Hey. Sorry I overslept.

Don't worry about it. I oversleep pretty much every morning.

And hello!

Yeet. So, what's on today's agenda?

HEWWO I RETURN >:3

Well, I was just about to say, 'I'm waiting for King so we can continue' but hi King. XD

KIIIINNNG!! :D

Hi, ye, I'm here ;w;
So, as I understand it, everyone's characters are asleep right now?
So,,,,,,, would I be able to do a lil thing with Mortikai,,,,,,

(King) As far as I remember, everyone is asleep except for a couple of people who aren't doing anything anyway. And yeah, go ahead! :D (I'm assuming that whatever you're doing with Morty doesn't need anyone else's characters?)

(King) And if it does, just drag 'em out of bed. XD

Yea, it's just a thing on his own >:3
WE L P I'll do that now oof

(Ok)

(...?
Oh, silicates are all so great,
Just think of all the things they make!
Tecto, Ortho, sheet and chain,
A handsome choice of cleavage planes!
Alpha and Beta prisms are nice,
be Chalcedony would still suffice!
~Praetorus)

//Mortikai.//
The voice rings clear through his head, though it doesn't pierce it like Dark Brink's does.
//Mortikai!//
That startles him awake, eyes quickly flicking around the darkened room before landing on the spectral white being in front of him. He stutters softly, sitting up in his seat a little awkwardly.
"Ah...Light Brink. How nice to see you."
//We don't have much time, Ondor. I need to speak with you privately and I can only protect us from my brother for so long.//
She looks around the hospital room, gazing at the sleeping forms of his family before bringing it back to the immortal.
//Now would be an appropriate time.//
"...Got it."
Slowly, he gets up, leaving his coat and hat behind - he would be back for them anyway, he thought. There's almost a familiar tingle as the spectral cat rests across his shoulders, making him pause a moment before silently leaving the room.

He takes a deep inhale of the cool night air, walking aimlessly away from the hospital.
"So much has happened recently. Usually, I'm in the know about everything, but, now, I'm ironically in the dark."
//We both know that my brother is planning something though. How dismissive he's been of you recently, it's...not right. I don't like it.//
"Whatever it is, he's certainly not telling me...And now he's letting me have all the memories that he purposely kept away from me?! It's...irrational. Confusing."
Light Brink sits a little taller, looking around as they walk.
//You're ignoring the obvious. You've just found your family again. Doesn't that remind you of anything? Doesn't it remind you of how my brother brought you into all this, made you his Champion?//
Morty grows silent, looking at the ground and crossing his arms. He didn't want to admit it, but it did. He had been putting everything together, admittedly slowly, but...it was true. He certainly didn't like what Dark Brink was putting together, and if it was the same as what he had to do, then...his family was in danger.
"I'm not going to let him get to them. They're protected."
//What, by one of his own Proxies?//
"The boy is loyal to me. He...will protect Emilia and Ango. As little as I remember about them, I still know how much they mean to me."
//At least you know that...Mortikai, you need to reconvene with those who fought against Sargon. I have the horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen soon, and my brother won't be far away from more tragedy. Whatever happens, you need to help them.//
"I..."
//With my limited power, I will try to protect your daughter from my brother. You needn't worry. He won't be able to corrupt her while you still live, and I'm sure you're not going to let that happen anytime soon.//
"Definitely not."
A tiny flicker of a smile crosses his face, which fades quickly as a ripple of pain flows through Light Brink's spectral body, her feline expression twisting into a soft snarl.
"Are you-"
//My brother's power is too strong. From here, you're on your own. Find the others. You're more useful to them than to anyone else right now.//
And with that, her form dissipates, leaving Mortikai alone.
(yeet now the world has been aligned Morty's back in the game morning can happen :')))))))))))))

(I missed your epic writing. X) That was great, I love all the Morty sections!

Also nice poetry Aggron)

(So, if everyone's finished with the night's events, should I make a post to start the next morning?)

(Yeeeeaaahhhh!!!!)

(Lol, thanks, Radiant! XD)

(Sorry I disappeared for a bit, writing something now!)

(No worries! :D)

The first hint of a sunrise was appearing on the eastern horizon when things began to stir in Sovereign City.

In a room in the castle, Armin awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright and looking around wildly before he seemed to remember where he was. Slowly, he stood up and walked across the room. //That was weird.// He'd just had a dream - a dream where he was watching Sargon's trial. But in the moment before the vampire's execution, he had suddenly disappeared. Into thin air, leaving no trace behind. //Well, that doesn't make any sense. Just a typical strange dream, I guess.//

Ignoring the inexplicable feeling of worry gnawing at his stomach, he pulled on his jacket, picked up his sword, and left the room. He doubted anyone else was awake, but maybe he could go down to the castle kitchens and get some coffee or something.

Meanwhile, down in the prisons, Sargon gazed thoughtfully into space. He hadn't even slept - not that he would have been able to, with the draugrs holding him down like this - but instead had seemingly spent the night lost in thought. //Almost time,// he mused, sensing that it was nearly morning. //The only question left is whether I can manage to save Ana or not.//

{Sitting in the hotel lobby was Steve, enjoying some coffee of his own. Seeing Armin enter, he greets him.}
"G'morning, Armin. Up early I see."

Armin yawned. 'Good morning, I guess. I kind of hate waking up this early. But maybe it's a good thing considering how busy we might be today.' He walked past Steve to the kitchen, and started to get himself some coffee too.

Steve: "Yeah. This is it, huh?"
{Steve looks thoughtfully into his coffee.}
"It all ends today, doesn't it? It's been a ride, but I'm happy it's almost over."

Armin made a noise of acknowledgement as he wandered out of the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, holding a mug of coffee. 'It's hard to believe it's almost over, isn't it? In some ways, it feels like this battle has been going on forever. It's actually only been a few days.'

"Yeah, huh? Glad we could stop this in such a timely manner. Well, for you, it's been, what, two hundred years? I can understand that..."

Armin grinned. 'Technically, yes. Though I wasn't actively trying to kill Sargon for that whole time.' He drank some of his coffee. 'Hopefully the next two hundred years of my lifespan can be more fun than the last.'

{Steve grins back.}
"I'm absolutely certain that they will be."
{As he sips his coffee, Dianne enters, dressed in her armor and looking a little tired. She addresses the pair while she walks into the kitchen.}
Dianne: "Morning..."

Armin turned his head to watch Dianne coming in. 'I'd say good morning, but you look like you didn't sleep well, to be honest.'

{Steve watches her enter the kitchen.}
Steve: "Rough night?"
{Dianne exits with coffee, but Armin might be able to detect the scent of whiskey coming from it as well.}
Dianne: "Well...I partly spat that curse out to get rid of nightmares....So, as expected...they're back."
{Takes a generous sip of coffee.}
Steve: "Nightmares? You?"

'About what?' said Armin, before quickly backtracking. 'Never mind. It's probably not something you want to talk about.' He sniffed the air curiously as Dianne came nearer, catching the scent of the whiskey. //Hmm. Never been a fan of whiskey in coffee myself...//

"They're...personal." {She states lowly}
"I've led a long life, mostly consisting of terrible mistakes. It makes sense that I might have done certain things....That haunt me still..." {She drinks more coffee before she continues.}
"I'm sure you understand that yourself, Armin."
Steve: "Y'know...If it's really bugging you... you could talk-
Dianne: "No...thank you, Steve."
{She says bluntly.}
"I'd much rather not..."

(King? You alive?)

(He told me that he'll probably have to leave around 10PM (our timezone) on Saturdays, so he might have left. But he said he'll try his best to reply in the week.)

(Oh, ok. All good.)

'I do understand that,' Armin replied. 'And you're lucky. If I were anyone else, I'd probably reprimand you for drinking, but since I do that myself, I won't say anything.' He smiled faintly before turning back to drink some of his coffee.

{Dianne smirks and chuckles.}
"Yeah, I bet. You should have seen the way Ivy looked at me yesterday when she saw me smoking. Don't let her know I also like to whiskey up my coffee."
{Steve just gives them both a very concerned look.}
"...You both need serious help...I am a doctor, you know, so I can tell."

'You're also human,' said Armin mildly. 'You can't really do anything to stop us. Besides, you don't have to worry so much. I'm a vampire - I literally can't die from alcohol misuse. Don't know about Dianne, though.'

"It would be very hard for me to die that way."
{She states over another sip of coffee.}
"My liver is extremely efficient, so it's really hard for me to get drunk, or stay drunk for long. As for the smoking, it doesn't affect me the same way it does to you. I came from a volcanic region, where I would breathe much worse stuff on the daily. My body is well adapted to poor air quality, so you really don't need to worry."
Steve: "...Well, I know I can't stop you, but it doesn't stop me from worrying...Are you sure you'll be able to deal with Sargon while buzzed?"
Dianne: "Relax, it'll have worn off long before then. I just need something to take the edge off right now."

Armin didn't say anything, but he looked thoughtful. A moment later, he finished his coffee and went to put the empty mug away in the kitchen.

As he did so, Frederick walked in. He looked considerably more alert than Armin and Dianne, as if he were the only one who'd gotten a good night's sleep. 'Hello, everyone... I wasn't expecting to find anyone else up this early.'

{Dianne nodded at him, as did Steve.}
Steve: "Well, I'm a doctor, so I have to be up to check on my patients, Dianne couldn't sleep, and I don't think Armin could either."
Dianne: "And I need to see when Sargon will be going on trial."

Frederick nodded at them both in return. 'Now that I think about it... The king and the army commander are both dead, aren't they? Who's going to be in charge of the trial?'

Armin re-emerged from the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. 'Don't ask me. I don't have a clue how trials even work, I've never seen one before.'

Dianne: "Wait, the king's dead? I thought he just ran off?
Steve: "Well, we better find out who's in charge quick. This could be a problem."

'Oh, he just left? That's not so bad. I thought he died in the battle alongside his commander,' said Frederick. Then he shook his head thoughtfully. 'I don't know who's in charge now. Though, the patrolling guards around the city must be taking orders from /someone./ Perhaps a high-ranking soldier took over once the original commander died.'

(Heads up - like Armin, I barely know what happens at a trial. XD Maybe you could control whoever's in charge of it?)

(Ok. I don't know the exacts either, but the city is in disarray, so I think a more informal feel would fit better anyway)

{Dianne finishes the last of her coffee, then puts her cup down.}
"Well, I'm going to find out. The sooner this trial gets done, the sooner we can all get on with our lives."
{With that, she begins to walk for the door.}

(Yeah.)

Frederick looked around at the others. 'One of us ought to go with her. And one of us should probably go and wake up the others, since this trial could happen at any time, and they'll need to be prepared.'

{Steve stands and stretches.} "I'll get them up. I need to check on everyone anyway. One of you two can go with Dianne."

'I'll go with her,' said Armin. 'Maybe the fresh air will help me wake up.' He headed towards the door, pausing to glance back at Frederick. 'What about you?'

The younger vampire shrugged. 'I don't have anything much to do right now, but I'll be around if anyone needs me.'

Armin gave him a thumbs-up and then left the room, going after Dianne.

{As Dianne and Armin walked out of the palace, they were approached by Magnus.}
"Mornin' Dianne. How'd you sleep?"
Dianne: "How do you think?"
Magnus: "Nightmares came back?"
Dianne: "Yup."
Magnus: "Same ones?"
Dianne: "Obviously."
Magnus: "Oof. Well, what about you, Armin?"

'I slept OK,' Armin replied. 'Though it would have been better if I hadn't had to get up so early.' He briefly considered telling them about the strange dream he'd had, but then dismissed the idea. //It might just worry everyone. And there's nothing to be worried about. It was a stupid dream about something that literally can't happen.//

{Magnus nods}
"Makes sense. Well, where're y'all off to?"
Dianne: "To go figure out who's in charge."
Magnus: "Ah, I know who that is. He's a decorated officer, one of the few who survived the fight. Follow me."
{Magnus turned and began walking.}

Armin followed, quietly humming a tune to himself and looking around the city.

In the prisons, Crowley woke up, gazing around blearily. He'd gone to sleep last night upon realising he needed rest to let his injuries heal. Now, he moved cautiously, trying to determine if he had recovered yet. 'Huh... I think I'm well enough to finally get out of here,' he said out loud, grinning.

(I got to go now. It was fun, see you around!)

(K bye!)

{Magnus led the group to a building filled with soldiers. Inside, there was some sort of officer sitting at a desk, talking to other soldiers.}
Magnus: "That's the dude. Go ahead, ask him about the trial."

{When Crowley grinned, the centaur sitting in front of his cell snapped a photo with a phone.}
Centaur: "Heheheh, that's before, now let's see after."

"Ivy? You awake?" {Steve asks as he knocks on her door.}
"Sargon's going on trial today."

Armin stepped up to the desk first. 'Hey there. Do you know when Sargon's trial is going to be on?' he asked, when there was a lull in the conversation between the officer and the soldiers.

Crowley scowled at the centaur. 'Oh wow, the ugly rotting zombie guy knows how to use technology. Who would've thought. Anyway, why are you still here? Ohh, I remember. You want to watch my awesome escape method.'

From the other side of the door, an irate voice rang out. 'Are you insane?! It's like, 6AM! Nobody needs to be up this early!' It was Ivy, sounding rather disgruntled at being disturbed.

"In an hour." {Replies the officer, shuffling through some paperwork. } "The sooner it gets done,the better."

{The centaur laughs.} "Awesome escape? Sure buddy. Whatever you say."

'An hour? Hm. That's sooner than I thought. Anything else we need to know about it?'

{Steve chuckles.} "C'mon, Ivy, this could happen at any time. Do you want to miss it?"

Crowley stuck out his tongue at the centaur. 'You just watch. This is gonna be so awesome, it'll make you /cry.'/

He drew in a breath, closed his eyes, and teleported. Except, he didn't teleport; he just fell over.

'The heck?! Why didn't that work?! I'm fully healed!'

'I don't freakin' care,' Ivy growled. 'Go ahead and execute Sargon without me. I'd rather just /sleep,/ you know, like normal people do at this time of morning.' However, she could be heard getting out of bed and getting ready, albeit while grumbling irritably under her breath the whole time.

{The commander just shrugs.} "It'll probably be a quick verdict. We have loads of evidence against him. Just be at the royal courthouse on time and ready to stop him if he tries to run."

{The centaur explodes into laughter. } "Well, why don't you try again?" (Starts recording video.)

{Steve chuckles.} "Ok, Ivy, whatever you say. I mean, I hear the clothing stores are going to have a huuuge sale in celebration of our victory, and they open as soon as Sargon's head hits the floor. "

'I'm sure he'll try,' said Armin dryly. 'We're all expecting him to try something.' He turned back to the others. 'Everyone heard all of that?'

Crowley scrambled to his feet again, struggling because of the chains around his legs. He then tried to teleport. However, all that happened was that he fell over again. 'THE HELL?! WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING? WHAT DID YOU DO?! YOU FILTHY PIECE OF CRAP, YOU DID SOMETHING!' He threw himself forwards and tried to push his muzzle through the bars to bite the centaur's neck.

'That's not true,' Ivy grumbled. However, the door immediately opened, and she stepped out, looking extremely disgruntled and a little tired, but fully dressed and ready. 'So, is everyone else up?'

Dianne: "Yup. Be there on time, don't let the maniac escape. Easy."

(Now, he said an hour, but we can just do it once everyone's ready. Whether it takes longer or shorter is arbitrary.)

{The Centaur threw its head back and howled with laughter. It was too far from the bars for Crowley's attack to do anything.}
"Look at ya! You were so sure you were going to be free, then-then....you FELL! Ahahahahahaha! Wha'sa matter, hotshot? Never heard of a grounding enchantment? Ahahahahah!"

Steve: "As far as I know, yes. Armin, Dianne, and Fred are out and about, and I'm sure Jerry's around somewhere..."

(Yeah, we'll just do it whenever. Time runs strangely in this story anyway. XD)

'Alright,' said Armin. 'What now? Anything important we have to be doing in the meantime?'

'SHUT THE F*** UP!' Crowley screamed through the bars. 'WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, I'M GONNA FREAKING TEAR YOU OPEN AND STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN GUTS! I'LL MAKE YOU AND THAT PIECE OF CRAP DIANNE REGRET WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE!' He looked completely insane, saliva dripping from his open mouth, eyes wide. 'I'LL KILL YOU, AND I'LL KILL HER, AND I'LL KILL ALL HER FRIENDS! SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY!'

'Hmph.' Ivy closed the door behind her and started walking down the corridor, heading towards the kitchens. 'Thank God all of this nonsense is going to be over soon. I can't wait for Sargon to be gone so everything can go back to normal.'

{Dianne shrugs.} “Nothing comes to mind. I suppose we should just be ready for it.”

{The centaur grins cruelly at Crowley.}
“You can’t kill what’s already dead, and you already tried and failed to kill Dianne twice. Even if you somehow get out, how are you going to make good on your threats?”

Steve: “Well, maybe not completely back to normal. The damage Sargon’s done may be irreversible.”

'Well, if nobody needs me for anything, then I'll see you when the trial begins,' said Armin, before he started to walk away.

Crowley paused for a moment. He looked like he was about to start raging again, but then he moved back from the bars, crouching down with an almost unnerving calm. 'I'll kill her someday,' he whispered. 'Don't believe me? I will. Even if I have to sneak up on her while she's sleeping.'

'Oh, don't start saying things like that,' said Ivy irritably. 'I know not everything can be fixed and that it's not going to be a perfect fairytale ending. I just think it's nice that we can stop worrying about the guy and get on with our lives again.'

{Dianne watched Armin walk off before turning and leaving as well.}
"Well, I guess I'll see you there."

{The centaur just waves his hand in a dismissive fashion.}
"Whatever, Bird Brain. You're all talk. This is it for you. You're never getting out of here."

{Steve chuckles.} "Yeah, I know. We'll definitely be better off without him."

Eventually, Armin came to the prison building. After a moment's hesitation, he went inside, almost immediately hearing the centaur arguing with Crowley. 'Hey, what's going on here?' he asked, walking closer to them. He then caught sight of Crowley through the bars. 'Is this guy causing problems?'

Ivy made her way down to the castle kitchens, where she started to make herself some coffee, just as everyone else had done earlier. 'I don't know if I ever asked this, but what are you, Jerry, and the rest of the family going to do once this is over? Will you be going back to wherever you lived before you came here?'

Centaur: “Yes. He was throwing a massive tantrum because he can’t teleport anymore. And he threatened all our lives.”

{Jerry was sitting at a table eating eggs when Ivy asked her question.} “I dunno. I guess I’ll just pack up my things and go home with my folks until I figure this out. What about you?”

Crowley snarled at them. 'Yeah, when I get out of here I'm gonna rip you all apart and scatter your blood to the wind! And I'll make it slow and horrible!'

Armin eyed him. 'Well, as long as Dianne's enchantment holds, he should never be able to escape.'

Ivy shrugged. 'I haven't decided yet. I might stay here. It's a pretty nice city.'

"It'll hold." {The centaur says knowingly.}
"That bird brain doesn't know the first thing about magic, so he won't be able to escape."

{Jerry nods.} "Well, it is a nice city. I bet it would make a great home. I wonder if they'll have any special programs for Shacklestone refugees?"

'I do know about magic!' said Crowley in an aggravated tone. 'I can shapeshift and teleport! That's magic!'

'You might want to keep an eye on him anyway,' said Armin, completely ignoring Crowley. 'You never know - he might somehow manage to convince someone else to free him. He's a tricky guy.'

'Don't ask me,' said Ivy unconcernedly. 'I don't have a clue. I just know that I'd like to stay here after Sargon's dead. Or if I can't stay here... maybe I'll leave the country altogether. I'm sure there's plenty of other nice places to start a new life out there.' She sipped her coffee while gazing thoughtfully into the distance.

{The centaur nods.} "Of course. Don't worry, he's not going anywhere."
{Just then, Dianne walks in, looking at the pair curiously.}
Dianne: "Is there a problem?"

Jerry: "Well, good luck with that. You know, if you need a place to stay in the interim, I'm sure my parents or one of my uncles would be happy to help."

'No, nothing much,' said Armin. He gestured towards Crowley's cell. 'I came in because I heard some horrible screeching noises. Turns out, this guy just realised he can't teleport anymore.'

At that moment, Crowley shot a jet of weak purple fire through the bars. It didn't reach far enough to touch anyone, though. 'Ooooh, Dianne, is that you? Didya know, as soon as I get out of here, I'm going to /kill/ you.'

Ivy gave a rare genuine smile. 'Would they really? I'd appreciate that.' She finished her coffee. 'It's probably going to take a little while for everyone to settle down again after all this madness is over.'

“Oh, shut up, Crowley.” {Dianne says in an annoyed tone.}
“You’ve done nothing but fail in that endeavor. Now, your threats carry no weight.”
{She then turns to the centaur.}
“Get me a muzzle. We can’t have him breathing fire on everyone who gets close.”

Jerry: “Yeah, it will. But, out of curiosity, given your choice, who would you want to stay with?”

(I RETURN :'))))))))

Having been awake all night, Mortikai had just been wandering around trying to find literally anyone, shifting between his human and cat forms to escape notice of those he didn't want to be seen by. He makes his way towards the prison building, having the feeling about the place and slipping through doors and bars with ease. Following the sound of voices, he finds Armin, Dianne and Crowley, a slight grin coming to his feline face before sneaking behind the duo and shifting back into his human form in a swirl of shadow, retaining the grin.
"Well well well, what do we have here? Nice to see that you're still as full of spite and malice as ever. Are you still planning to kill everyone who goes against you in even the littlest way?"

(Wb, King! )

{Dianne whipped around in surprise when Mortikai appeared behind.} “Oh, it’s you. What brings you to the prison?”

"I was told to find trouble, and this is where troublemakers are kept. I have a vague knowledge of what has gone on recently, so I'd like to be filled in. Perhaps I could be of some service- and, before you ask, this is not under order of my master. If anything he's been ignoring me."
He holds himself a little more casually than he usually would, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him.
"At this moment in time, I may be more useful to you than to anyone else."
There's a hint of...something behind that "anyone else", his gaze drifting to the floor for a moment before snapping back up.

(thanki you :')))))

{Dianne gives him a skeptical look and crosses her arms.} "Right. Tell me, is Brink capable of possessing you on a whim, or bending you to his will without warning?"

"To possess me, my master needs to have my consent. Of course, he could try overpowering me, but I'll be putting up a fight. As his right hand, it's...natural that I'm harder to get controlled completely by him, but again, I'll be putting up a fight. Right now, I'm done with playing his games, especially when they're starting to threaten people I care about. Plus, it'd be obvious if I were to be controlled or possessed, I'd have a mask on half my face, Phantom of the Opera style, and he'd have to be present to do either."
A smile curls his lips, though he curls his left arm closer into himself. He could feel his mark prickling painfully, and while he wouldn't admit it he was a little afraid to see how tinted red it had got.

{Dianne glanced at Mortikai's left arm momentarily.}
"Alright. If you want to help, Sargon's trial will be held soon. Be there, and stop him if he tries to escape his fate. Think you can handle that?"

'Oh yeah? You wanna try putting a muzzle on--' Crowley stopped, whipping around as he heard Mortikai walking into the prison. A horrible grin curled up his jaws. He, uncharacteristically, stayed quiet while Morty and Dianne talked, but as soon as there was a pause in the conversation, he yelled out, 'Hey, top hat boy! Are you here to rescue me? If you do, I'll forgive you betraying me in the hospital the other day.'

'I don't know...' said Ivy thoughtfully. 'I don't actually know very many of them that well. Well, there's Steve. Steve's nice. And so are you.'

(I can't remember whether Steve followed her into the room or not. XD)

(Also, hello King!)

Armin stood by, watching Morty and Dianne talk with a curious expression. //Well, this dingy prison seems to be a pretty popular spot all of a sudden.//

(He didn't. XD)

Jerry: "Well, we'll just have to see who's got extra space at home. But, we can discuss it in depth later."

Ivy nodded. 'Well, I'm going to go out for a bit. I'll be back before the trial begins, I guess.' With that, she headed towards the door.

{Jerry waved goodbye and turned back to his breakfast.} "See you. Do be careful."

Ivy waved back at him as she left. Once outside, she paused, taking a deep breath of the morning air, a smile curving up her face. //Now... let's see if there are any nice spots in the city to live in.//

Meanwhile, Frederick had left the castle and located Wendigo sitting boredly in a deserted plaza. 'It's almost time,' he said, looking up at the enormous hydra. 'Apparently, the trial's going to be held in about an hour.'

Wendigo grunted and nodded. 'Good. I'm sick of sitting around with nothing to do, I want some action. I almost hope Sargon tries to run away, so I can chase him.'

'If he does run away, then I don't think you're going to be the only person chasing him.'

{As Wendigo and Fred sit in the plaza, Magnus approaches.} "Careful what you wish for, Wendigo. From what I understand from talking to Armin, he's a fairly formidable opponent. If he gets out, we might lose some people in the effort to kill him. It's better if this goes as smoothly as possible."

{As Ivy walked down the street, someone who Ivy might recognize was walking the other way. It was Pythia, wrapped in a long, grey cloak.She looked rather disgruntled as she made her way up the street.}

'How formidable can he be?' said Wendigo, shrugging. 'He's only a vampire. People think he's some kind of superpowered villain because of everything he's done, but all the destruction and death was done by his stupid minions. What've we actually seen /him/ do?'

Ivy stopped in the middle of the street, watching Pythia, her face screwed up in concentration. //She looks familiar... but how...?// 'Hey!' she said out loud. 'Aren't you that healer? From the temple in Shacklestone?'

In the prison, Sargon tilted his head, hearing the sounds of a group of people talking from further away in the building. He tried to figure out who they all were. //That's Dianne... and Mortikai?// He wondered why Brink's right-hand was here and what he might be doing, but decided that it wasn't his concern. As long as Brink's powers helped him when he needed it, he didn't much care what the spirit cat or his minions were up to elsewhere.

Listening harder, he heard what sounded like Armin's voice, as well as two other voices (the centaur and Crowley) that he didn't recognise. To his frustration, he couldn't hear them well enough to know what they were all talking about, but continued to listen anyway, since he didn't have much of a choice.

“That’s a fair point.” {Magnus admits.}
“But, if he isn’t too strong, how come Armin, or some other traitor hasn’t dealt with him yet?”

{Pythia looks up in surprise, then also screws up her face in concentration, not remembering Ivy at all.}
“Um...yeah...I’m sorry, do I know you?”

'I don't know, dude,' said Wendigo. 'From what I know, he was always pretty good at controlling people with fear or threats. Maybe the explanation is that he's /not/ very powerful, but everyone thinks he is, and they're just too scared to try anything with him.'

'I don't think a single traitor would have been able to kill him, anyway,' added Frederick. 'He might be 'only' a vampire, but he's a skilled swordsman, not to mention he's been able to stay alive for nearly 500 years. He's not weak.'

'I'm Ivy. You obviously don't remember me, I've been helping Jerry, Dianne, and everyone else fighting against Sargon,' said Ivy with pride. 'I think I saw you in Shacklestone a few days ago, but I'm not sure if we ever talked.'

“Exactly my point.” {Magnus states.} “If he was a pushover, he wouldn’t have made it this far in this line of work. Sure, we outnumber him, but we don’t know what kinds of tricks he’s capable of pulling.”

{Pythia just nods, still trying to remember.}
“Oh...ok. So, did you all win? Is it finally over?”

'Doesn't matter whether he's a powerhouse or a pushover,' said Wendigo indifferently. 'He's going to die very soon, and I'm looking forward to it.'

Ivy smirked. 'Oh, nearly... We wiped out Sargon's army, and then we captured him, and he's locked up in a prison cell right now. There's going to be a trial later today, and he's probably going to be executed. So, it's almost over.'

"I suppose..."
{Magnus say while looking down.}
"Well, it'll all be over very soon. I only hope Sargon will be the last casualty of this short war."

{Pythia sighed, seemingly out of relief.}
"Good. Hopefully, no one else has to get hurt anymore."