They're pretty cool! Dianne creates some really creepy things. XD

I'm kinda just hanging around until it's time to start, I have nothing to do.

Yup. So, what's on the agenda today? Sargon getting new powers? Jerry and crew getting to the sovereign?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what we get around to.

Hey, ok. I’m waiting for Fred to show up all angry. I think he’s going to be surprised at what Dianne’ s going to tell him about Wendigo.

I'll have Sargon or someone else tell him that Wendigo's dead soon. I've been curious about what exactly Dianne's planning to do with the body.

Well, you’ve seen her make the fabricated centaurs, and there are seven other dragon corpses in that warehouse with him.
That’s all I’ll say.
>:D

I'm imagining some sort of hydra. XD

I'm going to start now, since I have to write some stuff for Ana/Sargon/Fred.

Ok, go right on ahead.

'If you insist,' said Sargon, forcing his tone back to its usual cool indifference. Ana gazed at him for a moment, then turned away.

Suddenly, they heard wings flapping above them - soft feathered bird's wings. They both looked up in time to see a vulture swoop down onto the tower roof and reform itself into the familiar figure of Frederick.

'Sir,' he said, with a hasty half-bow at Sargon. 'I heard a rumour that Wendigo was killed. I just wanted to confirm that it's nonsense.'

Sargon eyed Ana shrewdly. //So she really did kill him,// he thought, annoyed. He turned back to Frederick. 'The rumours are true,' he said almost gently. 'He died in a fight near the city gates, and his body was taken away by Dianne.'

He saw Frederick's eyes widen, his expression going blank for a split second before it hardened into anger. 'Dianne killed him?' he ground out, already thinking of what he was going to do to Dianne the next time he saw her. Why would she kill an ally? Then again, he supposed, it wasn't surprising - she was a killer, with serious anger issues.

But Sargon was shaking his head. 'Dianne had no part in it. Ana did it.'

Behind him, the black dragon tensed.

'...ANA DID?!' Frederick exploded suddenly. 'What the heII? You allowed her to murder a member of your own army? Do you give a dam.n what happens to any of us, Count Sargon?'

'I did not allow--' Sargon began, but the enraged vampire wasn't going to wait for him to explain.

{Steve gives a thoughtful look.} “Necromancers, huh? I bet Dianne’d love to meet them. They call him Hurricane? Why?”

With vampire quickness, Frederick lunged towards Sargon. As he ran, he pulled out a long blade that resembled a carving knife. He had it pressed to Sargon's throat in an instant.

Ana shrieked in horror and stood up, ready to defend her master.

'You don't want to do this, Frederick,' said Sargon in a low voice. 'Killing me is a mistake. Our whole army will collapse; our people will die. Make your choice carefully.'

'We could find a better leader than you,' growled the younger vampire. 'You let people die and you can't even show any feeling for them. What are you, a machine?' He pressed his knife closer and watched a line of blood appear under the blade.

Of course, Sargon wasn't actually going to let Frederick kill him. He snapped his fingers, and instantly a long, thin sword appeared in his hand. He swung at Frederick and the younger vampire jumped backwards, bleeding from a long cut across his chest, but still glaring at him. Then the silence broke.

'...I'm leaving,' said Frederick. He sheathed his knife, and before anyone could stop him, he had shifted back into his vulture form and taken off into the sky.

//It is not what you think,// Sargon said, telepathically.

Frederick responded, angrily and sarcastically, //I was waiting until your birthday to tell you this, so it would be a nice surprise, but Wendigo and I weren't really loyal to you. We've been helping Armin and his people all this time.//

And then he was gone.

(OOOOH, shet’s heating up now! :D)

'Hmm, I'm not sure I can remember why,' said Armin thoughtfully. 'He's a big dragon, so maybe it's because of the huge winds he creates when he flies. He was around Dianne's size, I think. In her dragon form, obviously.'

(XD Frederick is not taking this well at all.)

{Steve nods in understanding.} “I guess we’ll meet him in time. Anyone else noteworthy?”

(OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
stuff's goin down :>
also sorry I'm late :')))))

'There was one necromancer in particular who you might want to watch out for. Her name was Carol. I think Ana tutored her personally, so she can do all the magic Ana can, except that she's not a dragonshifter or in love with Sargon. She's seems nice at first, but she's actually kind of crazy and really likes blasting people.'

(Hey, @King! Glad you could make it!)

(HEEEEEEEEEEY KING
N I C E T O M E E T Y O U
*creepy psycho grin*)

(Just kidding I mean hello)

{Steve nods again.} “She sounds lovely.” {He says sarcastically.} “I wonder who Sargon’s going to bring with him and who he’s going to leave for us to deal with.”

'I think he'll take most of his army to Sovereign City,' said Armin. 'It's a big place, with - supposedly - a large army. He'll want to be prepared for anything. I bet they'll be almost nobody left behind in Shacklestone after he leaves.'

{Steve tilts his head in thought.} “I guess that’s better for us, but worse for Jerry and them. I hope they can hold them off until we can seize the city.”

Armin switched the TV off, finding nothing else interesting to watch. 'I'm sure they'll be OK. But things are going to get dangerous in the next couple of days - nobody's really going to be safe. They won't be until we've put a stake through Sargon once and for all.'

(Hey brb in like 45 minutes.)

(Alrighty.)

(I died again help)

(Uhhhhhh gotta reply to the magical murderous adventures of metal girl and crow boy)

(*sad music plays in background*)

(The magical robot-hunting adventures of metal girl and chicken dinner)

(Yes perfect)

@Radiant
"Oh don't worry, I tested it out on plenty of humans when that Sargon dude was ransacking the city."
She grins smugly, heading off down a smaller street, seeming to already disregard Sargon as her leader since the talk with Mortikai. Five trundles off ahead, sticking to the patches of light as much as possible, due to the solar panels on it's body, attempting to generate as much power before the sun went down.

(I'm gonna step out for a few minutes but I'll be back very soon--)

'So, you've killed humans already? Niiiice,' said Crowley with a grin very similar to Mia's. 'I kinda want to fight the Sargon guy someday. I mean, he's not a human, but I just wanna know how tough he really is. I guess he's pretty good to have destroyed this whole city. Maybe I could kill him and take over his army.'

Crowley darted ahead and snapped his jaws at Five, not actually trying to harm the robot, just trying to startle it.

(King - I gotta go shopping with my dad, so I'll be gone for just a little bit longer.)

Steve: “Well, I suppose it comes down to just that in the end. Ok, I’ll let you be to heal. Just holler if you need anything.” {With that, Steve gets up and starts to walk out.}

(Oh yeah, I’m back.)

(Back, and welcome back Aggron.)

Armin watched Steve until he was gone. 'Hmm... I wonder if there's any wine left in the kitchens, or if I drank it all the other night...' he mumbled to himself, debating getting up to look, but deciding it might be better to wait until Steve was asleep. If he DID sleep...

Frederick flew as fast as he could, swift bird's wings carrying him to Riverside in a matter of minutes. Once there, he immediately located Dianne's workshop by the smell of corpses that permeated the air around it.

An anger he had never felt before was quickly building in him. //Ana killed Wendigo and Dianne took his body...// If he ever got close to Ana again, he vowed that he would kill her. But first, he had to see Dianne.

He shifted back to human form and marched into the workshop. 'Dianne! Where are you?'

{The foreman draugr saw Wendigo first and approached him.} “She’s in the basement. She’s expecting you. But do yourself a favor and calm yourself first. There’s a good explanation for this.”

Frederick drew in an angry breath, then let it out slowly. As furious as he was, the last thing he wanted was to have Dianne as an enemy. That would mean going against his father, too - a father he barely knew, but cared about nonetheless. He forced himself to calm down. 'There had better be,' he said coldly. 'And I want to know exactly how he died as well.'

(I just noticed that you wrote Wendigo instead of Frederick in that post. XD)

“Follow me.” {The draugr takes Wendigo to the basement. Dianne is sitting at her work bench, working on some unholy abomination of limbs and teeth. Hearing them enter, she stands and turns.} “You’re here. Thank you, Bufo, you may leave. Frederick, I take it you’re here for Wendigo.”

(Crap. XD)

Frederick came to stand a few feet away from Dianne and the thing she was making. He glanced at it briefly, but couldn't tell what it was, and he wasn't disturbed by it. 'I want to know what happened,' he said shortly. 'I only know that Ana apparently killed him. Not how, or why. More importantly, I want to know why you took his body instead of allowing him to have the burial he deserves.'

{Dianne sighs.} "We were getting ready to come back when Ana showed up and started making a ruckus. Wendigo came, told her to withdraw, and she turned on him. She slashed his throat and left. As to why I took his body, well, there are two reasons. One is so Sargon couldn't shove Ana into a fresher corpse, and the other, well...After everything you two have been through together, I it only fair to give him the chance to keep his promise to you."

*I thought it only fair...

Frederick went very still, staring at her in what looked like surprised disbelief. 'You know about that...' he murmured, then shook his head and continued more sharply. 'So, you're going to bring him back as a draugr?'

"I will do more than that. Come." {With that, Dianne walks out of the basement.}

Frederick followed her unhesitantly. Part of him was afraid to believe anything she said, knowing that she was dangerous, wondering deep down if she wad simply lying to him. //But I might get to see Wendigo again,// he thought. //And to apologise...//

(This next part is long. Give me a minute...)

(That's alright, take your time.)

{Dianne led Fred to the warehouse. Opening the door, the light flooded in, revealing two massive beings, suspended by chains and meathooks. They were amalgamate creatures, made from several dragons each. They were massive, larger than even Dianne's dragon form, and Dianne had altered their bone structure so they stood upright. Each had two arms, two legs, massive wings, and three heads. At the center of one construction, was Wendigo's body, seamlessly grafted into this new creature, with his head seemingly being the center and prominent one. At the center of the other was Ana's old body, with some facial reconstruction.}
Dianne: "These will be the vanguard that tear Sargon's army asunder. Far stronger than any dragon at his command, faster, and more durable. Later, I will summon Wendigo's soul from the other side and ask if he would like to take on this new form and destroy Sargon alongside you. This is his chance to keep his promise."

@Radiant
"Pfft, you could try! I've never really seen anyone try to revolt against Sargon, except for that Arminus dude. Bet you'd be a more fun leader too."
She lets out a cruel laugh as Five scoots forwards and lets out a surprised beep, trying to shrink away from the massive dragon.
"It's a massive wuss, not really that good for anything other than scouting out stuff."

(H A I L H Y D R A)

Frederick gazed upwards at the huge creatures, completely awed and seemingly unable to speak. He could scarcely believe that any person could have the ability to create something like this. All of a sudden, it seemed to him that destroying Sargon would not only be possible, but laughably easy.

'Incredible,' he breathed. Then he turned to Dianne. 'Wendigo will come back. I know he will. He's wanted to bring Sargon down for a long time, and this will be his chance...' Frederick hesitated, wondering if he should tell her fully about the meaning of Wendigo's 'promise' to him.

(Hail Hydra!)

(It's a Wendigo hydra!)

'Of course I'd be a better leader,' said Crowley. 'I'd get rid of lots of stupid laws, and I'd make non-humans more important than boring humans, and I'd make killing people completely legal so everyone who hates each other would be spilling their blood out on the streets! That's MY kind of a world.'

(I'll probably have to go soon, my wifi will go off, but I'll try to let you know before I do.)

{Dianne nods.} "Good. After all, Sargon has an ally resurrected, why not us? I suppose you'll want to get back to Sargon now, before he gets suspicious."

(Ok, @Radiant)

Frederick then remembered what he'd done to Sargon before he left. 'I don't think that's going to be a problem,' he said. 'Considering I threatened him with a knife and told him that Wendigo and I had been traitors all along.' He almost regretted it now, but at the same time, he was so glad to be free of the vampire overlord that he didn't even care.

{Dianne stopped in her tracks and spoke with a mix of surprise and anger.} "You did what?!"

Sargon left Ana on the roof, ignoring her fussing over him and telling her that she was absolutely forbidden to fly off and kill Frederick. The young vampire's reaction to Wendigo's death had been expected; it was the news that he'd been nothing but a spy all along that disturbed Sargon. But there was nothing to be done about it. Killing Frederick would break the truce, and besides, it wouldn't change anything he'd done in the past.

He went downstairs to his private room, pausing in front of a mirror to inspect the gash on his throat. It was already healing. Satisfied, he stood alone in the middle of the room and spoke up, softly. 'Brink. Are you available?'

Frederick stared at her disdainfully. 'He had just allowed Ana to kill one of his own army! I wasn't going to continue pretending to be loyal to him after I heard how Wendigo died. Besides, it gave me a perfect excuse to finally be rid of him.'

{Dianne just sighs and rubs her face.} "Fine. But when the time comes, me, these two, (Points at hydras) Armin, and every draugr under my command are going to seize Shacklestone once Sargon leaves, and you're coming with us. Problem?"

Frederick glanced at the hydras again. 'There's no problem,' he said shortly. 'I've been on my fath - I mean, on Armin's side all along. And I always planned to reveal myself to Sargon at some point, anyway. I just didn't know it was going to happen today.'

(I think I'm gonna head off for now. See you all!)

(Bye!!!)
{Dianne nods and starts to walk away.} "You should visit him. From what I heard, he's totally bedridden and could use some good company."

@Radiant
Dark Brink phases into existence, a slight chuckle on his curled lips as he sits in mid-air.
//Of course, my Count. I've been waiting patiently for you. I presume you're ready?//
His grin curls tight, his form practically rippling in excitement.

(Throwing in one last response before I go...)

'I don't know if I'd be 'good company',' said Frederick dryly. 'I hardly even know him. I was only nine when he disappeared. But you're right. I ought to catch up with him - we haven't had a chance to talk properly since all of this started.' As Dianne walked away, he turned and headed off towards the hotel.

Sargon eyed the spirit cat blankly, not impressed by the way Brink could appear instantly when summoned. 'Yes,' he said. 'It's been a long time since I originally rounded up those traitors for you. I assume you're not going to make me do anything else before you give me the powers I asked for?'

Armin had been sitting back, eyes closed, trying to recover his strength so he could heal faster. When he heard the door creak, he looked up, and then smiled slightly. 'Hello, Frederick.'

The younger vampire crossed the room and gazed around curiously, before sitting down in a nearby chair. 'Father,' he greeted formally.

The two of them stared at each other in silent awkwardness for a while, neither knowing what to say or do. Then Armin broke it with a quiet chuckle.

'I haven't seen you since you were nine,' he remembered. 'You've changed a lot.'

Frederick gave a reluctant smile. 'It's been a long time,' he said. 'You don't seem to have changed at all.'

'Well, vampires stop aging the moment they're turned, don't they? Frozen at the same age forever. It gets quite boring actually.'

Frederick nodded, his gaze going distant. 'I was twenty-five,' he said quietly. 'I went out, hoping to find some clues to your disappearance, and one of Sargon's people caught me.' He shifted uncomfortably. 'It was stupid.'

'Well, at least it means that we're both here now and you can help me kill him if you like,' said Armin, smiling faintly.

'I want to. If I can.'

(I've got nothing to do, so I'll just wait a bit.)

@Radiant
//Of course not. Their power has been returned to me and after a...run-in with our friend Dianne I have amassed enough power to grant you the power you desire.//
Standing, he begins to pace, circling the vampire like a shark that was more interested in intimidation than food.
//Usually, I place my mark on those who wish power from me depending on what they want them for. Revenge is usually the hand or wrist, representing the power they gain to do what they wish to. Sentimental reasons bring the mark on the chest, over the heart. Marks on the head is usually intellect, or headstrongedness, following the logic that lead them to me. Obvious symbolism. Shoulders and the back to represent the physical strength one may gain from me, though in one case I have in my...possession, he takes his mark on his back from the way he believes he was backstabbed by his family. As tragic as it sounds, he's completely deluded.//
He adds in a cruel little laugh at that.
//But as for you...I can't place you. You're strong, you're wise, your heart is set on your cause- on your people, you seek revenge for what humans have done to all of you over the many centuries...by my book, you're a jack of all trades. But what is more important to you? Your mind, heart, strength, or lust for revenge? What will it be, my Count?//

@Radiant
"Hell yeah! Weed out the weak so only the strong will survive! It'd be so much better going against someone who actually knows how to put up a fight."
Mia laughs, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
"We're almost there, by the way. Y' can see the scrapes on that wall there where some weak idiot tried fighting back and pushed my awesome killer robot."

Sargon stayed completely silent while Brink circled him, following the dark spirit with his eyes while the rest of his face remained unmoving, seemingly emotionless. After Brink finished his speech, it was several seconds before the vampire spoke up.

'I do not care what others see in me,' he said. 'The things you said are very true - I am devoted to my cause, and I will do anything I can to protect my people and give them the future they deserve. Personal strength and wisdom mean little to me. Being stronger than my minions would not enable me to lead them to victory.'

He took a step backwards and tilted his head to one side, surveying Brink in an appraising manner. There was still no visible expression on his face.

'I would say that the thing most important to me is my people, and their loyalty to me.' //And my loyalty to them,// he thought, thinking back on his earlier conversation with Ana and feeling another pang of disquiet for how he'd mistreated her. 'I will sacrifice myself to protect them if need be. I would rather see my army survive and flee to safety than to survive myself.' He gave a small, almost non-committal shrug. 'Draw your own conclusion from that.'

Crowley sniffed the air, detecting a faint hint of cool metal nearby that didn't seem to be coming from the small robot trundling ahead of them. Maybe it was Mia's other robot. 'Great, show me where it is,' he said. 'Then we're gonna go and find some people to fight... and I'm gonna think up ways I could kill Sargon.'

Frederick and Armin kept talking for a little while, catching up on everything that had happened recently, and how each of them had ended up in Sargon's army.

Eventually, Armin glanced up and said thoughtfully, 'You know, Fred, we ought to celebrate.'

'Celebrate what?'

'How about the imminent end of this war? Or the fact that your friend Wendigo is going to come back?'

Frederick considered this. 'Fine, what do you suggest?'

Armin grinned. 'I think there's some bottles of wine left in the kitchens of this place. Let's raid it.'

Frederick scowled. 'I'm not going into the kitchens to steal alcohol. There are other people here.'

'So? You're a vampire, sneak past them. I'd do it myself but I can't actually walk right now.'

'That's another thing, too - I'm sure you shouldn't be drinking when you're this badly injured.'

'Why not? It's not going to slow my healing processes.'

In the end, Frederick caved. Muttering unheard things under his breath, he slipped out of the room and headed off towards the kitchens, hoping he wouldn't bump into anyone on the way.

(Also hey Aggron I've got morty out and about if you got anyone free and you want something to do)

(Fred and Armin are also kinda free, I mean they're doing stupid things together but it's nothing important.)

( @King I think I can work with that. Set a scene!)

(With Morty)

{Steve hears Fred walk by his room. Turning, he squints his eyes in suspicion, gets up, and tails Fred, carefully and silently.}

{In a dark space, Dianne sits on the floor.Before her lies a summoning circle of sorts and a few of Wendigo's scales. The rest of her force ha been built. It was now time to make her offer to the fallen dragon. Taking a candle, Dianne mutters something before setting the scales ablaze. They burn with an eerie green flame. As they combust, Dianne speaks out to the darkness.} "Wendigo, come! The living are not done with you." {From that, Wendigo's soul is pulled from the afterlife, and brought before Dianne.}
( @Radiant Mind if we do this now?)

(Aggron - No problem!)

To say Wendigo was confused at being pulled back would be an understatement. 'Wh-what?! Who's that? Dianne? What's going on? I'm pretty sure I just died...'

Frederick was aware of Steve from the moment he started following him - it was impossible for Steve to go unnoticed, with him being a human and Fred being a vampire. However, he pretended not to know anything until he reached the kitchen. Once inside, he immediately started searching the room for the wine. It took a long time because he stopped every few seconds to examine other interesting-looking things. Without turning around, he said, 'Hello, Steve.'

"You did." {Dianne states, almost coldly.} "I have brought you here to....propose something to you. The promise you made to Frederick, you died never fulfilling it. How would you like a second chance?"

{Steve chuckles, stepping into the room.} "Heheh, blast those vampiric senses of yours. I was hoping to surprise you. Anyway, what are you looking for?"

'A second chance? What are you talking about?' Wendigo growled - and then he realised. 'You're going to put me into a new body, aren't you? Like Sargon did with Ana.' He was silent for a long moment while he considered her offer.

//I don't want to come back if I'm not really alive anymore... But I promised I'd keep fighting until Sargon lies dead at my feet. Fred and I promised each other that we wouldn't rest until we'd done it.//

At last, he said, 'Yes. I want to come back and keep helping you guys.'

Frederick paused to examine a shiny metal toaster. He had never seen a toaster close up before. 'My father made me come out here to steal the wine,' he said a little irritably, nudging one of the buttons on the front in a curious manner. 'Though I suppose it's not stealing now that you know about it.'

(With Draco not being all that active in the RP anymore, it looks like I've killed her and taken over her account. XD)

(What haVE YOU DONE WITH DRACO >:U

(DRACO IS GONE
I AM IN CONTROL NOW
*evil horror movie laughter in background*)

(At some point I really ought to draw my minor characters like Wendigo...)

@Radiant
//...Well, you are a curious case indeed. You hide your emotions so well, and yet to me they are so clear. Some may say you have no heart, but they can't see that you've given it to your cause, like I mine.//
He paces slowly towards Sargon.
//Then it it decided. Are you ready to receive your powers and sign yourself to me?//

(I knew it
You really are Dark Brink Radiant
D:

'Of course,' said Sargon, watching Brink's every move. He didn't flinch or show any uneasiness when the spirit cat slunk closer. 'Grant me the power I wished for, and let our deal be complete.'

(You are Satan and I am Dark Brink.
I'm OK with this.)

(If I'm Satan and you're DB, who are Aggron and Draco??)

(ALSO I JUST REALISED
GOING THROUGH THE ART TAG
WENDIGO'S DEATH WAS FORESHADOWED (kinda)
WHERE IT SAYS IN THE PIC OF DECAYED ANA IT SAYS THAT SHE'D KILL ANYTHING, EVEN HER OWN SIDE)

(Aggron can be the Illusionist
Draco can be... uh... Light Brink)

(And yes
Wendigo's death was always meant to be
*creepy horror movie laugh in background*)

(yES. Death to Sargon D:<)

"Good. However, There is one thing you should know. In order for me to bind you to your new body, you will have to submit your will to me. Once this is done, you will be unable to disobey anything I tell you to do. Other than that, you will still be yourself." {Dianne extends her hand towards Wendigo.} "Are you ready?"

{Steve smirks.} "Really? Why would he want that? If he's in pain, he could have just asked me for sedatives."

Wendigo hesitated, glaring at Dianne. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck obeying her orders for the rest of his existence. He was loyal to Frederick, and no-one else. But he didn't have a choice.

'Fine, I agree to it,' he growled. 'But you'd better not make me do anything unless it's necessary. ...And I'm ready.'

Fred shook his head slightly, finally pausing in his examination of the kitchen to face Steve directly. 'I don't think he's in pain,' he said. 'From what I remember, he's always drunk a lot. Particularly during stressful or dangerous times. I imagine he uses it as a coping mechanism, though I doubt he'd ever admit that.'

He turned away and opened a cupboard to inspect the contents.

{Dianne closes her eyes. All at once, Wendigo feels a strange, uneasy presence, like the shadow of something dark hanging over the back of his mind. Opening her eyes, Dianne stands.} "It is done. Come, let me show you where you will be staying." {She walks away, but as she does, Wendigo is pulled along, as if they were connected by a twenty foot tether.}

{Steve looks down uneasily.} "Don't bring the wine just yet. Let me talk to him." {With that, he walks over to Armin's room.} "Hey, Armin. Fred tells me you want to drink your troubles away."

Wendigo tried to resist, but found that he was unable to, and grudgingly followed Dianne to wherever she was going.

Frederick stayed in the kitchen, gazing out of a window. Armin looked up as Steve entered his room. 'Drink my troubles away?' he repeated, sounding amused. 'Why would he think that? I don't do that. I was just bored and wanted a drink.' He grinned, but there was something slightly strained about it. 'He's just trying to make me look bad.'

{Dianne led Wendigo to the warehouse. Opening the door, she walks right up to his hydra.} "This will be your vessel. With it, you will tear Sargon's army apart."

"Armin, he says getting drunk is a regular occurrence for you. " {Steve sits in a nearby chair.} "Armin, what's wrong? What pain are you trying to cover up with alcohol?"

Wendigo gazed up at the creature. 'Awesome,' he said, with a savage grin. 'I can hardly wait to see the look on Sargon's ugly face when he sees these...' He started to move towards the hydra that had his old body's head. 'Let's do this. I want to find out what I can do in this form.'

'How would he even know that? The last time he saw me was when he was a kid, he probably didn't know what alcohol was.' Armin sighed and looked the other way. 'It's nothing. I'm not some sort of raving alcohol addict, you know. It's just something I indulge in from time to time when things get... hard... And, well, these last few days have probably been pretty hard on everyone.'

{With a flick of her finger, Wendigo is bound to the hydra. He finds that he can control all three heads, and can see through all their eyes.}
Dianne: "Just get a feel for this new body. Don't get nuts."

'Wooahh... This is crazy...' Wendigo muttered, slowly turning each of his heads from side to side as he tried to figure out how everything moved and worked. It was very disorientating at first, but after just a minute or two he found himself getting used to it. He took a few steps across the warehouse, gazing around with his new eyes. 'So, who's getting the other monster?' He was speaking only with his primary head.

{Steve sighs.} "Yeah, they have. Look, things could get real dangerous really quick. It's better to keep your wits about you. If something's really bothering you, talk to someone about it."

'Nothing is going to happen now,' said Armin. 'Sargon is under truce until midnight. That's still hours away.' He glanced briefly at Steve. then looked away again. 'Talk to someone about it? I don't think that would help. It's mostly stupid stuff, anyway - not worth bothering anyone about.'

Dianne: "One of the other souls bound to me used to be a giant. They will control the other one." {Dianne walks to the warehouse door.} "Stay here. And remember, you're a lot stronger than you might be used to. Be very careful." {With that, sh walks out of the warehouse.}

Steve: "Stupid? If it's bothering you, it can't be stupid. Come on, what's wrong?"

Wendigo hardly paused to listen to what she was saying. He was out of the warehouse like a shot, hurrying off to roam the almost empty village in his new body.

'Die, wall!' he roared, kicking a low stone wall with his foot. It crumbled to dust. 'Ha! Now imagine if that was Sargon's face!'

He grinned (with all three mouths) and his primary head turned to look at his left one. 'Woah, this is trippy, having three separate heads. I can bite three people at once. I can talk three times as loud. I could kiss myself. ...Ew no, that's just weird.'

Armin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glaring at Steve out of the corner of his eye. 'You never shut up, do you? Honestly, it's just a lot of little things. Like how nobody here likes me, and I'm stuck helping them anyway. And I keep thinking of what would happen if we lose this war and Sargon wins... Oh, and I still miss my family, too, which is really stupid because they died 200 years ago.'

{Dianne rolls her eyes and enters the hotel. Walking into the kitchen, she addresses Fred.} "Fred, Wendigo's ready, if you want to talk to him. Ransacking the pantry? I thought you guys fed entirely on blood?"

Frederick looked up quickly as Dianne entered, and shut the cupboard door he'd been poking around in. 'Yes. Thank you. I'll have to go and see him,' he said gratefully. 'And we can eat and drink other things besides blood. Lots of vampires still enjoy... human foods.'

{Steve nods in understanding.} "That's not stupid, Armin, that's kinda expected. First off, Eliza seems to like you, and Jerry seems fond of you too. If we lose, it doesn't mean he'll win. There's plenty of good beings in the world who won't stand for his bullshit. I mean, not like we're going to lose though. And of course you miss the people you love. It doesn't matter if it's 200 years or 2000 years. They were your family, nothing will ever change that."

{Dianne smirks and walks into the kitchen.} "Sure, you do. Are you sure you weren't..." {She opens a high cupboard, throws some bread out onto the floor, and grabs a wine bottle.} "Looking for this?"

Armin was silent for a moment. Then he said in a low voice, 'I guess you're right. Though knowing that I'm always going to miss my family doesn't make me feel any better about it.' He looked away. 'I think this started when I first saw Fred again. The last time I saw him, he was just a kid. Meeting him again now, as an adult, over 200 years later... it just reminds me of how much we've left behind. Being immortal is cr.ap, you know. You always end up outliving people you care about.' He gave a small, bitter smile.

Fred stared at the bottle, then sighed. 'Yes... Armin told me to get it for him. But I don't know if we need it anymore. Steve went to talk him out of it.'

{Steve nods again.} "Yup." {He looks behind him before continuing.} "Truth be told, I think that's why Dianne doesn't really care about anyone and is angry all the time. She's afraid to care, I think., because she knows she'll just have to watch them die in the end."

"Eh, more for me." {Dianne walks out with the bottle in hand.}

Armin made a noise of understanding. 'That would explain a lot about her. Although... It's worth it.' His voice was very quiet, and he stared at the blank TV screen as he spoke. 'Even if you know they're going to die one day, it's still better to spend a part of your life with them, than to be completely alone forever. Getting to experience friendship - even if just for a little while - is worth outliving everyone.' He sniffed and quickly looked away, wiping his face on his jacket sleeve.

Frederick waited until Dianne was out of sight, then followed her out. He briefly considered checking on Armin, but the lure of getting to see Wendigo again was stronger. He ventured outside into the late afternoon sunlight.

'Wendigo?' he called out softly, not knowing what to expect.

Without warning, the massive hydra came barrelling around a corner and rushed over to him, all three of its mouths grinning ear to ear. 'Ey, Fred! Nice to see you again, man! Check out this new form I'm using - we're gonna /wreck/ Sargon's idiots with this.'

(Mortikai, somewhere in the city: i sense alcohol >:(

(Armin: You're not having it, Mortikai. Get your own alcohol if you want to drown your sorrows or something.)

{Steve just smiles grimly.} "Yes. Yes it is. You're brave enough to realize that. That, I can truly respect about you."

'Being brave is hard,' muttered Armin. 'I don't blame people like Dianne who just avoid having any meaningful relationships because it's easier on them.' He was quiet for a second. 'Thanks for talking, though. It helped. A little.'

Frederick couldn't help smiling slightly at Wendigo's enthusiasm. 'Well, at least you're ready for the fighting ahead.'

'HeII yeah, dude.' Then Wendigo hesitated, lowering his heads to peer more closely at his friend. 'Sorry for dying, though. I was being an idiot - I shouldn't have tried to confront Ana by myself. She's one crazy bi.tch.'

'You're apologising? It was her fault, not yours,' said Frederick. 'And mine, too, for not going with you... But it doesn't matter now. You're here, and the next time we see Anastasia, we're going to make her regret everything she's done.'

'And the same goes for that rat-faced vampire, too.'

Steve: "Of course it's hard. Anything worth doing is." {Steve stands up.} "how about this, let's have a glass of wine each. I think we've earned it, after everything we've done."

Armin looked up at Steve, then grinned tiredly. 'That sounds great to me.'

{Steve grins and walks out} "I'll be right back." {He walks into the kitchen and looks for the wine, but doesn't find it.} "Huh, it was right here..."

'Well, it can't have walked off by itself,' Armin called out, hearing Steve from the kitchen. 'Unless someone took it. Nothing else alcoholic in there, is there?'

"No." {Steve calls back.} "Hold on, I'll be right back..." {He walks outside, looking for Fred.} "Hey, Fred, did you ever find the-Woah, ho, ho.....What the hell is that?" {He stands gawking at Wendigo's new form.}

Wendigo looked around, still grinning. 'Hey there! Check out my awesome new form. Sargon's as good as dead.'

'Stop showing off, Wendigo,' said Frederick, though with a hint of amusement in his voice. He turned to Steve. 'Do you mean the wine? No, Dianne took it. I told her we probably wouldn't be needing it anymore.'

{Steve nods and grins nervously.} "Heh, ok, big guy, go get 'em. Thanks, Fred." {Steve walks back inside to Armin.} "Yeeeaaaaah, Dianne took the wine, 'cause Fred said we didn't need it anymore. Sorry."

Armin just looked amused. 'I thought so. Maybe she plans to 'drink away her troubles' as well.'

----

Wendigo snorted at the sight of Steve's nervous grin, then turned to Frederick. 'Get on my back. I want to see what flying is like now.'

He crouched low to the ground, low enough for Frederick to run forwards and vault onto his shoulders. He stood up, looked around experimentally with his three heads, then took off into the sky.

'Where are we going?' Fred shouted over the rushing wind.

'To the city!' replied Wendigo. 'And if Ana tries to break the truce again, oooh, I'll show her... I'll rip her head off and shove it up her own--'

'Yes, I get the point.'

{Dianne hears the pair take off. Running outside, she sees Wendigo flying away. She extends her hand towards him and speaks angrily.} "Come back!" {At that moment, the shadow hanging over the edge of Wendigo's mind seems to grow and push his consciousness aside. His body acts involuntarily, turning in the air and returning to Dianne.}

{Steve laughs and rubs the back of his head.} "Yeah, talking to you is one thing, but I'm not about to dive into the crazy that is her mind. I don't get paid enough to deal with that shet."

Wendigo flapped his wings furiously against the air, attempting to pull himself away from Dianne's influence. When he found that he couldn't, he instead obeyed the force, flying back to the ground where Dianne was standing. He towered over her, a vicious snarl twisting his jaws. 'What was THAT for?'

Armin gave a small laugh as well. 'You should probably just stick with being a doctor, and not try to become a therapist.'

{Dianne glared up at Wendigo.} "What do you think you're doing? I told you to stay here. Where were you going?"

{Steve nods.} "Yeah, I don't have the training. I took a little psychology, but that's not my specialty."

'Uh... heheh...' Wendigo rubbed the back of his head with a clawed hand. 'I was just... sightseeing...'

Frederick jumped off the hydra's back and looked up at him disapprovingly. 'Can't you remember simple things like this?'

'Hmm... Well, you're certainly not bad at it...' Armin mused. Then he glanced out around the room in a thoughtful manner. 'I'm bored. Is there anything to do around here?'

{Dianne glares at Wendigo, clearly unamused.} "Don't lie to me. You were going to the city, weren't you?"

"Eh, not much." {Replied Steve.} "What do you want to do?"

Wendigo gave her a quick, nervous grin. 'Uh, yeah, maybe... I guess I was kinda hoping to run into that creep Anastasia again...'

'We could go outside,' Armin suggested. 'Honestly, I'd rather sit outside and stare at a deserted village than sit in here and stare at the wall. I hate being indoors.'

{Steve nods.} "Yeah, ok. Here, I think I saw an abandoned wheelchair in the lobby, hold on..."

{Dianne just rubs her face.} "Look, I know you want to get revenge, but the element of surprise is very important. Sargon has no idea what's coming. We need to keep it that way, so Sargon can't even try to prepare. Right now, he's probably expecting a smooth transition from Shacklestone to the Sovereign, and we want him to keep thinking that. You will get your chance for revenge, but you need to be patient."

'No way,' said the vampire, starting to stand up. 'I'm nearly healed enough to walk now. Just give me a bit of help getting outside and I'll find somewhere to sit down. I'm pretty sure I saw a park bench outside the hotel.'

'Alright,' said Wendigo, accepting this with a surprising amount of grace. 'As long as I DO get to kill Ana sometime in the near future... I can wait. Fred and I have already waited a long time to get revenge.' He turned his head sideways and stared down at Dianne, privately a little surprised that she hadn't exploded in anger and tried to kill him again.

"Mmmm......ok, but as long as you don't over exert yourself." {With that, Steve starts to help Armin stand.}

Armin gave a short laugh. 'Well, I've been around for 280 years and I'm not dead yet. I must be quite good at not overexerting myself...' Leaning on Steve, he started out towards the hotel exit.

{Dianne looks between the two.} "Good. I promise, you will get your chance." {With that, she begins to walk away.}

(Hey, want to do Jerry's group at the Sovereign now?)

{Steve chuckles and settles Armin on the bench.} "There you go. Now relax. Enjoy the late afternoon."

'Phew, that was scary,' Wendigo muttered. 'I thought for a second that she might tear my soul out and toss it back where it belongs.'

'You should be more careful,' said Frederick. He looked around the village, arms folded. 'Come on, let's go and explore this place. You obviously have too much energy.'

'Alright,' said the hydra, and the two of them set off across Riverside, pausing to investigate every building they passed by, chatting along the way.

(Sure, let's have them arrive there.)

'Oh, I will.' Armin looked up at the sky and let out a small sigh of contentment. It was still somewhat sunny, even though it was drawing closer to evening. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses, and put them on. 'So, how about you? Do you have anything to do right now?'

{After a few hours of driving, the group finally arrives at the gates of the Sovereign. Finding a place to park, Jerry gets off and stretches.}

{Steve thinks for a moment.} "No, I don't. Why?"

Ivy opened her car door, staggered out, and leaned against the hood of her car with a huge sigh. 'Oh my god, I'm never driving such a long distance again,' she complained. Standing up straighter, she glanced around to make sure the others were all there, then turned her attention to the city gates. //This place is so big,// she thought in awed silence. //And they have a PALACE where the King and his servants live... Hmm... It must be so cool and romantic living here...//

Armin shrugged. 'No reason really, except that if you're not busy, then we could keep talking.'

{Jerry walks over to Ivy with everyone else.} "Ok, We have to warn the king, But some of us need to stay with the cars."

{Steve sits down on the opposite side of the bench.} "Ok. Any topics you'd like to discuss?"

'Why do we need to stay with the cars?' said Ivy. 'Anyway, /I'm/ not staying here. I've been sitting in a car seat all afternoon. I need to stretch my legs.'

'Hmm...' Armin thought for a moment. 'Have you ever been to Sovereign City? I went there once, about a hundred years ago. It's probably changed a lot since then. I've always wanted to visit again.'

Jerry: "Because we have enough ordinance to arm a small country. We can't just leave that unattended."
Sarah: "I'll stay with Bob. The rest of you should go."

Ivy smirked and stepped away from her car. 'Yes, you wouldn't want it getting stolen, would you? Or for someone to walk by and think we're plotting to bomb the city or something. Anyway, let's go. How are you going to get in to see the King? The palace is probably guarded. I hope you brought ID, because for all they know, you might be one of Sargon's lot.'

Steve: "Yes. A long time ago, I took Eliza there to see their museum of natural history. She was like, eight at the time. You might get to see it again soon, just in.....different circumstances."

'Mueseums are pretty interesting,' Armin replied. 'I've been to one or two. Never in Sovereign City, though.' He thought back to the time he'd visited the city. 'I'll definitely be going back as soon as all of this is over.'

Jerry: "I always have ID. We'll just tell them we're survivors from Shacklesone and that we need to speak to him urgently. Let's get going." {With that, Jerry starts to walk for the palace with everyone else in tow.}

Steve: "Yes, you should. It's a nice place. Assuming Sargon can't trash the place first."

Ivy followed, lagging behind a bit. She realised she still had her mobile phone, and pulled it out as she walked. Sadly, though, the battery was almost dead and she didn't have any new messages. Her old friends from school were probably all dead... Or else they were werewolves and vampires by now. She sighed and put the phone away, quickening her step to catch up with the others.

'He'd better not,' said Armin darkly. 'He's made enough of a mess with Shacklestone.' He looked off towards the eastern horizon, where the city was just about visible in the evening half-light. 'Despite the negative associations, I still think it was a good city.'

{Steve tilts his head.} "Wait, do you mean Sovereign or Shacklestone?"

{Jerry kept walking until he reached the palace doors.} "Ok, I guess we just go in..." {Opening the door, he takes a look at the first room.}

'Shacklestone,' Armin replied. 'Before Sargon ruined it, of course. It was a pretty nice place. And now everyone in it is dead.'

Just as the group entered the room, a group of guards marched forwards to block them from going any further. 'Halt!' one of them barked. He carried a rifle at his side, as did all the others. He peered at the group suspiciously. 'Are you tourists? The palace is currently closed to visitors.'

The palace was a spectacular-looking place, with large rooms and high ceilings. A chandelier hung above them, swaying slightly as the doors were opened.

{Steve nods.} "Yeah, it was. Then Sargon went and ruined it. I don't think it will ever be the same, even after he's dead. What a pity..."

"Relax." {Jerry says while putting his hands up in a non-aggressive manner.} "We're survivors from Shacklestone. We need to speak to the king urgently. There's an incoming nonhuman army and we need to warn him."

'They'll probably demolish what's left and rebuild it,' said Armin. 'Not much you can do to repair a city that's been almost completely ruined... Though, maybe nobody will do that, either. Maybe it'll just be left as it is, a deserted ghost town. That would be fitting, somehow.'

The guards exchanged glances. 'From Shacklestone?' the leader asked doubtfully. 'How can you prove that you aren't with the monster army that destroyed it? Seems a bit fishy that you'd just show up out of nowhere and demand to see the King. Word has it that the entire population of Shacklestone was killed by those creatures.'

"So, they'd just leave it as an empty necropolis?" {He says in surprise.} "I mean, sure not many people survived, but some of them lost everything in the attack. Where are they supposed to go?"

'I think most of the people who survived will probably go to other towns or cities,' said Armin thoughtfully. 'Some might already have. I don't imagine anyone would /want/ to go back to Shacklestone after everything that's happened. Too many bad memories.'

{Jerry slowly pulls out his wallet.} "Here, look, my driver's license has my address. 122 Oak street, Shacklestone city, Silver district. As for proof that I'm not with the "army of monsters", well, I'm human, not a monster. They killed most of all the other humans in the city."

The lead guard took Jerry's driving license and examined it carefully. 'All right. I can see you're human, or at least you look human, but some of those monsters have pretty good disguises. And who are the others with you?' he said, his eyes going to Ivy and the rest of the group.

"I suppose." {Steve says while leaning back.} "Still, the ruins are going to attract scavvers for miles around."

Armin shrugged. 'I guess we won't know what will happen to it until everything's over. Personally, I don't know if I'll ever go back there.'

"Well, that's Ivy, she's from Shacklestone as well, and the rest of them are my family who came here after the attack to make sure I didn't die." {Jerry says plainly.}

The guards eyed them uncertainly for another moment, clearly weighing up their options, and then the leader nodded. 'That sounds fine to me. You want to see the King? Follow me; I'll take you to him.' He made a beckoning gesture to the other guards and they formed themselves into a circle around Jerry's group.

'This way,' said the leader, and headed off through the palace halls.

Steve:"No point in it, huh? I don't blame you. Nothing will undo what has been done."

'Too much has happened there,' Armin agreed. 'Even killing Sargon won't erase everything he's done. That guy really knows how to mess up peoples' lives.'

{The group follows as instructed, Jerry looking around at the guards and the passing halls}

Steve: "Well, That's why we're stopping him now. So he can't hurt anyone else. His reign of terror ends here and now. Well, within the next few days, actually."

'Ooo....' said Ivy under her breath as they walked through a corridor lined with paintings along the walls. 'Nice decor.'

Suddenly, the guards halted in front of a large double door and the lead guard knocked. 'Your Majesty, some visitors. They say that they're from Shacklestone and want to talk to you.'

There was an inaudible response from the other side, and then the doors opened to reveal a vast room. The windows were huge and made with stained glass, like church windows. There were several long tables surrounded by high-backed chairs. The room was clearly some sort of dining room or banquet hall, though right now it was almost empty. The only people inside were a few servants and a tall man wearing a crown, who was sitting at the head of the table.

'Your Highness,' said the lead guard, bowing. 'I'll be just outside.' He glanced at Jerry and then left the hall.

{Jerry approaches and bows, then the rest of his family does the same.} "Your Majesty. My name is Jeremiah Garvey, and I'm a survivor from Shacklestone. I've come to deliver a warning. The man responsible for the genocide that occurred plans to bring his army here, and lay siege to your city."

'Yeah,' said Armin. 'At least we can make sure he doesn't destroy anything else. That's something.' He gazed at the distant, shadowed city for a while, and then changed the subject. 'Have you ever known any non-humans before me? Lots of your family seem kind of intolerant of us - no offence - while you don't seem to care much.'

Ivy bowed too, a bit after everyone else. The King's eyes widened. 'All of you escaped the attack on Shacklestone City? I believed there to be no survivors...' He thought for a moment. 'And you say that the monsters are coming here next? /Here?/ How can you be so sure?'

{Steve thinks for a moment.} "Actually, my neighbor is a dragon shifter. Nice guy, kind of wacky. He's a security guard, but he talks like he's the law. Yeah, the rest of the family's like that mostly because of their...unfortunate circumstance. Sarah lost her whole family to some vampire fledgelings, my brother's been in the game too long, so now he's old and vindictive, and he rest, well, there's a number of reasons. Why I don't care, well, I'm a doctor, Armin. It's my job to help people and save lives, not take them. When I see nonhumans, well, actually, I don't. I just see people. People with complex lives and motives, just like the rest of us. I can't hate them based on some physiological differences, y'know?"

Armin looked over at him and smiled. 'You're a good guy. I agree with you. We're all just people, in the end - what makes someone bad is them /doing/ bad things, not just being a certain race. That's why Sargon is evil and we're not. Maybe if more people were like you, all of this wouldn't have happened.'

Jerry: "Well, sir, me and my family have been doing everything we can to stop the maniac responsible, and we have an operative on the inside. Their intel indicates that this is their next target. They move tonight at midnight, and will likely arrive in the early morning hours tomorrow."

The King looked deeply unnerved. 'Then we must secure the city and prepare for their arrival. I don't intend to let these raving creatures lay seige to us. I will deploy my army to meet them before they reach our walls.' He looked at Jerry. 'Thank you for bringing this news. Is there anything else you have to tell me?'

"Yeah, exactly." {Steve goes on.} "If you absolutely must hate someone, hate the individual, not the race. Some people just don't get that, though."

'Maybe humans just hate us because we're more powerful than them,' said Armin thoughtfully. 'They're afraid of us. And fear can easily turn into hatred, from what I've seen.'

"Yes, sir, I do. My team and I managed to completely decimate the enemy's food supply. I believe part of their reason for coming here is to obtain more. Their army is about three hundred strong (Is that right?). That's a lot of mouths to feed. If we can just keep them from getting a foothold, we might be able to force a surrender, or they risk starving."

Steve: "Sounds about right. People fear what they don't understand. And that can make them act the fool."

(Three hundred sounds accurate.)

The King nodded slowly, his eyes on the floor, lost in thought. 'Very well... Then maybe this won't be as difficult as I feared... The royal army numbers seven hundred at its largest, though of course a human trooper is little more than an obstacle to a dragon or vampire.' He gave a tiny shudder. 'Nonetheless, we will do our best to stop their advance.'

'It'd be nice if one day all species could live here in peace,' said Armin, 'though I won't get my hopes up.'

While he was speaking, Frederick came wandering by. Wendigo was walking behind him, quiet for once. Armin looked up. 'Oh, Fred. Hold on a minute. Do you have a phone on you?'

Fred stared at him. 'Yes. Why?'

'Give it here, I want to borrow it for a while.' Fred handed over his mobile phone, and Armin took it and switched it on. 'Thanks.'

Meanwhile, Wendigo had come closer to stand near Steve, grinning as he loomed over the doctor in an attempt to intimidate him.

{Jerry gives a thoughtful look.} "Well, if you evacuate the civilians from the outer layer of the city, man the walls, and force them to use the gates, you could bottleneck their approach. As for the dragons, well, what kind of ordinance does your army have?"

{Steve looked up at Wendigo.} "Hey there friend. What're you doing?"

'We have weaponry to deal with dragons,' said the King. 'They have not been used in a long time, as there has been no open battles between their race and ours in over a century. But we should be able to hold them off.' He looked at Jerry. 'You seem to be very knowledgeable about warfare.'

Wendigo leaned closer, the light gleaming on his long teeth. 'Nothing much. I'm just waiting to be unleashed on Sargon's little army. Me and the other hydra are gonna be you guys' secret weapon.'

Armin spoke while looking at the phone. 'So, she's got two of those abominations? With those and the centaurs, I don't think Sargon's troops will have a chance.'

{Jerry chuckles.} "Well, I studied battle tactics in my collegiate years. Thought it would make me better at wargames."

'I see... And what are you and your family going to be doing? I would offer you all a safe place to stay inside the city, since as you're not soldiers. But it sounds almost as though you've been fighting these creatures since the beginning.'

Jerry: "Actually, sir, we were hoping to help with the fighting. After all, we have been fighting, ever since Shacklestone fell. We're not much, but we still want to try."
Old Man: "We already have a bit of a resistance built, and if we want to beat this army, we'll need all the help we can get."

{Steve eyes Wendigo nervously.} "Heh, yeah, that form seems pretty formidable and the centaurs are pretty scary. Hopefully, this'll be over soon and we can all go back to living peacefully."

The King nodded. 'In that case, feel free to do whatever you wee planning to bring this army down. My army will help you any way we can. I have one question: who is the leader of these monsters? Who on earth would want to kill the population of an entire city?'

Jerry: "His name is Sargon. We're unsure of his motives, but he seems to harbor a grudge against the human race as a whole."

Wendigo snorted out a laugh. 'Well, preferably not ENTIRELY peacefully. I do like a good fight now and then... But this war needs to stop. I just hope Dianne will let me keep this body once we're done.'

Armin sent a text message to Jerry's phone. It read: 'You guys in Sovereign yet?'

(Don't ask how he knows anyone's phone number. XD)

At that, the King looked even more disturbed. 'So he'll stop at nothing to kill us all...' Then he pulled himself together. 'But we have the advantage. There is no way he can win this.'

He stood up from his chair. 'It's getting late. Will you be returning to where you came from, or staying here for the night? If your report is accurate, it will be many hours before this - Sargon - attacks here.'

{Jerry watches the king stand, ignoring Armin's text for the moment.} "We're staying here, in the city. Thank you for seeing us. If it's not to much to ask, however, we would like a word with your general. We need to debrief him on the composition of the opposing army and such."

{Steve smiles.} "Ah, you young dragons are always so rowdy. I doubt Dianne will let you keep the body though."

'The guards will take you to see the general,' said the King, with a brief glance at the guards waiting outside the doorway. 'But I don't see any reason for all of you to go. Why don't some of you come with me instead, and I'll show you a place where you can stay?'

'Oh, I want to do that,' interjected Ivy. 'I don't really want to stand in the background like a rock while Jerry talks to this general. Your Majesty,' she added hastily.

Wendigo pouted. 'That's a shame. Maybe she'll give me a different one. Otherwise, I'll just be a ghost floating in the air, haunting Frederick for the rest of his life.'

When Jerry didn't respond at once, Armin sent a message to Ivy instead, knowing she also had a phone.

{Jerry nods.} "Thank you, Your Majesty. We accept your most gracious offer." {With that, Jerry and the Old Man go to follow the guards while the rest follow the king.}

Steve: "You could go ask her next time you see her. Who knows, maybe she will?"

The King led the group through twisting corridors and up staircases. The palace was huge; wherever they were going, it was taking a while to get there. Suddenly Ivy felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked, letting out an annoyed huff when she saw who the text was from.

It read: 'Anyone dead yet?'

Ivy typed back, 'no. and get the heII off my phone u creepy bloodsucker.'

'Maybe I will,' replied Wendigo. 'I mean, I'm not fussy. I don't really care whether I'm a huge hydra or a boring dragon like Ana, as long as I have, y'know, an actual body.'

The group of guards led them on a much shorter journey; leaving the palace, they came to a sort of training ground outside. Several soldiers were there, practising firing at targets across a long shooting range. One man was walking along the line, giving instructions and advice. It was obviously the general.

(Do you want control of the general, or shall I?)

{Eliza looked at Ivy.} "Hey, who's that?"

Steve: "You sure? What if you end up like that?" {Steve points to Dianne's abomination of limbs and teeth. It was apparently complete and wandering about the town, clicking and grumbling. It had a massive maw for a body, eight human arms that it scuttled about with, and no discernable eyes, head, or face.}

'Just the idiot vampire, Armin,' Ivy responded, rolling her eyes in exasperation. 'I don't remember giving him my number. He must have gotten it from somewhere.'

Wendigo looked around at the thing Steve had indicated. 'Hey, that's actually pretty cool... In a horrible way, but still cool...' He took a bounding leap over to the creature. 'Hey there! Nice to meet you, big monster thing!'

Frederick watched with a bit of concern. 'He has no common sense...'

{The abomination jumped back when Wendigo approached. It then reared up on two arms and waved to him, still clicking and muttering. With that, it kept walking about.}
Steve: "Not much of a conversationalist, is it?"

{Eliza frowned.} "Hey. He's not an idiot."

Wendigo walked back to the group, looking quite proud of himself. 'It might not talk much, but I like it,' he said. 'I wonder if Dianne is making any other things?'

'OK. He's not an idiot. He's just an annoying pest.' Ivy sighed, typing another message onto her phone.

<so, I'm not allowed to call you an idiot while Eliza's here...>

A moment later, Armin replied, <Eliza's there?>

Ivy smirked. <Oh yes. R U 2 together yet?>

<Shut up Ivy.>

{Steve just smiles.} "Ask that dump truck full of draugrs." {Steve points to a dump truck filled with fabricated beings, most of which are centaur variants. However, none are animated just yet.}

(Whoops, i missed the general question. You control him.)
{Finding a moment, Jerry texts Armin back.} <Yes, we are. How are things over there?>

Wendigo blinked. 'Wooaah. That is coooool.' He started walking towards the dump truck, only to be halted by a sharp cough from Frederick.

'Don't start interfering with whatever Dianne's doing,' he said warningly. 'You'll just get into trouble again.'

'OK, /fine,'/ said Wendigo in a disappointed tone. 'I'll just go look for someone else to talk to, then.' And he stumped away through the village.

<Nothing's going on,> Armin responded. <So, have you talked to the King yet?> He sent the text, not expecting a reply for a while.

He looked up just as Wendigo was leaving. 'Hmm. It's getting dark,' he noted with some surprise. 'Maybe we ought to go back in now.'

'Sir!' said one of the guards, getting the attention of the general. He looked over his shoulder, saw the group behind him, raised an eyebrow, and then turned back to the practising soldiers.

'Continue on your own. I'll be back later.' With that, the general went over to Jerry and the guards. 'What is it?'

The lead guard quickly recited the story of how Jerry's group had come to the city and what they'd talked about with the King.

'So, we're going to be fighting the non-human army soon,' the general said thoughtfully. 'OK. What exactly do you want to discuss?'

The King led the other group into the eastern section of the palace. They were in a wide corridor with several doors along the left wall. 'Here,' he said, stopping in the middle of the hallway. 'All of these doors lead into our guest bedrooms. There are four in total. Hopefully that will be enough for all of your party. And they're cleaned and furnished - we have people staying here quite often.'

'Thank you, Your Majesty,' said Ivy before anyone else could speak. She opened the nearest door and let herself into the room, looking around curiously.

(This is the 70th RP room, I didn't notice until now.)

{Jerry nods at the general.} "The composition of his army, and the best way to combat them. Most of them are vampires and werewolves, but there are a good number of sorcerers and dragons as well."

{Eliza thanked the king as well and followed Ivy in, looking about at the room.}

The general said, 'If they have plenty of dragons, then I imagine the humanoids will ride on their backs to get here quicker. Except for the werewolves, as they can transform and run almost as fast as a flying dragon. We can use long-range artillary to bring down as many of them as possible before they even get close to the city.'

Ivy was investigating the room in a somewhat nosy manner, opening closets and peering out of the window. There were three beds in the room; she went to the one nearest the window and started emptying all her weapons onto the small cabinet beside it.

'So,' she said, with a sly smirk towards Eliza, 'missing your bloodsucker friend yet?'

Jerry:"Yeah, sounds like something Sargon would do. Nothing in front of the city but open fields, so anyone who just tries to run up on the walls will likely get gunned down. What's the plan for if and when they drop right into the city."

{Eliza just looks a Ivy hatefully.} "Shut up, Ivy..."

'We don't plan to let them get inside the city walls if we can help it,' said the general. 'But we'll have soldiers here to fight them if they do. There won't be any civillans around to get hurt. We'll evacuate them all to neighbouring settlements and camps outside the city walls, leaving only our army here.'

Ivy huffed and sat down on the edge of her bed, watching Eliza through narrowed green eyes. 'Well, that's nice,' she said sarcastically. 'I didn't think it were possible for someone so small and harmless-looking to be so rude.'

{Eliza pouts and sits on the opposite bed.} "I wouldn't be so rude if you would just mind your own business."

Jerry: "Sounds good. There's one other thing you should know. We did manage to destroy all his food supplies, so if we can just keep Sargon from gaining a foothold, we might be able to force a surrender, or starve them out."

Ivy waved a hand unconcernedly. 'Oh, that? Putting my nose in other peoples' business is what I do for a hobby, sweetheart,' she said in a slightly patronising tone of voice. 'Get used to it. I have to do /something/ to stop myself going crazy, and everyone else around here is so boring.'

'Destroyed all their supplies. huh?' said the general, sounding impressed. 'Then this battle might not last very long at all. Non-humans or not, they won't be able to fight very long without any food. Especially if some of them get injured in combat. This Sargon person must be crazy, launching an attack on a major city with no supplies.'

"Crazy, or desperate?" {Jerry says.} "We shouldn't let our guard down though. His attack on Shacklestone was from within. I only hope he hasn't turned some of your citizens against you who are planning a sneak attack from the inside."

"It's not my fault if you have no life." {Eliza grumbles.} "I just don't appreciate you asking me about things that don't concern you."

'I doubt it. All legal citizens of Sovereign are human. None of them are likely to help a non-human army take over the city. And we haven't seen any non-humans at all recently, even outside the city walls. It's a possibility, but I don't think it's a very likely one.'

'Life? Of course I don't have a life!' Ivy snapped. 'My life was in Shacklestone, and that's all gone. I have to make do with what I have.' She eyed Eliza thoughtfully. 'But /fine,/ I won't ask you anything about your relationship with the vampire.' Although, her tone made it clear that she was desperate to do just that.

{Eliza sighs.} "Look, I'm sorry. I just...I don't like being picked on, especially about who I like. I got enough of that crap in high school."

"Makes sense." {Jerry replied.} "Oh, one last thing. We left some of our operatives in Riverside. Once Sargon leaves, they're going to seize Shacklestone to cut off Sargon's escape, then they might come out here to help finish off his army. Now the thing is, some of them aren't human, and if they do come around, I'd like to avoid friendly fire due to a misunderstanding."

Ivy blinked. 'Oh... I'm sorry, then,' she said more quietly. 'I might be curious about things, but I'm not a jerk.' She paused. 'I'd ask you about what happened in high school, but I imagine you'd rather not say.'

The general looked a little worried. 'Well, as long as you trust them... I'll make sure my men don't shoot them. The King might not like seeing them, though.' He looked around and lowered his voice. 'Terrified of non-humans, he is.'

{Eliza just looks down.} "...Let's just say, Sartre was right. Hell truly is other people..."

"So I've heard." {Jerry says while smiling.} "If all goes well, his Highness won't even have to meet them. One's a vampire, and the other is a dragon sorceress specializing in Necromancy and Dark Magic, so.....You might see some draugrs running about out there. Just a heads up." (He doesn't know Fred and Wendigo quit Sargon.)

The general nodded and gave a small smile in return. 'So you and your people are going to be helping out, too? Good. The more we outnumber them by, the better chance we'll have.'

'...I'm sorry to hear that,' said Ivy quietly. 'Whatever happened must have been awful.' She lay back on top of her bed and stared at the ceiling.

{Jerry nods.} "Hey, that maniac wrecked my home and killed all my friends. I don't think I could sleep at night if I didn't try, y'know."

{Eliza just went quiet after that, lying down and staring at the wall.}

'Well said,' the general replied. He gazed up at the darkening sky for a moment. 'If these people aren't actually able to leave Shacklestone until midnight, then we have plenty of time to prepare. You should go get some sleep, unless you have something to do.'

Ivy also stayed silent, which wasn't very characteristic of her, but she was busy thinking about everything that had happened these past few days. Even now, with the Shacklestone invasion nearly a week behind her, her mind was struggling to make sense of it all. //What am I going to do after Sargon's dead and everything is over?// she thought, not for the first time.

"I think we will. Thank you, sir." {With that, Jerry nods and begins to walk away.}

The general lifted a hand in a gesture of farewell, and then turned to his soldiers, all of whom had clearly been listening to the discussion. 'Enough of that for now. We have to prepare.'

The King arrived, looking around anxiously, and engaged the general in conversation. He walked away a minute later and returned to the palace. It was unclear what they'd been talking about, but the general looked faintly exasperated.

(Uh oh. Is the king actually secretly a Hydra agent? Working for Sargon, who is actually the Red Skull in disguise?)

{Jerry, after asking a guard, found his way to the rooms. Walking in, he looks around at everyone.} "Alright, they've been warned. Nothing left to do but wait for morning."

(I don't think so. XD)

(Actually, we should probably stop around here, since as we can't skip to morning until Sargon's got his powers from Brink.)

{That’s alright with me. }

Re: No problem! Take all of the time you need, no need to rush. This is just for fun after all.

Reply: Thanks! Crowley's will probably be next.

Reply: She's going to catch him doing it one day. She won't approve. XD