Armin didn't reply. He just kept looking at the road, heading for Fred's house. Once close enough, he sent a telepathic message to both Fred and Pythia: //Dianne's been attacked. When we arrive, let us in. I don't care how many other idiots are waiting outside, just make sure we have a clear path.//

{Pythia looks up at that.}

Pythia: "Oh, not again..."

{After treating her current patient, she hurries outside to wait for their arrival. Dianne feebly pulls her arms to her chest with a pained expression.}

Dianne: "...It hurts.....Gods, it burns....."

'...I should have torn out Alicia's throat while I had the chance...' Armin muttered in response, his expression concerned. He pulled up outside Fred's house, seeing Pythia, as well as Ryder lying beside the front door. Picking up Dianne in his arms, he started carrying her towards the house.

{Dianne sucked in a pained breath when Armin touched her, flinching slightly. Pythia led them inside to her work area, past the much chagrin of the others in line.}

Pythia: "Put her down on the table."

{She says as she prepares to clean the wounds.}

Pythia: "Armin, Help me get her jacket off."

Armin set her down as gently as he was able to, then started to remove her jacket, being cautious of the cuts underneath. He didn't say anything throughout. He seemed to be both focused on his task, and somewhat lost in thought.

Ryder remained lying outside, making sure nobody else tried to come in, striking up friendly conversation with the waiting patients.

{Dianne grimaced. It seemed that every move was painful. As Pythia cleaned her wounds, she grips the table and clenches her teeth in agony.}

Dianne: "Aaaaaagggh.....Armin....Please don't be angry with me..."

'I'm not angry with you, I'm pi.ssed at the person who did this,' said Armin. 'You didn't cause this to this happen.' His expression was tense, both at the thought of Alicia, and from hearing Dianne in so much pain. //She's still out there somewhere... probably waiting for a chance to try again...//

{Dianne nods, tears streaming down her face. Pythia finishes cleaning the wounds and starts to mend them, starting with her arms. She very slowly runs her hand across the wound. As she does this, the wound starts to close and mend.}

Pythia: "Compared to last time, this is nothing..."

'Still pretty bad, though,' Armin muttered. He watched the wounds start to close, one by one. 'And she was hit by light magic as well.'

Pythia: "Oh, is that why her eyes are green and white now?

Dianne: "What?! My...my eyes are...."

Pythia: "Shhhhhhhhh.....Conserve your energy."

'Just relax,' Armin advised. 'You said it wasn't too much, so I'm sure you'll be alright in a few days.'

{Taking their advice, she closes her eyes and relaxes her muscles. Once Pythia finished healing her, she seemed much more comfortable, almost tired, even.}

Pythia: "There. Doesn't that feel much better?"

Dianne: "...Pythia...I transferred 500,000 Squalls to your account...."

Pythia: "Oh, there's no need for that. I don't charge for my services, remember?"

'It's not about that,' said Armin wearily. He closed his eyes for a moment. 'The money is from me. We found a lot of gold on our expedition, and I'm giving everyone some of it... As for why I'm paying you /now.../ Fred wants you to look for a new house.'

Pythia: "...Oh....Well....That's very generous of you....I guess I should start looking..."

{Pythia seems a little worried about the prospect.}

Dianne: "Thank you for helping me....Am I free to go?..."

Pythia: "Hmm? Oh, yes. You can go home now."

Dianne: "....I'm cold..."

{Dianne continued to lie there, shivering slightly, and looking a little pale.}

'Yeah, let's go home.' Armin glanced around. 'This place isn't very restful...' When Dianne didn't make any move to get up, he got his arms underneath her and carefully scooped her up. 'Pythia, don't rush to get yourself a house. Take the time to find something you want.'

Pythia: "Of course...Be safe, you two...Actually, you never told me how this happened..."

Dianne: "...We'll call you when we get back home...."

{She then weakly clings to Armin as he carries her away.}

Armin carried her out to the car, gently setting her down in the passenger seat and buckling her in. He then climbed into the driver's side and started the engine. His expression was grim and pensive, and he didn't say anything as they drove away, but occasionally glanced at Dianne with concern.

{Dianne seemed a bit more alert now that she wasn't in constant pain, but she still seemed lethargic, much like she was at the tavern. She just gazed at him worriedly with her vibrant green eyes.}

Dianne: "Armin...are you ok?..."

Armin glanced at her again, then turned back to the road. 'Yeah, I'm OK...' he said absently. 'I just don't like it when you get hurt. You know that.'

//And Alicia is still at large...// he thought. //I wish I'd been quicker to kill her at my house...//

Dianne: "I know....If I had my full host of draugr, I would have been better off....but that dam.ned coward of a king.....he won't let me properly defend myself...."

'Alicia can use light magic, though. She could have just evaporated your draugrs,' Armin pointed out, then sighed slightly. 'Let's just get home and rest. I don't know how long it'll take you to regain your power this time...'

{Sighing, Dianne turns away, closing her eyes.}

Dianne: "...Neither do I....When I recover....I need to have words with the king...."

Armin remained silent, focused on getting home and his inner thoughts. When they arrived outside the house, he stopped the engine and turned to Dianne. 'You want me to carry you in?'

{Once they stopped, Dianne weakly tries to open the door.}

Dianne: "...Please...I don't think I have the strength to stand..."

Armin hopped out of the car and went around to the other side, opening Dianne's door. He then gently lifted her out, kicking the door shut and heading up to the house. As they approached, Rex opened the door for them. An excitable Esme was jumping around his legs, chirping in greeting.

{Dianne looked down at Esme with a slight smile.}

Dianne: "...Hey there sweetie..."

{However, that was all she could do as she waited for Armin to put her down somewhere.}

Armin took her into the living room and set her down on the couch. Esme immediately jumped onto her lap, staring perplexed at her eyes.

'I can take you upstairs, if you want,' Armin offered. 'If you want to go to bed for a bit.'

{Dianne pets Esme, settling heavily into the couch.}

Dianne: "No.....I want to be here....I would like a blanket, though...."

'I'll go get one.' Armin swiftly went upstairs, while Esme happily cuddled with her mother. A few moments later, he returned with a thick blanket and draped it over her. 'Feel free to sleep on the couch if you need to.'

{Dianne looked much more comefortable under the blanket, smiling with Esme.}

Dianne: "Thank you..."

Armin leaned against the wall, looking contemplative. '...So, what exactly happened?' he asked. 'You were walking home from the bank, and Alicia just showed up and attacked you? In daylight, with other people around?'

{Dianne closes her eyes before starting.}

Dianne: "...I had just finished transfering the funds, and Mr. Clasterstone was walking me out....I got, maybe twenty feet from the front door when she warps in from above me, hitting me with a wide angle light attack...I fell backwards, putting my arms up, and she comes at me with that....sickle thing...Barnabas catches her arm with his chain, mid swing, so I avoided dying there, only getting the wounds on my arms that you saw....But...the burning sensation was excruciating...I think her blade was fused with light magic or something...Then as I'm standing up...her brother in full armor comes out of nowhere and blindsides me...I start fighting with him, but she managed to get away from Barnabas and cuts up my back..."

(Cont)

Dianne: "Pugna, had apparently gotten bored waiting for me so he had wandered off and was rather far away...I was on the ground again, being held down by that brute....When one of Pugna's arrows pierced his skull...She screams, brother,....Then I use the last of my magic to close the distance and start pummeling her....I tried to kill her...I really did...but she hit me with another light attack and got out of my grasp...She made another portal with....some kind of artifact and fled...Then I ran home....I tried to call you...but my phone broke in the scuffle...."

(Done.)

Armin quietly listened to her recount the story, his expression dark.

'...Well, at least you're alive... That sounded really close... /too/ close... I guess we have Barnabas to thank for saving your life. Pugna, on the other hand... What good is he? He wasn't even /there/ when you were attacked. He didn't stop Paxton from sneaking past to stab you, either. And you would've been hurt at Fred's house if I hadn't stopped that knife. He sure brags a lot for someone who can't do his own job.'

Pugna: "That's a lot of big talk from an eight fingered leech who let an old man blackmail him for two hundred straight years."

Dianne: "Yes...I made it...That's what's really important...Alicia is still out there...Fred needs to know...And Pythia wanted to know too..."

Armin rubbed his face. 'Yeah. I'll send Fred a text, to explain the gist of it... Maybe he can get his telepathic relay set up again, to help find Alicia, and send out alerts if anyone attacks you... Gods, I thought we'd get a longer break before I had to worry about you dying again...'

Dianne: "...I think she's the last one...I think all the others went home when the bounty was rescinded...Perhaps peace is closer than we think...|

Armin just stared into space, looking grim. //Alicia is the last one? Then I'd better make sure she dies as soon as possible...//

'...Well, I'm gonna go text Fred... I'll tell Pythia what happened, too, if you like. Since your phone broke.'

Dianne: "Please....I'd apreciate it..."

{She then settles in, as if she intends to sleep.}

Armin glanced at her, then wandered off into the kitchen to text. Esme remained with Dianne, seeming to sense that she wasn't feeling well.

(I was planning to have him wait until Dianne is asleep, then slip away on his own to try and find Alicia. Should I do that now, or wait until later?)

(Here, let me skip to where she's completely asleep, then you can go.)

(Alright!)

---------

{It didn't take long for Dianne to fall asleep, given her state. She was peacefully snoozing on the couch, one hand on Esme.}

Armin had texted Fred and Pythia to inform them of the situation. However, he still felt tense. Vengeful. He was itching to go out, find Alicia, and tear her apart in return for hurting Dianne.

//...She might be lurking nearby, waiting for the chance to attack again... I guess I could go out and have a look...//

After making sure Dianne was firmly asleep, he went upstairs and retrieved his sword from the closet. He then quietly went back down and headed for the front door. //Rex, I have to go out. Keep an eye on Esme and Dianne.//

//You sound like you're about to do something incredibly stupid and reckless,// Rex replied. //In which case, I'm going with you.//

//No you're not. I need someone to stay here. I promise I won't be long, just... protect them, for me, please?//

Armin then slipped outside, quietly shutting the front door.

(Cont...)

He turned to address Pugna. 'Your job is to keep Dianne safe, so stay here and keep guarding this house. Don't even think about wandering off to look for butterflies, or whatever the heII you were doing earlier, alright?'

Pugna: "For your information, I was investigating some seedy looking blokes with handguns. It may have turned out that they were just a biker gang, but I've certainly done a better job protecting her than you."

(Colors ate my comment fuuuuuu-)

'You're an Akhetian. You're supposed to be stronger than me,' said Armin darkly. 'I kind of wish Lucci had appointed someone else to be our guard... Like Praetorus. I bet he'd have done a better job than you, and he's a heII of a lot nicer.'

(Ffuuuuu XD)

{Pugna pushes off the wall, standing over Armin.}

Pugna: "Praetorus may be an ultra, but his mercy makes him weak. You may have wanted that softie, but I'm what you got. If you have a problem with that, then you can fight me, and see if I'm as bad as you say."

Armin looked up at Pugna defiantly, resting his hand on his sword hilt.

'I know I can't beat you. You can't even be hurt. This isn't about your ability to win a fight, it's about you nearly letting Dianne die because you decided to wander off across the city instead of guarding her. Don't do that again.'

Pugna: "Bah!"

{Pugna swats the air in an annoyed gesture, then goes back to lean against the wall.}

Pugna: "I was able to protect her from a thousand paces. You wouldn't be able to keep her safe even if you were holding hands with her when they attacked. You've no right to criticize me."

Armin just gave him an exasperated look. 'Sure. Just stay here and keep guarding.'

Without waiting for a response, he shifted to hawk form and took off over the city. He glided slowly, senses alert for any sight - or smell - of Alicia. //Where to even start...// He decided to fly close to the bank first, in case she was still lurking near the site of the attack.

{At the bank, all was quiet. The street still had the crime scene of where Alicia's brother was killed. However, off in the distance was Antonio, in bird form.}

Antonio: //Looking for Alicia, I presume?//

//Yes,// Armin replied. //I'm here to tear her apart for that cowardly, unprovoked, meaningless ambush on Dianne, which you obviously heard about.//

Antonio: //Figures. A gentleman doesn't take an assault to his mate very lightly. I've been looking for her all day, without much luck. I still have a few leads on where she might be, if you're interested.//

//I'm listening,// said Armin. //I heard she can open portals, so it won't be easy to find her. But I intend to.//

Antonio: //Just one question before I tell you. Does Dianne know you're out here?/

//No. She's asleep. I figured she'd try to convince me not to do it if I told her, so it was better to just go. Why? Are you saying I should have?//

Antonio: //Well, what happens if you find her, and something happens to you? You have a family to take care of now.//

//I'm not here to throw my life away. If I find her, and don't think I can beat her, then I'll run. But she's just one elf. I beat her before, and her light magic doesn't affect me like it affects Dianne. I'm not going off to confront some undefeatable opponent.//

Antonio: //Fair enough. Just be careful, she's a tricky one. It's not easy to avoid a vampire's detection, and yet she's evaded us all so far. Jerry seems to think that she's masking her scent by hiding in the industrial zone, as all the chemicals would make her hard to detect. Try the old glass cleaner factory. The place reeks of ammonia. Perfect place to mask one's scent.//

//Masking her scent, huh? That'll make it hard, but I'll go take a look. Thanks.//

Armin, who had been gliding in circles while he spoke to Antonio, now began to fly towards the industrial area. Now that he had a path to follow, the desire for vengeance intensified. He was determined to find Alicia and bring her down, before she had any opportunity to hurt his family again.

Antonio: //Sure. Just be careful.//

{The old glass cleaner factory had been abandoned for years, but it still contained a number of old, leaky barrels of the constituent parts to make the stuff, causing it to absolutely reek. The building was worn down, most of its windows were broken, and it was surrounded by danger signs and warning tape.}

Armin glided over the abandoned factory, sizing it up.

//Looks pretty hazardous. I bet most people avoid this dump. Gods, it smells horrible.//

He quietly flew down to one of the broken windows, landing on the ledge. He shifted into a rat - wincing at the disorientation of assuming an unfamiliar form - to be more inconspicuous. He then darted inside the run-down building to investigate deeper.

{The inside was damp and the floor was uneven. Through the next doorway was the factory floor, illuminated by a cave in from the roof above. There were abandoned machines and trash scattered across the floor, but no signs of habitation yet. On the second floor, across the factory, was a room with large glass windows, apparently the manager's office. There were also store rooms and hallways on the ground floor.}

Armin carefully skirted around the trash and debris from the cave-in. Thanks to the pungent smells, he couldn't detect any scent from Alicia, even if there was one. So he relied on his sight and hearing. Scuttling quietly across the floor, he decided to go along the hallways and check out each of the storerooms in turn.

{The first hallway was filled with bits of wooden pallets and discarded cans and wrappers. The walls tagged with graffiti. It seemed that hooligans had come through there at some time. In the first storeroom, there was nothing. It was just an empty room. As Armin was leaving, however, there was a sound down the hall. It sounds like soft footsteps on metal.}

(Posting new room)