Wax On, Wax Off

Underground Prison
Sewer System, Closer to the Captives

Hearing the English man try to be calm about their predicament but at the same time forceful in his words she turned around to face him.

“Colby it’s Gabrielle, for the love of peat call me by that not by my last name. Make me sound like my Mother.”

With that she rolled her eyes and kept her back up against the wall that she was resting on waiting for Atrimus to catch up to them that was when she whispered.

“I know we’re close and that means we can get whoever is in here and get the hell out of doge. Get back to jack and coke or whatever you like to unwind with.”

She was saying that so the boys would settle down and she could get to hearing what the surroundings were going to tell her about what they were walking into.

“Got to settle down though right now so I can hear what is going on. It’s how I stay out of bar fights and things like that. Glad to see you boys decided to join the party just wish the others would have came down this way. They could be sitting ducks for all we know. Jason and his damn pride is going to get himself killed.”

Muttering the last part she rubbed her legs as she was a bit tensed up from running away from the whole male chest bumping that was going on earlier. She was a bit calmer now and thinking, which was probably not the greatest thing for her to be doing for it was when she thought that she got into trouble.

Bailey followed along behind Gavin obediently. She watched his back most of the time figuring he would alert her to any danger from the front. When she too heard the small cries for help and the tapping she turned and held Gavin's arm tightly. "It might be a trap. We should be very careful." she followed him into the room that smelled equally as bad as the one they had been kept in. SHe looked from side to side and when she saw the woman in the cage she approached slowly. "Quiet" she whispered to the woman. She watched as Gavin worked the lock. She turned just in time to see the Kreelock behind them and she tapped Gavin on the shoulder. When she was handed the key she promptly began working it into the lock. It wasn't an entirely perfect fit but it was good enough. She managed to get the door open and then she touched the womans hand. "Don't worry we'll get out of here. Just stay in there until Gavin has this situation handled." As she said that she turned just in time to see the beasts head roll. Bailey would have vomited at the sight had she anything to puke in her stomach. She was sprayed with a few drops of blood and she closed her eyes momentarily to try and erase that memory from her mind.

"I'm Bailey, This is Gavin" she pointed to the one with the axe. "we're not with the monsters obviously. Come on" she took the womans hand and pulled. Gavin helping her down. Not waiting for the womans name. They had to move quickly. As they rounded the corner she stiffened. She knew that they were about to enter the most dangerous night of any of their lives thus far. She stood on her tip toes and kissed Gavin's neck "thank you for saving us Gav. And I'll thank you more appropriately if you don't get us killed in the next few minutes" She smiled and moved away from the axe swinging hunk. She knew that she should be more frightened than she was. But truely she would rather die than ever go back into one of those cages. SO if Gavin Failed.... she was going to end it. She would find a way to push the Kreelocks into ending her life so that she would never ever have to be locked up again.

She turned to the woman who had been weakly tapping and she smiled "Stay behind me okay? I won't let them get to you with out getting through me first." She spoke with complete honesty. Even though her proclamation was a little less noble than it appeared. She simply didn't want the girl to die instead of her.... she didn't want to be the last one standing. Although there was some protective intent in it as well. She didn't like the idea of the poor girl being hurt when she was just now beginning to hope that there was a brighter tomorrow. She looked to Gavin and when the war began she picked up the first fallen weapon and joined in. She was less talented at severing heads as she was severing hands. She recieved a few superficial wounds during her first fight. SHe'd never fought a day in her life (not like this)... but it seemed to come naturally. Every time she swung that Axe she imagined the person on the recieving end was the man who had killed her mother. Or the man who sold her father drugs. Or the monster her father became when he got drunk all the time. She screamed in raged by the memories that flooded her. She moved quickly and defended the girl they had found (Layla) when ever anyone came even remotely near. She was surprised at her sudden burst of energy... endorphines or adrenallyn must have been truely flooding her system as she plowed down the monsters in her path and in her mind.

She turned as she saw Gavin fighting as well. "Gavin to your right!" she prompted and pointed at the monster charging him.

Underground Prison
Sector East

Colby didn't know them well enough to suggest that he had the answers to any of Arts questions. And so, he had chosen to ignore them instead. And as he had started to move toward Gabrielle's location, the Transmuter could only shake his head at seeing Artis take a drink. Now was hardly the time for such things, but on what grounds did Colby yet have to say anything?

When they had finally caught upto Gabrielle, her chiding tone brought out a lopsided grin to lick across the features of his visage.

“Got to settle down though right now so I can hear what is going on. It’s how I stay out of bar fights and things like that. Glad to see you boys decided to join the party just wish the others would have came down this way. They could be sitting ducks for all we know. Jason and his damn pride is going to get himself killed.”


Which was another quite sensible line of thought, and as he turned his gaze toward Artis, the man was acting like he was playing a damned video game. Green eyes grew wide as saucers as he made the leap across the canal... nearly falling...


"Whoa... whoa... help me, help me."

Which Colby did on a reactionary level. Both hands grasped hold of Artis chest, as his gaze hardened. Had the man fallen, he might have hurt himself, he might have alerted the enemy to their position Either way it would have been a burden. Either way, it put him in unwarranted danger for nothing.

Keeping the other man from falling, Colby would shove him hard toward the ground besides him...safely onto that but of his. Hissing between his teeth.

“Listen to me, and listen good... I don't want to die because your a drunk. I don't want to die today, or for any of this shit... get your head where its supposed to be, or may the Queen help me, I'll plant you here...”

A thought of reaching into that bag and grabbing those liquor reserves crossed his mind, but no need for senseless drama... which was about the time that a blood-curling battle cry echoed through the sewers from just ahead of them. Colby tensed. He knew that scream. He had heard it two months prior, had seen its results. His jaw tightened and he was on his feet again, water soaked shoes splattering against the ground as he ran ahead. Either they had been discovered, the other team had been discovered, or worse...they were about to slaughter the captives.

As a Transmuter, he had learned that his body was the best of weapons. It could often be the only weapon, and so not having anything but his fists wasn't a problem. Not looking behind him to see if Gabrielle and Artis had followed, The Shaper would move head-long into a wooden doorway... Using his shoulder to barrel lean frame into it. Which surprisingly it did without much so without much effort. Which was about the time, that those green eyes fell on two women and a man, looking almost like tortured ghouls, their heads rolling across the floor

A touch of color rode to his cheeks, as it seemed that these captives weren't in much danger, the Arcanists with him were. Tilting his head...”Hello” English accent catching the air quickly...”I believe we've got turned around, sorry about that!” And Colby rapidly shut the door, because clearly the Kreelocks, were just as evil as he had imagined, and been told... but that still didn't mean that the Ancients were the absolute pure and noble creatures they had been painted as...

Already he was starting to let his mana flow, ducking his head lower and holding tight to the door. As he felt it shake..." Get Ready... This isn't going to keep them back..." Contrary to popular belief Colby wasn't good at fighting, he was good at taking a beating.

For a little while, the door was shaking violently... just before a sharp axe struck it, the sharp blade pointing out of the wooden-door. Colby clearly bewildered knew he'd need several more seconds before he was ready to cast some spell.

Arik smiled to himself as he handed the artifact to the Ancients. He knew it was important, but he did not see why they could not just send someone whose hands were not quite as full. Granted, the errand itself was a little demeaning, but he did get something out of it. Before he turned in the artifact, he chipped a piece off to put in his cache to study later. He bowed and smiled. "I shall be returning to my keep now. Many blessings find their way to you." He said as he disappeared and teleported back to his keep. What he found was a little disconcerting. Broken things, and the lingering taste of mana in the air.

His brow furrowed as he swished a hand and the broken things had repaired themselves, temporarily at least. What the hell had gone on here?! His immediate concern were that of his students. Where were they? What were they doing there? Why hadn't he been informed of this class field trip?! He set the piece of crystal on the table and took off his white and silver coat. His white shirt slightly rippled as be brought a sleeved arm and an unsleeved arm in the air and began to weave the broken strands of mana together and within a few seconds the task was done.

With a small jerk, he twisted the strands together and the room faded into smoke. When the settings around him finally became solid, and more than wisps of colored smoke, he looked around him and did not like what he saw. Kreelocks. What a day. This is what his students had to deal with? Some of them were not even ready to fight their own shadows, much less Kreelocks. He let a small grin escape his lips as the Kreelocks turned to face him. Their teeth yellow and red with blood and rot. Their putrid odor offended his nose. They let out a low growl as they raised their weapons. This was not the way this day was supposed to go damnit.

"Very well. You shall have a fight." Arik said loudly as his hands started to glow a pale blue. The temperature in the room dropped fast, and small clouds of cold began to fill the room, and some of the clouds began to sneak under the door, but still he managed to obscure the vision in the room. Large icicles began to form on the surfaces in the room. "Now you die!" He said as the clouds in the room dissipated to reveal angry Kreelocks frozen to the floor struggling to break free. As if clockwork, the large icicles broke away from the walls, ceiling and floor, and began swirling around the room. They whistled as the flew through the air and eventually found their place in the Kreelock's heads or chests.

Arik placed a hand in his blonde hair, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a fun spell, but one that was a little taxing, even for him. He readjusted his clothes and put on a serious expression as he tried to open the door. It budged a little, but closed again. "What a day." He sighed quietly to himself as he closed his eyes and teleported blindly to the other side, and rather than risk being ambushed again, conjured a large ball of blinding light to mask his entrance. Fortunately for him, what he did find was his students. Well now they were potentially temporarily blind students, but students nonetheless. God he hoped they were not going to have to fight their way out.

"I'm glad to see you are all safe." He said nonchalantly as he looked everyone over.

Underground Prison
Sector East

Holding the door was hard. It was taxing. Especially as every now and again he'd have to whip his head left or right. As he had to wonder if the next strike would be the one to do him in. It was around this time, that he heard voices. Concocting half-ass plans of teleporting. This time he was silent. This time, he didn't want to add to his own discontent or the discontent of Artis or Gabrielle.

But Colby had to wonder if they remembered what Arik had taught them about teleporting, about how numbers had to be taken into consideration, and knowing what was around and above you and near you could effect how far you teleported. Colby didn't want to end up somewhere in the sewer systems.

“Okay...hate to be the wet blanket...but how many of us can you actually teleport?” British accent held in full, as another axe swung through the door, blade flashing before green eyes, the very tip of which rested right where his forehead was. A small line of blood had already started to drip down his face. The Shaper let a hiss leave his lips, and his jaw set tight. Before there came a silence trickling from the other side of the door. And the movement stopped.

Colby had a bad feeling about this. And not seconds later he felt his eye-sight leave him. The Blinding White light tore through the area, and made it hard to know who had done it, what had done it.. But that wasn't the biggest problem, quickly he released the mana he had been driving up. Finding his own strength instantly increasing. Those hands that had been holding the door open, thrust through it... Grasped hold of the axe that that had cut his own head and ripped it right through.... Just as he heard the familiar voice of his captor. His Kidnapper and mostly arch-nemesis.


"I'm glad to see you are all safe."

There wasn't a need for vision, not when he was sure that that was the Silver Essentian's voice. When he had memorized the creature that had stolen him from his home, and forced him into a life of violence and death and crazy stinky sewers. His body trembled with the desire for combat, trembled with the want to just cleave the immortal with the axe in hand.

His vision was clearing, and with it, the sights were of his classmates.

“Bout bloody time... Why are we here? Was it to see those dead arcanists?” He pointed to the room behind him...”Or save some of them? Why are they here? How did you fail to kidnap these ones?”

Arik placed his thin hand on his forehead and shook it slightly in dismay. "I'm sorry for the situation you are all in right now. I did not have the luxury of telling the ancients 'No', this time." He said allowing his frustration of the whole situation to show in his voice. "I am not the one to be angry with. I do not know what transpired for this seemingly hellish situation to come into fruition, but I am here to help you, as I have always been here to help you." He said sternly as he looked at Colby. He would have made for a promising student, if only he wanted to learn. Arik remembered when they first met. That was made of fun.

Arik heard a body hit the ground and turned around to see one, Layla Fairchild on the floor. He immediately bent down and got on one knee to see her. He touched her face, and did not like what he felt. He said nothing as he lifted her gently off of the floor. One might not think that he would be able to pick one up so easily, but she was light, and he had already called upon arcane power to give him that extra boost of strength. "She is not well." He muttered to himself as he grabbed her hand and a faint golden light covered them. He looked around the room once more and mumbled something inaudible, and the whole room was bathed in a golden light. "I supposed I could soothe your injuries before I teleport us all back to the keep." The warmth of the light tickled his skin a little, but because he was not injured himself, he did not feel the full effect of the spell itself. He waited for a moment for the light to dissipate.

"Now if you will all please relax yourselves, I will take us where we need to be." He said and with a twist of his fingers he pulled the lingering mana threads together and tugged on the mana thread. The walls of the room began to fade into the oblivion like smoke into the atmosphere. It was only a moment before Arik could smell the familiar smell of his domicile. It was good to be home, however, he could not rest yet. He had someone to tend to.

"I'm going to take her to one of the spare rooms." He said as he carried the young lady into one of the rooms and laid her gently onto a bed. There was a chair in the corner, and he sat down in it and waited for a sign of progress. His mind whirred angrily as he planned a trip to a certain someone who he knew was more than likely the accelerant to this horrible situation they had managed to get themselves into.