting the velen. The unarmed laicar guard caught the man as he slipped. "Intruders? Where? How?"
"At least six, from the roof. Didn't see how they got there. Took out the entire team up top."
"There's only one person they can be after!" The mace-wielding guard growled. The guards turned around, looking at the entryway with sudden suspicion.
The unarmed laicar reached into a pouch at his belt, withdrawing a small handful of dahlitium pulveris. He tossed it into the air and rapidly incanted, "A heavy pall bringing forth doom, the warmth of light shall remove the gloom!" The shower of glimmering sands was caught by an unnatural wind and swirled toward the caster's eyes, surrounding his eyes in a bronze mask as his eyes lit from within. "Stick together and get to Orator!"
As they started to move, the velen suddenly shouted, "Wait! Up there!" His rifle came up, aiming at the drone overhead and tightening his finger on the trigger, letting loose with a wobbly shot. The gunshot sounded more like an explosion in the confined walls. The velen winced at the deafening sound, but the two helmeted guards just turned their attention to the metallic bird.
[250/1200]
Notes
Unlikely that the guard could hit Cora in the state he's in. The gunshot will alert the first group of guards you saw, however, and the second group is now aware of Cora.
Cora dodged the wayward bullet and shot one of the orbs lighting the hallway. Taking advantage of the dark, the drone quickly retreated down the hall back the way the invisible group had come. The drone shot another light before zipping around a corner, hopefully untracked. Unlike the loud gunshot aimed at Cora, the ones it fired were much quieter because of the noise suppressor strapped to the gun protruding from Cora’s ‘beak’.
Val bit her lip to keep a few expletives contained and glanced at the guards. Pressing herself against the wall, she decided to stay out of the way until the guards were gone.
Kincaid, meanwhile, had seized upon the opportunity of the commotion to further travel down the hallway, towards the two guards at the other end.
His footsteps were careful, practiced, familiar with the silent dance that required him to shift his weight as each foot came up, and then back down. His green eyes darted across the ground, and ahead, searching for anything which could help or harm his progression down the hall.
The two guards had stopped, their attention fixated down the hall as they heard the alarm sound. They didn’t stay in one place for very long, as they picked up their feet and began hustling back up the corridor.
Kincaid pushed himself up against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible to let the guards past him.
Deni held his breath as the two guards passed him. Once they were a few long strides away from him, the rogue continued to move. The guards had become aware of their infiltration attempt, and if they waited too long the entire floor would get themselves organised. That wouldn't bode well for the little band of misfits, so they needed to pick up their pace.
The velen didn't speak, but instead pushed forward in the direction that they were heading. He held one arm out in front of him so he would know if he was about to collide with one of his allies.
This invisibility won't last forever, Deni reminded himself. If we're still going for Orator, we don't have time to stop for a quick bite to eat. Damn, I was enjoying this little walk.
Thief's arm brushed against Kincaid as he passed him. It was an effort not to cock his pistol as he neared the end of the corridor. He stepped in front of Reilly and took a glance around the corner, auritium pistol in hand.
Aelflead kept behind the two with her sword partly drawn from its sheath, though she made a not to be more careful, she didn't want to blow cover unnecessarily but she was well prepared to lose out on a bit of cash if she needed to. The others seemed to have qualms against it besides the promise of extra cash, but she regretted not taking out the guard from above when she had the chance. Instead she'd settled for knocking him out, and she was disappointed her fist wasn't as potent on the guard as the spurii expected. Tough suckers need it a little harder I guess.
The pirate mage continued down the hall evenly, and casually checked his pockets for pulveris as the guards rushed past the group. The mental competition he'd held within his mind ended when the shot rang out towards the droid, and thankfully reminded him that reality was still going on regardless of if he was in wonderland. He ran his free hand through his hair passively as he moved to the other side of the passage, and peered down the hall his party was so focused on with naginata in hand.
Val narrowed her eyes, annoyed she couldn't see the other members of the group to know what they were doing. On the one hand, she could assume they were continuing down this hallway. On the other, she could turn around and follow the guards. If she did that, at the very least she would be able to guide Cora with more accuracy and maybe even injure a few guards before the invisibility spell wore off.
Once the odd shimmering that coated her faded away, she could pick off the guards from behind, or at the very least give them some inconvenient injuries. It would probably favor her to hide behind a corner. In afterthought, she drew the gun Thief had given her from her cloak and began to loosen the noise suppressor. Whatever happened, it was time to stop being so weak and indecisive.
Briefly, she lamented not having time to convince the others that they should flank the guards and attack from both sides. She paused with the silencer halfway off the gun, was it worth the risk?
The clamor of boots on stone masked the sounds of the infiltrators as they slipped down the hallway to the far right. After they had passed around the corner, none dared to look back to see whether the guards were giving chase or not. With the element of surprise compromised, the group needed to move as fast as possible to make the most of their invisibility while it lasted.
Reilly didn't waste breath asking if everyone was with them. It wouldn't be worth the trouble to do anything about it if they weren't. Let the guards deal with them -- at least they'd make a small distraction. He did call out brief directions in a sharp whisper, directing them to, "Keep going!" when they came up on the end of the next hallway. There was only one way to go, and there could easily be another pair of guards right around the corner, but waiting around wouldn't help their situation.
They turned the corner and all collectively breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing it was empty. Ignis felt the added reassurance that the connection with Cora had not been severed. Either the guards couldn't find the drone in the darkness, or they had recognized it as a distraction and were on the move.
Onward they rushed, feeling the seconds rush by. There was no clock to measure the remaining duration of Kincaid's spell, no way to know when exactly it would fail. Reilly called out, "Left," as they neared a four-way intersection in the corridors. Barred cells passed by on both sides, all completely empty. In theory Orator could be in any one of the hundreds of cells.
Realistically, the center of the tower was the best place to lodge him -- obvious but well-guarded.
Around the corner they went, unseen and unheard, but Deni couldn't help a wary glance in the opposite direction. He had to bite back a curse: two more guards, heading their way: a woman with a halberd -- such a favorite among the guards -- and a towering velen with a war hammer. The shouts of alarm hadn't reached this far, yet, however, and so the pair was in no rush.
The sound of footsteps didn't go completely unnoticed. As Reilly hissed, "Left!" again, one of the guards could be heard asking the other, "Did you just hear something?" Up ahead, there was another corner. Without hesitation, the group turned the corner, breaths getting heavier after the lengthy marathon. The next hallway was clear, and a second branched off to the right, halfway down the middle. Reilly spoke again, and the group took the branching hallway.
There!
The crew slowed to a stop, holding to caution now that their target was in sight: the cell was larger than any of the other, its floor covered in lush and exotic carpets. All four walls of the cell were bars, but two of those walls were almost completely lined with bookshelves, all of them half-full at least. The rest of the cell was lavishly furnished with a divan, reading chairs, and even a table.
In the center sat the infamous face of the Astra non Obligant. He was an immense man, clearly of laicar blood but built like a velen. His hair was a bright blond, reaching halfway down his back and tied into a simple braid. His eyes were intense, icy blue, neither menacing nor welcoming. His face was clean-shaven, and were it not for the bright red and yellow clothes, it would be impossible to tell he was a prisoner at all. Unaware of the efforts being made to free him, he was calmly reading a book, scribbling notes on a piece of paper beside him.
It wouldn't be as easy as just rushing up and breaking the door down. There were two more guards there, backs to the cell. Both guards carried curved tower shields, but while one had a hefty looking pistol, the other carried a longsword at his hip.
Even rushing as they did, Kincaid's spell would not last much longer. The guards might have been distracted briefly, but it wouldn't be long before they converged on the center, where their prime inmate was held. There was no time for hesitation but the stinging near-defeat on the rooftop was a poignant reminder that they needed to avoid head-on battle as much as possible.
"Wait," Reilly snapped out in a whisper, needing a moment to formulate a plan of attack.
[750/1950]
Map
The darker grey areas indicate where Cora knocked out the lights. The -C- is Cora's last stated position. The blue circles indicate where you last saw guards (not their current positions). The blue rectangles are guards currently in sight. The brown dashes indicate where your guys are.
The ones who had invisibility cast first, it will end mid-way through this turn, regardless of what you do. Those in the second casting, it will end at the end of this round, regardless of what you do. Any attacks or aggressive actions will cause it to end immediately.
Val followed the group in the end not because she was afraid to be separated from them, but because they were on the move and there just wasn't enough time to seriously weigh the pros and cons of going off on her own. Trailing after the others blindly, she vaguely remembered fighting a basilisk in the mist only this time it was her supposed allies she couldn't look at.
In the back of her head, Val noted Ignis desperately holding onto their connection with Cora. The engineer imagined that the jail was organized something like a grid and guided Cora back into the hall they had first come down and sent the drone left as opposed to right. She guessed this other hall would mirror the hall they were in and guided her drone accordingly. Some seven or ten meters behind and to their left, the drone followed them.
If her calculations and senses were accurate, she would be able to bring Cora around a corner to approach the guards from behind.
Val contemplating ordering the drone to shoot out the lights behind the guards in order to distract them from the invisible group in front of them, but decided to humor Soldier's hushed order. She lightly tested a nearby cell to see if it was unlocked. If they could knock the guards unconscious and trap them inside it would be useful.
She noticed the odd gold beginning to fade. Time is up, I suppose. I sure hope Soldier has a plan, the alter-ego mused.
Reilly entered the room and quickly scanned everything he could. Two guards were all that he could see, which was a blessing, but he knew in the core of his being more would show up, and when they did everything was going to fall apart. They needed to remove these two and get Orator out before then to even stand a chance. In a hushed voice only his team could hear he quickly laid out the plan.
“I am going after the sword at his hip. Tailor will support me when his attention is on me. Tinker, Sailor will open fire on the other, Thief and Beggar will engage when his attention is diverted as well, wait for him to make a move and interrupt. Hit them with everything, bring them down fast. Once they’re dealt with I will attempt to blow the lock, no time to try and pick it.”
With his orders delivered he immediately moved to get into position behind the guard with the sword. With steady hands he reached out and attempted to grab the sword. This was either a great plan or a bad one, but either way they needed to make a move and his usual style Reilly lead from the front for better or worse.
From his position, his cutlass in his hand, Kincaid softly stepped up to the guard. He positioned himself just behind and off to the right, so as to not be in Reilly’s way, as well as out of the guard’s easy reach. When he saw the slightest change in the guard’s stance, he acted.
He rose the edge of his weapon the guard’s neck, placing it there with just enough weight to be noticed, and whispered, “Move, or so much as shout, and your partner will die. Then you.”
Rather than go for a low menace in his words, the thief kept his voice cordial. His words alone were enough. These guards would not take his threat lightly. They would also not wager the lives of their comrades as easily as they wagered their own.
If the group was to succeed, they needed every advantage wherever they could get it, and in this moment where Reilly needed to take the guard’s sword, even if they hesitated for half a second, it was all the group needed.
Aelflead's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the state of the Orator's cell. The redhead knew that he'd be different from the other prisoners, but she surely wasn't expecting something so... Extravagant. Aelf had figured it strange when they were told that Orator would only be a bonus of sorts instead of the focus, but now that she'd seen his living state she knew something was going on behind the scenes. Prisoners didn't get this kind of special treatment period, pureblood or not. This guy led the group that killed the Eximum, why didn't the guards beat him half to death when he got here, and why aren't we here for just him?
Both good questions to be asking, although they were a little too late in the game. Aelf's thoughts were cut short when Soldier spoke, but she was obedient. Aelf still wanted to throw him out a window, but his pair of hands was helpful at the moment, and unfortunately needed. So for now, she drew her sword. A moment later she was on the offhand side of her target, and visible, with her blade poised to cut through the man's achilles tendon should the bullet fail.
Hikaru slid his blade into a thin leather sling on his back while the terran spoke, and raised a hand in the air to form a simple triangle in the air that hovered before his hand, pointed at the chest of the man standing in front of him. "You'd best get to filling out a resume my friend," the songen taunted as the shimmering around him faded, "as you'll be out of a job by morning."
Deni shifted any immediate thoughts on the nature of Orator's cell to the back of his mind. If anything, 'cell' seemed a loose term. Sure, he was locked up in there, but it seemed as though he was being treated more like a guest than a prisoner. The velen could ponder on that later, when he actually had time to waste.
Before the invisibility spell wore off, Deni positioned himself behind the guard with the gun and aimed both pistols at him. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He had just a few moments left to run through the plan of action in his mind.
Shoot the guard, help with the other guard, Reilly blows the lock, then we grab the big fella and leg it.
He didn't bother mentally questioning where they were going to be legging it to, because they hadn't really decided that yet. Hopefully Soldier had another plan for that one. Deni grinned. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest. Rushing around the prison was an exhilarating feeling, but the rogue wanted to be gone by the time he came down from that high.
Val turned her head sharply at soldier's commands. She aimed her gun at the pistol-wielding guard's knees. The enlil engineer said nothing, instead calculating where Amicus might need to shield someone. The mons infans peeked out of her cloak and looked behind them, suspicious of an ambush. Where had the other guards gone? Were they getting reinforcements?
Cora hovered into view behind the guards. Val directed the drone to aim at the guard Soldier and Tailor were focusing on.
Her brows knit, sweat beading on her forehead. Val retreated, debating on shrouding the entire area with a cloud of mist to cover Soldier and allow him to bust open the Orator's cell. She tightened the suppressor on her nonlethal weapon, breath hitching.
Ignis shivered. She was in the middle of what would devolve into one of the great battles of this plot. Excitement tingled just beneath her skin, prompting feathers to fluff up. Just beneath her attempts to feel better about this, anxiety twisted her stomach into a knot. They were all going to either do the impossible or die.
Guarding Orator was both one of the most important and most uneventful tasks in Terminus. There was little to distract from the vital task, and likewise little to distract from the sensation of a steel blade dragging on leather, of the sudden weightlessness on one hip. The first guard snapped his free hand over, finding and grabbing Reilly's wrist almost before he even realized what he was doing.
Just as quickly, he found a sword at his throat. The guard held himself very still, though his grip on the would-be thief's wrist was like a vice. Instead of responding right away, the guard silently looked around, seeing if any others besides the two men in front of him were visible. His body tensed, preparing to move if necessary. If he could throw his head back and shove his shield forward, he knew he could spare his throat.
Before he dared a risky move like that, however, he called out, "Ruber?" His blue eyes, filled with determination, never left Kincaid's.
From the far side of the cell, with at least three guns he could see pointed at him, the second guard reluctantly replied with, "Ater...." One hand on his firearm, he slowly but deliberately lifted his hand away, holding the empty hand out where the ambushers could see it.
"Assassins?" Orator wondered aloud from within the cell, looking around at the standoff. The imposing prisoner closed the book and set it down beside him. Arms folded over one knee, Orator curiously awaited his potential end with surprising calm and dignity.
It wasn't until their captive spoke that the first guard finally released Reilly's wrist, slowly holding out his empty hand like his partner. If these were assassins, at least he could be content knowing that Orator wouldn't be walking out alive.
[300/2250]
Note
That's the sort of checkmate scenario you can do when you have six moves at once. Don't mess it up, though.
The group made quick work to disarm the two guards.
Snapping the fingers of his free hand, Kincaid caught sight Reilly pulling the guardsman’s sword free and falling back out of the corner of his eye. Without breaking his gaze from the steely-eyed guard, the thief nodded so the tip of his green archer’s cap dipped slightly, the sole sign that he appreciated the guard’s cooperation.
Wordlessly, Kincaid fell back, enough so that he could see the second guard out of his peripherals. He’d called out to the spirits of Serpens moments ago, and even now the ghostly creatures were gathering.
A hundred-thousand tiny grass-like creatures that covered the prison floor, each one transparent and tinged with a haunting green aura that outlined them. They stood patiently, waiting while Kincaid traced a triangle through the air.
“Must say,” the thief remarked, his voice a mix between arrogance and disappointment as he addressed the first guard, “expected more o’ ye ta be here.” He snapped his fingers again, and the spirits swayed as if a breeze of power had rolled over them. Kincaid kept his dull green eyes locked with the first guard, but lifted his free hand and directed the power of his spell against the second.
The spirits were torn from the ground by the windless breeze, disappearing and then reappearing all at once in the form of a single creature that clung to the guard’s back. The weight of the creature was immense, forcing the guard to the ground with a surprised grunt of effort as he attempted to resist the spell.
Keeping her gun aimed at the guard they had just relieved of his gun, Ignis moved toward the empty cell again and pulled it open. "We just need them out of the way," she said, gesturing with her free hand. From beneath her hood, the enlil's gaze nervously swept back and forth. Surely there were more guards coming. "I'll melt the lock and their friends can get them out later."
She intentionally took a deep breath, it was shaky though. A light tremble made the gun in her hand waver as she drew the handheld welder from her cloak. A flame flickered to life from the end of the L-shaped tool. Tightening her grip on her tool and her weapon, Ignis bit her lower lip.
They didn't have to kill anyone. They didn't have to be like the conexus officers and vigilantes they'd run into last year or the guards they had fought on the roof. They didn't have to hurt anyone.
Repeating this to herself like a mantra, Ignis took another deep breath and stilled. She really hoped this was the climax of the plot. She couldn't take much more rising action.
Deni kept his silenced auritium pistol aimed at the gun-guard's head from a few paces away. He had no intention of shooting the man's brains out if it came to it, but they didn't know that.
"In, both of you," the pelagic rogue said simply and in a firm tone, gesturing towards the open cell with his non-lethal pistol.
His blue eyes never left his target, though he was glad that they couldn't see the rest of his face behind that plain grey mask. The sweat on his forehead was sticking his face to the mask. His pulse was racing and pounded in his head like the morning after a night on the town. The heat was the worst part. It felt muggy down those corridors despite the temperature outside. Had the operation taken place somewhere like Pelagia, the velen would have felt like he was being cooked alive.
"As for you," Deni said to Orator, though his eyes still watched the guards vigilantly, "our employer has a message for you."
Thief paused to take a quick breath and silently cursed the heat.
Aelflead watched the velen speak silently with her blade still drawn and then glanced down one of the adjacent hallways. She frowned from behind her persona. Where the heck are the rest of these guys? Shouldn't there by tripwires around here or something? The lack of personal on deck was making her anxious. Waves of foes, or a great wall she could deal with, but a lack of opposition always meant bad things in her experience. There was never a 'good' reason for little blessings in her line of work, even if she did believe in that kind of thing.
The woman turned and glanced down another empty hall before tapping her foot impatiently and making the recludo bounce against her hip within it's home in her cloak, though the memory of the equipment was calming.
Hikaru watched the guards move with a hint of a grin on his lips. If the team seemed to be feeling the pressure of the job weigh on them, Hikaru had no knowledge of it. Not that he was necessarily the most focused thinker either.
He kept his portal open and trained on the guards in concert with the velen's pistols with his right hand, and began fishing around in his pockets for something with his free hand.
"An employer," Orator repeated thoughtfully. "Cui prodest, indeed." Intrigue lit up his eyes as he looked around at the intruders, still unsure whether they were assassins or saviors. It wasn't until he saw Aelflead, or more specifically, her distinctive hair, that understanding dawned. "The halfer volunteer..?" His words were kept vague for the sake of the guards still listening. A mask was no good if Orator revealed everything carelessly.
Orator looked over the others again, but if he recognized them, he gave no sign of it. Even as careful as he was used to being, he couldn't help musing aloud, "You're not actually here for me." When his eyes turned to Reilly, fiddling with the door to the cell, the man's eyebrows raised. He reached over and grabbed the top of one of the bookshelves, pulling it down with a thunderous slam that reverberated off the walls. Books spilled all over the floor, and Orator dropped down behind the heavy wooden furniture.
The sound of the falling bookcase was a whisper compared to the detonation of Reilly's explosive.
Fragments of the lock and surrounding bars rocketed into the cell, sending up a shower of shredded wood and paper. From the silence came a deep, thunderous laugh, resounding from behind the heavy bookcase. "Absolutely glorious!" Orator suddenly shouted, brushing the shredded tomes from his shoulders as he rose to his feet.
One hand swept up toward his shoulder, fingers weaving intricately through the air and trailing sparks of light. Orator made a fist next to the shoulder of the garish red and yellow prisoner's shirt, and in a grand motion, pulled as though ripping the garment away. With that motion, the brightly colored pants became dark, boots appeared on bare feet, and a heavy cloak fell from his shoulders. A metallic mask appeared over the lower half of his face, but it couldn't hide the sudden hope and excitement in his eyes.
"Lead on!" he called out, content to let the group take charge. One hand swept out and snagged the book of poetry he had set down, somehow unharmed in the explosion. After tucking the book into the back of his pants, Orator strode forward, pausing at the ruined cell door. He hesitated, but then took one more step and was free. Free from the cell that had confined him, free to spread his legs, to pursue the followers he had left behind. Orator reached down and claimed one of the guards' heavy tower shields, as well, lifting it easily and testing its heft.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, murderous scum," one of the guards snarled from the cell, though his words carried little weight from behind the shower of sparks from the enlil girl's welding torch. "Run fast and you might even see the sky. The entirety of the Arx is going to be on you in moments."
"Maybe." Orator walked over to the opposite side of the cell and lifted the second shield. He clanged the two shields together, not even looking at the guard. "Maybe not."
Their first objective was complete. Now all that was left was to find the elevator and free Rapax. They could not linger here much longer and that was a fact. Glancing around he realized going back the way they came was not a good option, seeing as the guards could most likely be coming that way in particular after them. The floor plan thus far had been a bit systematic and uniform. If the rest of the place mirrored that which they’ve already seen then the he knew how to get to the elevator. Turning his gaze to the hallway he pointed.
“Listen here... Orator. We broke you out as per our agreement, but you’re not a necessity. You’re only worth something if we get our main target, that’s it. So follow me lead and fall in line and you’ll be enjoying the warm sun in no time as a ‘free’ man.” He locked stares with the man not wanting to cause him to submit, that is not how you acted around another alpha, but to show him that was his job and he was not going to let anything, or anyone get in the way. “Everyone, let’s move. We can not wait any longer. Stay with the group and follow me.” He turned and took off toward the hallway to the east. He gripped his new blade into his dominant hand as he rushed, his feet barely touching the ground before pushing off again. He reached the corner and glanced around. Bolting down the south hallway he eyed the open cells and counted his blessings they were empty. If they were full of prisoners they’d hollering and screaming to release them as well and all that commotion would attract the guards to their location. They took each hallway as quickly possible. Glancing down and checking for guards before bolting once more. The faster they moved the harder it would be to catch them. They approached the final corner and with a look Reilly was able to see the elevator and the guards guarding it.
