A question of safety

[rogueinladysclothing]

This Winter has been a harsh one, and the Nexus' resident rogue shows signs of it. Where before Amelia had been comfortable enough to walk about the Nexus with relatively few weapons on her person, she now carries her full armory every time she steps out of the inn she currently calls home. For weeks she's been pondering how to tackle a problem on her own. Now she's come to the Forum to seek advice, as anyone who's been here long enough usually does.

"I've had many thoughts and worries relating to the safety of myself and others after certain events in the last several weeks." Her lips draw into a thin line and she crosses her arm in front of her chest. That's enough context for everyone who might answer, surely. "What do you do to feel safe? Or, rather, when your safety is threatened, how do you respond?"

Comments

[ixis]

The problem with taking aim at fire is it really doesn't have a form to strike. Each stone whiffs through the roaring flames with all the effectiveness of fingers through mist. The actual physical body of the mage has become flame; there is not body to hit any longer.

The visage of a snarling face is visible, flickering and whirling, as it rushes at her a second time. Only after it charges for the second pass do the fires die off and the proper physical form of Naugus is present once more. Twisting around in midair to swipe his hand upward, calling the earth beneath Amelia's boots to spike up violently and abruptly, looking to toss her skyward.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia makes for the nearby snow pile again to miss the flames - and for easy access to something to put them out with if the worst should happen. But that doesn't mean much when the ground underneath her begins to quake and move. She struggles to hold on to her weapons and keep her footing, but eventually loses both. With a cry she's tossed into the air, her weapons clattering onto the still-moving ground below her. The mid-air cry is quickly cut off when she lands on the ground and the wind is knocked from her lungs. There's no chance to recover before she's thrown up again and after a few tosses, she's weak and shaking from lack of air.

...this is not how she expected this fight to go, clearly.

[ixis]

Malevolent magics, dark and terrible, swirls around Ixis Naugus with licks of fire and whorls of mist. The gem on the end of his staff, held firm in his claw, glows bright and flickers with its own unworldly, purple flame. He approaches the fallen Amelia with steady purpose, blood coating one half of his face and oozing down his left side. He has no mind for his wounds right now.

When he his nearly upon the rogue, there's a snarl and another sharp gesture with his hand, the earth rumbling around her once more to snap and form stone-hewn shackles around her wrists. Pinning Amelia to the floor so she cannot attack or retaliate when he reaches down for her.

Ignoring any violence attempted against him or his bindings, or any protests upon completion, Naugus snatches the silver pin from her hair. Equally uncaring if any hair is yanked along with it.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Breathing is still a struggle for her when the shackles form around her wrists. Suddenly the air doesn't seem necessary, because she's pulling at them with whatever strength she can find.

And then, the unthinkable. Naugus has her hair pin. Her gift from Nathan. Her one last piece of him that she's been clinging to since the day she received it.

She's honestly unsure what's happening. It's like a dream. It has to be a dream. But that pain...

No, this is real. The moment that hits her, Naugus is getting both of her feet right to his bleeding face. Her arms may be pinned down, but she is a strong and stubborn thing who isn't about to let him walk away with her most prized possession.

"GIVE IT BACK! NOW!" Her hair is a tangled mess, her wrists are screaming in protest to her frantic kicking, but she isn't stopping.

It's not adrenaline that has her now - it's terror.

[ixis]

Her kick is angrily batted away with his staff even after it connects, adding a bloody nose to the rest of his injuries. But like the others, it's ignored. He steps back slowly several paces, breathing heavily, getting out of Amelia's range for what comes next. In fact, the assault, the fresh red flowing down over his lips and staining his teeth pink only serves as inspiration. Slowly, his mouth pulls into a wide and toothy grin.

"In due time. In due time," he reassures her, dropping it onto the ground with a clatter and musical tinkle. Staff is switched from claw to hand, only so Naugus can crook that arm and suddenly jam the point of his pincer into the wound. Deep enough that it causes it to widen and only bleed more profusely. Wincing slightly, he draws it back out again, examining the end of his claw and how it's now coated in crimson. He looks between it and Amelia, still grinning, still panting...

Then swings it downwards where it smashes into the ground with a loud CRACK. He wastes no time; circles and sigils are drawn hastily, his claw dragging bloodstreaked furrows into the stone floor. He works fast, the symbols getting drawn sharp and abrupt, framing and encircling the stolen hairpin. And the end of whatever this arcane preparation is, Naugus draws one last line and...

FWOOM.

A portal tears open, hovering jagged and bright over the profane summoning circle. A doorway to a quiet shore, a scent of ocean air wafting briskly through, the sound of wheeling and whinging seabirds. There is a city nearby. Far enough to be a decent walk, but not so far that one can't hear the sounds of harbour industry, the bark of dogs, smell the smokestacks dotting the skyline. A wooden ship laden with cargo can be seen pulling into port, the shiphands hurrying to lash it to the docks.

Naugus grins at the sight of it, looking back to Amelia with that manic, evil smile, the blood now past his chin, streaking his beard red.

"Idiot girl. Look. Look. Look what you could have had all along had you paid me proper respect."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Her eyes remain wide with terror as she watches Naugus work, constantly calling out for him to stop and cursing his name. No matter how much she struggles, despite all of the blood coming from her battered wrists, she can't get up. Can't take back what is hers. Nothing. She's helpless, just as she always has been here.

But those thoughts are thrown out the window when portal cracks its way open in front of her.

No.

No. No. No. No. NO!

"It's not real... It can't be..."

The view of Masarra's great walls, the skyline, the ships, the very smell of the air wafting over her.

It's home.

Tears roll down her cheeks, silent and unheeded. It's too soon! She has so many things left to do before she's ready to go back, to set things right before she lets it go. She struggles against the shackles again, finally managing to slip one hand out from both the shackle and her glove as her blood lubricates the area enough. There's a desperation in her eyes as she rolls over and crawls toward the portal, hand outstretched.

If she could just reach it...

[ixis]

He delights in watching her clear and present torment. Feeds on it. His grin so wide, so pleased, watching Amelia impotently try to reach for it.

"I told you. I TOLD you. With so little effort, it could be done. There it is, just as you left it, isn't it?" He looks towards the opening as well now, admiring the view, rasping a low, wheezing chuckle. "Home, sweet home."

Naugus circles around to stand on the other side of the portal, gesturing towards it. "But I'll prove I'm not a petty man! I'll do you a favour. I'll give you just what you set out to do. Just what you wanted. Help you see your bold plan through! Watch. Watch closely, you stupid child."

His face twists up into a snarl now, frowning angrily at that portal before spitting at it ill-temperedly. A final insult before the fireworks begin and the guillotine drops. The blood strengthened the potency of the spell and bolstered his abilities, allowing him to brute force more than ever before. Allowing Ixis Naugus to wrench past whatever roadblocks were in place that prevented portals opening their way back to Masarra.

And the blood will deliver this killing blow.

He crouches again, writing symbols once more into the cracked stone, drawing on top of the ones he'd laid before. The wizard's work is swift and decisive before a long, brutal strike is swiped through the whole circle, splitting it into diagonal halves. Destroying it.

The portal SHATTERS, the sound like screeching metal and crashing thunder. A ripple of dark arcane power ejects from the collapsing doorway, followed by a larger, stronger one. Strong enough that it sends Naugus staggering back and raising his arm to shield his injured face. Purple streaks of crackling energy lace through the air like branching veins of lightning. The ground rumbles and quakes fitfully for several long seconds.

And then?

It's done.

Everything is perfectly still.

Perfectly quiet.

The portal is gone as quick as it came.

Ixis Naugus cackles gleefully, eyes alight with malicious joy. "Hhhhhahahahahaaa! And just like that, there will be no more portals! They are sealed and shattered forevermore! Just as you wished! Just as you wished!!"

This morning's mood music: https://youtu.be/Wsysh9VWEv0

[rogueinladysclothing]

She knows what he's going to do before the final blow is made. She struggles against the remaining shackle with urgency. He can't destroy it. Not now. There are things to do there still! She looks up at the last possible second, crying out before the final slash through the ground is made.

"NO!"

The force from the closing portal flips her over her still-shackled wrist, throws her against the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her again. Her face is scratched by flying bits of stone. As the ground rumbles and quakes, the shackle holding her to the ground is broken apart, allowing Amelia free to look up and take in the damage.

Her heart sinks.

For a moment, she's certain she's dead. This is worse than any of the dozens of terrifying nightmares she's experienced in the last year and a half. The afterlife will contain such things for her, but life?. Surely, this must be that kind of dream. It has to be, because she's not done yet. She carefully crawls forward and recovers her stolen hair pin before sitting back on her knees, staring at it through tear-filled eyes.

Her family, her friends, her city, her world...

Nathan...

All.. gone, before she could say goodbye...

What little semblance of composure she might have had is gone as she collapses to the ground, her whole body shaking with loud, heart-wrenching sobs.

All the best made plans... and for what?

[ixis]

"Remember this next time you care to trifle with me, stupid girl. Remember the extent of my power and the breadth of my wrath. We are finished, you and I." He's proven his point and considers himself the victor here; all grudges are settled as far as he's concerned.

With one last withering look at the huddled figure on the ground, Ixis Naugus turns and slowly hobbles away, leaning heavily on his staff. He has to attend to his injuries now, especially since this process made one much more grievous.