Don't Be Afraid

It's a beautiful, if very cold day. The sunlight glimmers off of ice collected on the sides of the street. The streets have been shoveled mostly clear though it's still wise to be careful for stray patches of ice in the shadows that linger on the roads. A brisk breeze blows by but it doesn't seem to bother Menel who is wearing a winter cloak against the cold but otherwise hasn't changed his outfit at all. One of the guards had loaned it to him as they left, insisting that it was too cold to go out in just leathers. Menel had laughed but accepted the generosity in the spirit it was meant.

The cold doesn't bother the swordsman, who walks confidently down the street with his swords belted to either hip. They're odd looking weapons, but he wears them comfortably in a way that suggests that he hadn't been comfortable at all until they were on his person. Yet... His eyes flicker toward every little movement. His posture is one of a man expecting attack at every turn. He seems haunted, and he hasn't /truly/ relaxed since they left the Arcanist's Guild dungeon. It's not hard though, to guess why he's so on edge.

Knowing what he knows now, Seldan is not precisely relaxed either, and for the first time, Menel can clearly see just how stripped down the Elunan had been for the visits into the dungeon. It had taken the man some time at the exit to don everything again. In his visits, amid all of the talk of the city, he'd never said that he was a magic-user, only Silver Guard, but watching him re-gear, his true nature is abundantly clear in the sorcerer's robe that goes over the shirt and trousers. The last item, a hat, he hesitated on for some moments before drawing a deep breath and stuffing it into the small haversack he carried with him. He, too, is wary, carrying full arms, and a full set of platemail that is finished with a subtle sheen rather than being highly polished.

As they walk outside in the sunlight, though, something curious is happening to the paladin, something disturbing, and it's getting stares outside of his equipment. There's a patch of black skin on one side of his neck, like an ink blotch, and a second one forming across his scalp, barely visible behind the unruly red-gold hair.

Into the unsteady silence comes a rough patch of Menel's laughter. The man has a good laugh, the sort that's easy to join into. He glances toward Seldan. "I'm sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea." His eyes flicker away again, the movement of a shirt on a line of clothing drawing his attention briefly and he huffs. "It's terrible being locked up there all the time but out here... It's like being a mouse waiting for an owl to swoop down and pick you up."

The swordsman glances toward Seldan and a brief flash of question slides over his face and he motions toward his neck. "You have something just there. On your neck."

Seldan's laughter joins Menel's. "Not at all. All need sunlight and fresh air, though I do not fault you for being unwilling to do so alone. Still, one cannot remain cooped up forever." Something in the way he moves, with watchful purpose, suggests that his choice of attire is very much intentional.

The pointing out of the black patch, though, draws his attention, and he looks down. "Yes." There's a wealth of mixed emotions in the single word, but a rueful smile remains. "It is not harmful or dangerous. It's the sunlight. I have ... many reasons to oppose Her and Her lackeys, and Eluna's demands are but a few of those reasons."

So a potentially interesting conversation is happening within earshot, just up the way of the two adventurers. A tall man, with shock of unruly dark blond, almost brown, hair and armored and dressed in garb that would identify him with having at least some affiliation with the Temple of Daeus..is having an exasperated though friendly enough discussion with a salesman of jewels and ornate finery that's set up shop here.

"Yes. Yes, I'm not insane. It's for a baby gold dragon---" and then after a bemused response, the tall soldier raises his voice in annoyance, "I'm not joking! No I don't I have a secret girlfriend or crush." And so on and so on. The man, Ignis, places one hand on his waist and the other he uses to pinch the bridge of his nose in a gesture of irritation as he continues to field questions:

"I don't know. I heard they eat these things and like pretty stones. I've got new pesky friend. Are you really going to overcharge me like that for these, Aldo? Cut me some slack. This isn't exactly normal."

Menel blinks at this little revelation and nods his head solemnly. "It seems that everyone I meet has been touched by Her in some way. The plague, the magic She's created. Or worse; bears Her mark as I do." He looks ahead of them with a more serious expression on his face. "I suppose we should be counting ourselves lucky to be the ones that have survived Her, but somehow I find myself unable to be glad with so many dead and with such heavy burdens left on those who have endured."

Ahead of them there's a conversation happening and it brings a smile to Menel's lips as they draw closer to the other man. "I'm glad to see that things haven't changed that much since I've been gone. Wait... did he say a baby gold dragon?" Menel lets lose a chuckle and lowers his voice a little. "I see why the vendor doesn't believe him. There aren't that many baby dragons running about are there?"

Seldan blinks in surprise in turn at part of that comment. "She created it?" He lets himself be distracted, though, looking up ahead of him. "No, nothing has changed." A quiet laugh, and his voice lowers as well. "There is a dragon that has taken up residence in the Griffon Postal Service tower ... but it is not gold, and so I know not what it is that the man seeks. If a dragon is hounding him, then I do not wish to be in his place." He keeps his voice low.

Something in him relaxes at Menel's acceptance of the situation. "I am hale, and I stand to fight. Better this, than to strike a bargain with a demon to be able to do so." Even if those black patches are bigger than they were just a minute ago. "I stand enough to stop more loss of life, and more hurt, and to help those in her clutches. For now ... let that be enough."

"A local Mage seems to have somehow attracted the attention of a baby gold dragon, musically inclined, with a healthy appetite for fish." explains Ignis, turning to look towards Menel and Seldan with an easy going smirk on his face. Despite his apparent agony at engaging in a back and forth with a merchant, he seems actually amused by the scenario if a still showing the hints of some exasperation. "Apparently she was eating them out of house and home. It was so bad he hired some adventurers, myself inclined, to obtain a large bounty of fish to sate the dragon." Ignis pauses in recollection and adds, "We..caught a Sahuagin instead....but we did end up getting her plenty of fish."

Ignis reaches down and sweeps up a nice looking necklace with a blue gem and smiles easily, "So I thought I'd keep paying my respects--" His voice trails off as he gets a good look at Menel and especially Seldan. He tilts his head, noting the growing black patches, "Is...everything alright?"

Menel is about to answer Ignis, his mouth open to explain and to ask a few pertinent questions about baby dragons that eat wizards out of house and home when his tanned complexion drains of blood. Blue eyes widen and he grabs Seldan's arm suddenly trying to draw the other man's attention toward what he'd just caught sight of.

It doesn't look like anything dangerous really. Just a tall man with black hair walking toward the group. He's about six and a half feet tall but with a thin lanky build that makes him look taller. There's something... odd about the way he moves, as if he is drawn on puppet strings rather than walking like a normal man. There's a warm smile on his lips and yet it's his bright, vibrantly green eyes that draw the eye. That are remarkable. They're eyes that are too green for a human being to wear. "My Knight." He's clearly talking to Menel.

Seldan nods, but before he can answer Ignis, Menel grabs him. Whatever the man saw, Seldan appears to instantly recognize, the expression turning to hardened steel at the bright green eyes. No fear, as with Menel, only pure steel, and without thinking, he raises his free hand that Menel did not grab, tracing a quick trio of sigils in the air, followed by a fourth through all three - Eluna's symbol. With that one hand, he grasps the symbols and pushes them to the ground, where they form a silver-outlined circle between him and Menel, and the green-eyed man. "Kol Demontry," he greets, his eyes narrowing. Without taking his eyes from Kol, he tells the other two, "Do not leave the circle, if you value your mind."

Menel doesn't acknowledge Seldan, but holds his weapons levely at the man before him. "Go back to your /mistress/ Kol. Tell Her, She can't have me anymore. Never. Again." He supplements his words with action, attacking the seemingly unarmed dark-haired man with his sword. The weapon flashes through the air with a whistle of quick movement. "I WON'T GO BACK!" There's fear behind his words.

Kol seems amused by the spell, shuddering slightly as it settles around them. He's close enough that he's inside it when it goes off, but he's not a summoned evil and he's not forced out by it. As Menel attacks he moves /into/ it. Allowing the weapon to pierce his stomach and looking down at the slightly shorter man who stabbed him. One long-fingered hand reaches out and ruffles Menel's platinum blonde hair and Kol lets out that grating machine-sound that is his laughter. "Yes, I am Kol Demontry, but I can not go back my Knight. Not without you. What would she say if I were to do that?" Kol moves in a lightning-fast movement to smack Menel across the face. The motion is so fast and yet so casual. As if it's hardly a thought at all.

Enter well, it's a strange sight, the sound of a large cart is heard, and well when seen, there's no driver where there should be a drive, instead there's a Drake! With an elf at its front? No head on the drake... wait... The elf torso is blending -into- the drake body! Soo, yup, it's a Drake taur... otherwise known as the wandering disaster zone of Kaelyn!

Kae pulls up to her normal spot, absentmindedly, and unhitches her self, and as she turns she sees this person slap another person and blinks a few times... "Ummmmmm...." She says, tilting her head to the right curiously. She sees Seldan's body language and tone, and the other fellow's, and then reaches up and taps a gem, that's well in a necklace. Suddenly her torso's completely incased in a really nice, mythril-metallic form-fitting armor, she goes with sleek and elegant, rather than bulky like some artificers.

Her lower body? Well it gets some really nice barding like armor, complete with forelimb guards, as well as hind limb foregards and the barding hangs down enough to protect her hocks, hamstrings, etcetera, it's made of mythril bits that are elongated hex's it seems, How it's held together is not easy to see from a distance, the back plates run down her loooong back all the way down the tail, and well, it looks like she's kind of weaponized the end of her tail too, she does have some control in it afterall!

She blinks and looks around "Ooh it worked!" her tail lashes and a wheel falls off the wagon... "Doh!" She calls out and sighs turning now back to the confrontation as she starts to thump closer....

Seldan seems unsurprised as Kol steps within its bounds, the patches of black now expanding across the man's face only adding to the sheer fury in the black scowl that now twists the Myrrish man's features. Leather rasps against steel as he draws the blade and places himself between Kol and Menel. "Enough. GUARDS!" The last word is an out-and-out bellow.

"You'll leave him be, puppet. I see you for what you are, now." As before, he does not take his eyes from Kol as he speaks to Menel. "Menel. Do not move. Don't leave the circle." What on earth does he think that circle does, if Kol can walk into it?

Menel's head snaps to the side as he's struck, but he twists his blade. Grimaces and turns a blue eyed glare on the vampire. "Don't leave your circle. I heard you Seldan." His eyes flicker down, trying to measure out where the circle is so that he doesn't accidentially step outside of it. "I don't care what She has to say Kol." He starts to draw his blade out but the other man grasps the blade to keep it from leaving his body. Which forces Menel to stand there or lose the weapon.

Green eyes shine with mirth and the approaching Kaelyn does not go unnoticed. Indeed Kol turns his green eyes on her. Peering at her. "Pardon madame. Could you be of help to me and stop those guards that are coming? I do not wish to be interrupted by them." The force of his green eyes is not natural by any means. It's the weight of them, like something heavy and alive. His command given Kol turns his gaze on the two men and grins broadly at them both. "I was hoping that we would get to have a bit of fun, she never lets me play with her toys." With that he reaches out to grasp Menel by the shirt and bodily throw him at Seldan.

GAME: Kaelyn rolls will: (15)+4: 19

Kae blinks a few times... "But But, I wanted to see what was going on heeeeerrreee.." She says with a whine and looks at the guards "Hey Guaaaarrrrrds, you guys might wanna stop, there's like this reaaallly weird looking dude slapping a not so weird looking dude, and Seldan over there looks really Angry!" He didn't say -how- to stop them, So here's Kae, trying to 'stop them' in her own right, through conversation!!! That and she's standing broad side between them and the fight and all, Kae's really big right now, also that tail is probably something to avoid.

"Ooh Ooh, I has rreally really good beer on my wagon today too!" She says, now flailing her arms above her head...

The shiver of snow on a roof top just off the field as the ruckus starts up, a shivering, and the lumpy snowbank seems to shake itself free. The white skin sluffing off, bits of light glinting off of icicles as they shatter free. Whatever was underneath resembling one giant crystal itself. A twist and curve of a long neck, winged limbs reaching out with sharp hooks that grab at the edge of the shingles to drag itself forward as if woken from repose.

"Awwwwk!" it calls out, and jerking itself forward with a shove of its feet to press up into the sky. A glittering jewel of reflected light, slipping over and sliding through the air in a curve that takes itself away from the Festival Grounds. Snow falling off of it with every heavy beat of wings. Its destination apparently a tower in the distance that's the well known headquarters of the GPS (Gryphon Postal Service).

As the commotion persists, a Green Man dressed in haphazard animal furs emerges from the shadows, walking staff in hand. His gleaming red eyes with yellow pupils watch over the situation closely, narrowing at the sight. He so far does not rush in, as of yet he is happy to observe the situation.

GAME: Herne rolls perception: (15)+8: 23

Having seen Kol use this tactic before, and having had it used on him, the fully armed and armored Seldan, standing with Menel and Ignis in a silvery circle of magic, is perhaps less surprised than most by the grab and throw at him. He twists his body to both keep Menel from making contact with his unsheathed blade, and to keep from being bowled over. Still, it isn't quite enough to stop part of the man's weight from slamming into him, and he reaches a free hand to keep from being pulled down under the weight, staggering and nearly going down.

From the sword in his hand, there's a grandmotherly voice, with something of a nasal tone to it. "Seldan, what is ...?" A second voice, this one gruff and male. "Later, Falia."

"A puppet," Seldan manages, still trying to regain his balance. "I know of the boy you once were, Kol Demontry. Hundreds of years ago. Who protected and cared for his little sister Nalla. Where is that boy, or has She stolen him?"

Reva had heard a cry for guards, and while she's not a guard, she -is- a ... well, kind of a busybody, if it comes to it, and so here she is hustling into the area and looking around critically to try and figure out exactly what's going on.

Zapolklnex is walking the city far too early. It's light out. So the hood is on, keeping his face covered. When activity is visible, he starts approaching slowly, and hopefully safely. Observing. The calling of guards, the use of magic, the drawing of weapons. All important things. But who is the aggressor? Who is the threat? These things are unclear to a new visitor to the city.

Menel staggers somewhat, trying not to hit Seldan and failing somewhat. His weapons still sticks out of Kol like some kind of weird exclamation point. He glares at the tall dark-haired pale man who flung him backwards so easily. "You..." He settles his feet under him and looks at Seldan in amazement. "Wait what? You knew him as a /child/?" He still has one sword in hand, and he keeps it between himself and the man known as Kol Demontry.

Ignis blade is out in a swift flurry of movement and the gems he was purchasing are all but forgotten as the vendor himself ducks behind the counter in terror.

He brings his sword up into a ready stance and -almost- springs forward as Menel is struck but then seems to register both the silverly lines on the ground and then Seldan's words. He raises his sword and points it at Kol instead. Perhaps an ineffective gesture given what they're dealing with but it at least it's something. "..Who is this? What's going on?" His eyes widen as he takes note of Kaelyn as well but his feet, wisely, remain planted where they are within the safety of the magic circle. "Not exactly a normal day on the festival grounds it seems.."

The man, a tall human with black hair stands with a sword sticking out of his stomach. A sword he draws out slowly and tilts to the side to get a better look at it. Then he casually licks his own blood off the blade before sending it with a clatter to the ground. "We have drawn a crowd I see." He makes that unnerving sound again. A grating gravely machine-like noise that you slowly realize is laughter. He spreads his arms out wide and leans toward Seldan, his smile slipping but only slightly. "What do you know of my Nalla?" His fingers crook and he's suddenly lunging toward Seldan. Moving so fast that its like a blurr. "What do you know of me?" It's hard to tell if it's an attack or if he's just moving forward that fast when suddenly he's perched in front of Seldan, one hand reaching out as if to caress Seldan's cheek.

Meanwhile the guards who were called are stalled by Kaelyn, looking at her curiously. "Did someone call us because of her?" They look at one another. "I thought a fight had started over there but it looks resolved to me. Why are they always calling us for stuff they don't need us for?"

"I could use a beer!" One pipes up.

Kae blinks at the guards, tilts her head and smiles, she deactivates her armor. She then happily trots (She'd be skipping but quadrupeds really don't 'skip') Soo prancy trot works for her! She pauses next to the wagon, and gets each of the guards a beer, asking of course their favorite flavor. Now it is coming out of an artificed contraption!!! Kae's tail of course wags/lashes, she's gotta be flailing some how while getting drinks!

"Dead things should stay dead." Herne rumbles.

A deep rumbling voice bellows, even as a towering creature of green and wood almost rushes from the sidelines. Face in a rictus sneer, the moss covered construction tries to get close enough to raise his foot, and SMASH it into the ground near the disruptive deadman who is attacking Seldan. This was a Thunderstomp, made in an attempt to knock the corpse off of its feet, to buy everyone a little time to subdue it.

"ENOUGH!"

"Well. I never." The sith-makar sneers as he passes by the baker--who is of course, busy staring at the mess on the street. The silvered stands straight-backed (so far as his species' form will allow), and scowls at the man. He begins to take out his purse and, finally registering something might be amiss (the baker's eyes are vibrating, almost)...

Turns. And looks. "...oh. A domesstic disspute." Atleti turns back around. "The leasst you could do iss take this coin. I came here for this...bread-wrapped bacon. Thing. It is delicious, and it would be sso kind were you to ssell it to me."

"Not I, but I know those who did," Seldan tells Menel, straightening himself. "Iolaire and Verna both spoke of her," he tells Kol. Whatever those black patches are on his face and hands, they appear to be steadily, if slowly, expanding, and perhaps if one was patient enough, one might be able to watch them spread across the alabaster skin, obscuring it gradually. Another patch has broken out on his cheek now, and looks as if it is about to join the first one.

"Of a boy hundreds of years ago, whipped by his father for the most specious of reasons. Who raised his sister when his mother could not do so." He steels himself, automatically turning his face away at the caress across his cheek. "Of those who tried to help him. A boy who protected his sister from a cruel father. What has She done to you? Could you break Her hold, if you wished to?" Now, with an effort, he turns to look Kol in those green eyes.

Zapolklnex does look to the guards, but doesn't say anything at all. Eventually the situation becomes clear enough that his focus is on Kol and on Seldan. Unfamiliar with either person, he circles around from a distance, trying to size up which he should be looking to help. Or if he even cares, or if he can."

Reva is still trying to work out what's going on when the tall man rushes Seldan, but then he's stroking his cheek. Well, that's not a usual sort of attack, so she'll approach warily. Then Herne's Thunderstomp, but it's not aimed at her, so she manages to keep her feet. "What's going on, then?" she calls out in an authoritative voice. She's no guard, but she's been one before coming here, and she has the inflection down. Then Seldan explains, sort of. Well, no one's actually attacking, so she'll just stand boldly by with one hand on her sword hilt, and see how this goes.

Kol lets his hand fall without touching. A question lingers in those too-bright green eyes and he's about to answer, to say something when Herne comes in, thrusting himself into the situation so that Kol seems to vanish for a moment. Gone without a trace and then suddenly he's there behind Menel, standing in the man's shadow with his arms wrapping around the swordsman. He looks for a moment not unlike a vicious spider entrapping a fly that can not yet see it. "She gives me such glorious pleasure. Such awe-inspiring pain. She gives, and she gives, and she gives. What more can I ask for?" He has Menel entrapped now. "Why would I want to leave? Tell me that my friend."

Kae is happily chatting away at the guards whilst giving away free beer, loots of free beer, then she notices the very very shiny Sith... *blink... blink* Kae smiles and pulls some stools out for the guards, then starts to make her way toward the Shiny Sith... This could be because they're shiny, or it could, ok it's because they're shiny!

Kae grins as she tilts her head, getting closer and closer and closer and closer... Yup easily distracted Kae-taur, is easily distracted! But she's done what she was told! She kept the guards away!

Menel screams, batting at Kol's arm so that his remaining sword falls to the ground. He attacks the vampire as best he can, but he's so quickly enfolded that it's hard for him to do so. "Help!" He looks at Seldan frantically.

There seems to be a flash of sunlight and a flourish of movement and Ignis lunges. He's not nearly as fast, of course, with the blur of movement having caught him off guard..but now the creature has entered into the safety zone established by Seldan and then Menel cries for help. This is more then enough excuse for him to leap in before thinking of being way, way over his head.

His weapon, a blade of gold seems to catch the sun itself as he pulls from his inner being and the call of Daeus to summon forth holy magic. Contrails and motes of sunlight briefly flash into being, wrapping around the sword as he twists, attempting to get to the side of Kol as he assaults Menel and bring down a smite upon the vampire.

"Yess? ...no." The sith-makar draws himself up, and slams the coins on the table. The sound, after the scene in the street, is enough to make the baker break, and stumble-run down the way. Atleti flicks his tongue, his mouth moving downwards.

"Hrmm," Atleti says. And then turns, sees Kol pawing all over a softskin. And, the ridges go upwards. "He doess not look like he would turn you do--"

Then the softskin finishes speaking.

There's a dreadful silence. A silence deafening in its thunder, like a great weight falling and hitting earth. An echo of a thousand-pounds of disappointment striking the earth at once.

"Thiss...dessperate whoreboi is responsible for the plague *I* ssuffered? The one trying to mate the ssoftskin, who we are ssupposed to...feel ssorry for? A romantic, tragic villain?" From there, greater silence. 'You've got to be shitting me' may as well have been shouted.

Undeterred, the big man Herne watches the 'vampire' vanish, and hoists that shepherd's staff of his into the air. Wielding it with two hands at the very end he swings it like the executioner swings an axe, aiming to try and take the pale man's head off in a similar fashion. He is not quite as agile and batttle-skilled as Ignis who is attacking at the same time, no Herne is rather just attacking with wild abandon.

Reva does draw her sword now that Kol has grabbed Menel, and she demands, "Unhand him!" as she, too, intrudes on the fray. An able fencer, albeit with a much stouter weapon. Appropriate to a Stormgarder, though, her height and presence like the thrust of a sword, and she uses her fancy-hilted bastard sword to strike at Kol, a precise strike, and quite fast.

Seldan whirls, wide-eyed, as the vampire is suddenly behind him, and without thinking, he raises a hand and shouts a single, arcane phrase. He stabs a finger at Menel, then immediately raises his own blade to assault the vampire as well. "Let him _go!_ In the Dreamer's holy name, you are nothing more than filth to me, Kol Demontry!" His own blade flashes, but with a golden-silver-white light as he does so.

From the sword, an older male voice emerges. "AWWW YEAH!"

GAME: Seldan casts Liberating Command. Caster Level: 11 DC: 16

Menel falls out of Kol's grasp like butter flowing from a fork's tines and the vampire hardly seems to notice with so many attacks coming in. It's not so much that he evades Reva's attack as that he steps into Ignis's. He catches the blade in one hand and his skin /chars/. Blackens and withers away from the touch of the weapon. Bone cracks under the weight of the attack and he lets loose a sound of pain even as Herne cracks him across the face. That attack doesn't seem to injure him much but Ignis'...

Yet...

The wound is healing already. Blackened skin is turning pale once again. The bone which shows through his skin is slowly returning to where it actually belongs. It's a slow process to be sure, but one that you can /see/ happening. "Good, good. Thank you." He reaches out and in a flash aims a punch at both Herne and Ignis, the motion so fast that it's hard to tell which one of them he aimed at first.

Already is Ignis flourishing his blade around for another attack, bringing both of his hands to the swords grip in order to prep a two handed strike this time, and taking quick note of the position of Herne, Seldan and Reva as well to try and avoid colliding into them and to keep attacks coordinated.

However..he's an instant to slow. A blink of an eye seems to be all the vampire needs. Perhaps less then that, and there's a blur of a fist hurtling his way. Ignis twists his body, attempting to roll with the blow but it's all happening just to fast and he takes the fist right across the face and with the force of the inhuman strength sending him backwards and his second attack flailing uselessly into the air.

"Menel, _run_! I will occupy him for as long as I may!" Now committed to the fight, Seldan shouts one more word - "Lintalie!" - then raises his blade and charges in, his own blade flashing golden-silver in the daylight. He, too, suddenly moves with magic-fueled speed, giving his all to at least keeping the vampire busy with both his own might and Eluna's wrath behind the blows.

The sword in his hand erupts in a cacophony of encouragement and outright glee as he dives into the fray. It's disconcerting, really.

Reva grunts with frustration as he easily avoids her attack, and she flows through her style, drawing back her blade to thrust again with as much speed as she can manage. No brute, her attacks are quite precise, but useless if she cannot score a hit. She doesn't have the paladin's holy power, which at least seemed to be having an effect, but perhaps she can do enough additional damage that it will slow the regeneration.

The organic golem's head snaps to one side from the blow and he staggers back two steps, Herne’s bare feet slapping wetly along the ground. He is staring at the ground as he adjusts to the...pain? Does this creature feel the pain of such a blow? Is there adrenaline pumping through his body, is such a thing possible?

These questions have no clear answers at the moment, but when Herne turns his head back toward the commotion, the expression on his face is not a happy one at all. Snarling, his left hand pulls the massive oak shield off of his back, even as his right hand raises that staff of his into the air. Red eyes suddenly flashing with yellow energy, that same energy crackles throughout the weapon. The quarterstaff was now a Shillelagh, which meant it might provide a bit more oomph the next time.

"You have...been here...too long. You...must leave!"

Zapolklnex is definitely going to keep his distance as things get spicy. Stepping back, folding his arms in that neat way you can with a hooded robe, so that no party of your body at all is actually exposed. Darkness and shadow, even more so than the apparent vampire of all things. But who struck first?

And then..."Hrmph." The silvered takes a step back as the vampire changes its tune. "That makess me feel ssomewhat better, whoreboy. But you--" Atleti says, and kants a look towards the fallen man. "...do you want to live, ssoftskin?" he asks Menel.

"The plague iss not kind, but I would not have you ssuffer it. Live, die, or take you to the healerss."

A look at the fight, and back. "I'm not going to get involved in /that/." Instead, he looks back to Menel, expectant. His eyes burn.

Menel hesitates, picking up his swords and watching the combat stream before his eyes. It's not in his nature to run from a fight, but he knows this creature is really... after him. Still, even knowing that he can't leave. The sith-makar gets a short look from the swordsman. "If I die, I die. But I'm not going back. And I'm not running away." He picks up his other sword and with that he moves back toward the fray. One way or another he means to end this.

Kol is laughing now, having a great time it seems. More attacks come his way but now he's avoiding them. Seldan or Reva, it doesn't matter, nothing touches his pale skin as he continues to heal. But he does attack. He attacks Seldan with a flurry of blows that's terrible to behold. Bare fingers are deadly weapons on this vampire's part, and he lashes out with wild attacks that seem to come from every direction; the unnatural movement of his body seemingly impossible to follow. "Yes! Come, show me your passion! Show me!" He laughs and continues to move.

"HRAAAAGH!", Herne shouts intelligently as he steps forward and swings his now temporarily magical quarterstaff downward. He's aiming for the joint of one of Kol's elbows as the vampire throws one of those wild strikes, the golem trying to use his considerable strength to disable one of the undead creature's weapons.

"We need...more...people!"

"There's only one way this is going to end, creature!" shouts Ignis, speaking for the first time since the melee begin and lunging forward just after Seldan to bring his blade around with a whip crack of movement and then to flourish it around and again to try and press the vampire once more. The air crackles and sings with divine magic, and not just his own as Seldan's attacks whirl in as well. Ignis dances his strikes around the others, pressing forward and back again as the vampire ducks and dodges and trying to push Kol towards the others as the creature evades his strikes. "You won't evade us forever! Fall!"

Reva continues to strike at the vampire, though the ease with which he avoids her attacks is distressing. But she carries on, the lightning-fast thrusts and slashes flickering toward the vampire. She's trying to time her attacks simultaneously with Seldan and the others, so the vampire has more attacks to dodge at once.

The tail flicks, and something odd crosses the scaled's face. "Well you then, warrior." Atleti looks on as Menel dashes towards the fray. "And good luck." He looks towards the vampire, then.

And the muscles of his stomach lurch, as he might throw up. "...and esscite him more? Assault is about power over otherss. The creature /enjoyss/ it when you sshow him pride, or ressistance." The draconic stares a while longer and then moves towards a side of the street--placing himself between the fray and where some of the folk had run towards. And stays there. If the vampire looks towards him--well, a gaze, one might deal with it. Look to the forehead, instead.

Blood explodes from multiple wounds as the vampire lays into Seldan, and he screams, but does not back off, only striking this time with less anger and more finesse. He has but one goal -- to see Menel safe, Kol taken down, or both. He is a distraction, not a threat, and well he knows it, but still continues to press the attack.

Menel joins the fray with both swords at the ready, offering little chance for Kol to grab him up again, but rather joining the others in the attack. His blades sing through the air and he does his best to coordinate with the others to keep the vampire surrounded. There's enough people attacking the creature for that now.

Quite suddenly, and out of the blue Kol stops moving. Reva's blade slips along his hip and skitters along the bone. Herne's blow takes him on the shoulder and Menel's blades cut gentle lines on his pale flesh. Seldan's attack clefts one of his arms in twain and Kol very casually catches the limb with his other hand, looking distractedly to he side. "What? The guards? Oh yes. I forgot about them. Do I have to?" He sighs and dips into a sort of bow toward you while you're all stunned by the fact that you hit him. "It seems I must farewell."

Then with that... quite simply, he is gone. Vanished without a trace.

With the immediate danger passed, Herne is there breathing heavy for a few moments. His eyes still searching for the creature who had proved itself able to teleport, and when he finally determines that the creature appears to be gone, he turns to leave without a word, once more using his staff as a walking stick and not as a weapon. He makes his way toward the Grove, to once more sit at the base of the world tree.

Zapolklnex notices that Kol vanishes, and with that, he does lift his hood, taking it off of his head to look, and look carefully. Stepping closer, sizing up exactly where he went.

Seldan staggers as his blade strikes home, blood rolling down the blade to mingle with his own blood on the moonlight-sheened armor he wears. "Where..." He starts to say something else, them quickly clamps his lips down, hand going to his side, and looks around.

When his eyes find Menel, there's a mix of surprise and newfound respect there. "Are you all right?" Only one down he look around at the others. "Was anyone else hurt?"

The silvery lines of the spell he'd used earlier linger in the dirt of the Festival Grounds, runes glowing gently against the plain brown dust.

Menel moves toward Seldan, worry on his features clearly written because Seldan is injured and all of this... all of it is his fault. Guilt eats away at him. He offers the other man a hand. "Here, lets get you somewhere to be healed. He shouldn't be back anytime soon. I don't think anyone else was seriously hurt. Everyone else has already cleared out." He smiles a short smile and sheathes his swords quickly. "Worry about yourself though would you? You look like you took one hell of a beating."

As the adrenaline begins to fade away, and Seldan's breathing begins to slow, the reality of the situation settles in in the form of OWWWWWW. "I ...." That hand on his side presses down hard, and he most definitely does look like he took a beating, gritting his teeth as he speaks. "All is well, and do not blame yourself. I have ... learned something, and ... Kol is driven off." He looks down at the bloodied blade, and as if on cue, the older woman's and the deeper woman's voice chime in, almost as one with conflicting remarks. "Now, think you might explain?" "Get looked after." They're closely followed by several other voices. "Too bad he didn't stay to fight!" "That was Yukia's puppet? Why didn't you?" It doesn't take long before the thing devolves into cacophony.

-End