Verdict is Vengeance

It's a cold evening, dark clouds blot out the stars from view, leaving the world beneath even darker than it usually is. A fine night then for a vampire hunt. You weren't offered much information by the temple about the vampire nest. Just that there was one and the location of it. The building that you are led to by the directions is a large one. Something of a cross between a barn and a warehouse, but really neither. It's not in the best shape, and you can hear sounds coming from inside it even from a distance.

Dolan came fully dressed for a night hunt, and vampires, both, two cloaks, scarf, gloves, and all over his armor and the stylized dragon of Daeus that hangs over his breastplate. He'd introduced himself only as _Dolan_, and proved good-humored and sharp on the ride out. They'd left the horses a safe distance away, and now he plods towards the barn, but stops when he hears the noises. "They weren't kidding," he murmurs with concern. "Can anyone conjure daylight in there?" Even as he speaks, he's pulling a wand from his belt. "I'll wait til we're right outside the door to do this."

GAME: Nemori rolls bluff: (2)+12: 14

Nemori tries to keep the disdain from her expression when Dolan inquires about the light spell; it's just like her to consider a trait she was born with, had to put exactly zero effort into gaining, is something she'd hold as a mark of superiority. Instead she puts a small smile on her face. "I have the means to hide us from them.. the vampires. But not any thralls they may have, or living allies. But no.. I have none of the stronger light magics."

GAME: Nemori casts Hide From Undead. Caster Level: 8 DC: 17

Clear directive. Distinct location. The combination is efficient to parse for the construct. Multi-purpose Assault Construct designation Bravo One Gamma might be excessive mass for a beast of burden, but so long as velocity was not a priority could maintain pace nigh indefinitely. "This unit does not require illumination and is not equipped to generate it." Faceplate and cyan optics pan to unit-designate Dolan, first, then to the others. "Query: Tactical directives?"

GAME: Nemori casts Magic Circle Against Evil. Caster Level: 8 DC: 19
GAME: Dolan casts Detect Undead. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14

"We don't know exactly what we're dealing with yet, but it's probably not good, judging by that." Dolan looks ahead, then turns his head fully towards Nemori, eyeing her. "Let's find out how many we have." Bringing his own holy symbol to his lips, he says, "Holy Sunlord, show me the presence of that which defies the Gray Halls." Flesh and artificial eye alike are filmed in a gray mist, and he is silent, fully focusing. "There's only one undead in there, and it's strong enough to be a vampire. There's something else, though. Something living. The spell isn't picking it up."

MAC-B1G observes the structure while Dolan performs his own scan. In preparation for the assault, a manipulator presses a crystal stud on his chassis torso. It glows verdant briefly and portions of its chassis begin to shift and rearrange themselves, reinforcing one another and providing multiple layers over more critical components.

"Probable threat quantity acknowledged."

GAME: MAC-B1G casts Toughen Construct. Caster Level: 10 DC: 14

While the inquisitor becomes focused upon the barn rather than her, Nemori spends the time doing her own preparations... a pair of murmured blessings, one followed by her touching both the Wargolem and the human, and then herself, and then another more elaborate ritual of sprinkling a pinch of powdered circle about Dolan with an invocation of protection. "Just one? I suppose we should be able to manage that at least. I suppose simply burning the barn down is still not an option?"

GAME: Dolan rolls fortitude: (3)+12: 15

Dolan eyes the protective invocation, but allows Nemori to do as she will - he's mostly distracted anyway. He waits until she is done to shake his head. "I can't tell. Just a minute." He lifts the holy symbol to his lips again, with a gesture of dismissal, and then speaks again over it, and resumes his focus.

He watches intently for a few seconds, then grimaces and covers the artificial eye with his hand, then reaches for the outer edge of his hood and covers it that way for a few moments. "The vampire, I think, and a dozen or more little faint things. It's giving me a headache to look at."

Nemori turns her nose up a little bit, but her attention shifts to the dilapidated barn. "It has possibly warded its domain with unholy magics. I may not be able to counter it. But it is to be expected when hunting something to its own lair, I imagine. Has it given you any further insight, or shall we press forward?"

"The structure appears flammable," MAC reports. "Alternate points of egress probable, threats could withdraw. High probability threats aware of task force presence. Prompt action advised." To correlate this, it begins moving towards the structure. "Reconnaissance to confirm threat quantity and presence of non-combatants."

GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (19)+13: 32
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (2)+14: 16
GAME: Dolan rolls fortitude: (4)+12: 16
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (11)+12: 23
GAME: Nemori rolls fortitude: (8)+7: 15
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls fortitude: (16)+11: 27

The room is dimly lit, a few dim mana lamps are all that you can see by as Mac opens the door. The room is filled with chains and bodies. The smell of iron, fresh and dried blood is heavy in the air. The smell of death and decay accompanies it like a foul perfume. There are people hung amid the chains, you can't tell if they're alive or dead. Bodies lay on the floor. Alive? Dead? Some people move amid the bodies and chains. These at least seem likely to be alive. This is a room of torment, everyone you see is covered in blood. Theirs? Others? Screams rise and fall, laughter rolls through the room like a song carried on many voices.

GAME: Dolan rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20

The stench of fresh and dried blood, the mark of a charnel house, hits Dolan like a shockwave, and he staggers, groaning. "Knight's holy balls~" he swears, most blasphemously. With an effort, he fights through the sickness enough to draw his blade and continue to scan the room, leaving the leather harness on the floor for later retrieval. "Vampire's ... in the back," he tells the others. "Put the others - out of their torment."

Nemori may be callous at times. And her lengthy life in the place she grew up on guarantees she's seen, and probably even participated (though she won't admit it) in some bad stuff. But that doesn't give her immunity to scenes like this. Between the visual gore and the smell, and even the... stuff.. that needs to be walked around.. well, her dark skin does a decent job of hiding the paleness that comes to it. There's no hiding her throat working as it tries to disgorge the contents of her stomach. Tries.

"I would like to suggest a third option. We leave, and never speak of this," the shadow elf offers with a whisper that may or may not pierce the screams and laughter well enough to be heard by her companions. It's not clear if she's joking or not.

As for putting the.. victims?.. out of their torment. "I could attempt to heal them... but that will drop our veil."

MAC-B1G's faceplate pans slowly as the interior is revealed. Carcasses noted. Not-quite carcasses also noted. The differentiation between the two is very indistinct to its sensors and difficult to parse. It is still collating and evaluating as it moves forward. This may be why Dolan's directive is unexpected. It's optics rotate to the Kight's Holy Ball-er.They then shift to Nemori. "Terminate or repair?"

A moment further to parse the conflicting options and directives before it focuses upon the far end of the structure. "Primary directive: eliminate threat. Attend secondary tasks after." It moves further in, alert, though it does make effort to avoid not-quite carcasses with its steps.

Initially those amid the chains and those in the chains do not seem to notice you, however your actual entry into the room draws attention. From these, _living_ occupants. The dead don't care.

Several faces turn toward you and hiss violently, and then, like something out of a horror play, the mass of bodies rushes you.

GAME: Nemori casts Blessing of Fervor. Caster Level: 8 DC: 20
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (11): 11
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (17): 17
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (4): 4
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (2): 2

Nemori's eyes widen in surprise as the living surge and swarm forward. Needless to say, it is something she was not expecting. "Let the grace and inspiration of the dancer guide you," she offers up as a blessing, the holy symbol of her goddess held in her hand as she channels Ceinara's magic through it. And then she's backstepping, drawing her rapier as she places the wargolem and Deusite between her and the mob.

The mob of bodies seems almost to act with one purpose. The people rush forward, grasping for anything they can touch. Nails scrape over armor and metal with similar results. They aren't a very effective attack force, but they do very effectively block the path forward.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+2: (17)+11+2: 30
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+2+2d6: (5)+6+2+(3): 16
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+2: (1)+11+2: 14 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: MAC-B1G activates its Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (6)+14: 20
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (6)+14: 20
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (8)+14: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (6)+14: 20

Dolan's head is really starting to pound when they get bum-rushed by a bunch of bodies! There's no time to answer either MAC or Nemori, beyond, "We end it! Now!" He suits actions to words and snarls, "The light of the Sunlord be your bane!" Before raising the sword. It flashes with a brief sunlight, and slices the first one clear in two. Unfortunately, the tip gets stuck in a ribcage, and the jerk free ruins the second strike, making it go well wide.

GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (10)+9: 19
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (6)+9: 15
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (7)+9: 16
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (15)+9: 24

What were originally deemed non-combatants now upgrade themselves to threats as they rush at the task force. There is no longer any analysis required. In the close quarters, the construct lifts its metal manipulators to jab repeatedly at the assailants with its tri-lobed 'fists.' Metal meets meat and ceases the assault of several via blunt force trauma.

GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (3)+6+6: 15
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+2: (4)+2: 6

Nemori ensuring she stays safely behind the two seasoned warriors, Nemori holds her coin aloft again.. this time summoning a translucent, ruby-hued copy of the rapier in her hand which proceeds to cut down one of the assaulters. "I do not think we are doing a good job of ending it!"

GAME: Dolan rolls reflex: (7)+5: 12
GAME: Nemori rolls reflex+2: (11)+5+2: 18
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (3): 3
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (20): 20
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (6): 6
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (1): 1 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (20): 20
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (3): 3

The mob continues to press forward. One extremely lucky punch manages to make it to Dolan's nose, but other than that, all the people manage is to act as a distraction for the vampire who makes her exit from the back room and looks at the group with fury. Her blue-gray eyes are wide as she gestures toward you and a thick web falls down on your heads. Holding you in place for her minions.

GAME: MAC-B1G rolls reflex: (10)+9: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls cmb: (13)+9: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls cmb: (5)+16: 21

Perhaps it's the punch that actually lands with a *crack* on Dolan's nose that distracts him enough to be caught in the web. "You little~" he snarls, and fairly tears himself free of the strands. He'll have a nice shiner later. "Your sorry ass is mine," he snarls at nothing in particular, reversing the blade amd preparing to get back to the business of removing the obstacles.

GAME: Nemori casts Spiritual Ally. Caster Level: 8 DC: 20
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (12)+6+6: 24
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (1)+6+6: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d10+2: (1)+2: 3
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric: (9)+8: 17

Some amount of fluid leakage was expected from the close-quarters conflict. The sudden manifesting of adhesive mucous was not. MAC finds itself seized. Actuators begin to whir and strain against the webbing before strands begin to snap and release at least enough that it regains personal mobility. The new arrival is also noted and it helpfully advises, "Primary threat located."

GAME: Dolan rolls reflex: (14)+5: 19
GAME: Nemori rolls reflex+2: (14)+5+2: 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls reflex: (4)+9: 13

GAME: Aftershock rolls 8d6: (30): 30

Amazingly, one might even say miraculously, the webbing seems to simply not hold on to Nemori. The grace of the dancer is with her, it seems. "I see it!" she declares, though it's almost certain the others have as well.. with a thought she redirects her summoned rapier to focus on what appears to be the vampire. Then another incantation has her summoning an image of what could be Ceinara herself, a ruby-infused construct of force in the shape of a veiled dancer wielding a rapier. Unfortunately, as the new ally's rapier touches the vampire, it disappears as if it were never there.

The vampire glares at Nemori and waves her hands at the cleric. A bloom of fire is all that anyone has time to note before the woosh of it consumes the room. It blinds everyone in the room for a moment with its light, and once it dies down you realize that everyone in the room except you is dead. Though the vampire was already that way. "LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!" She screams furiously.

GAME: MAC-B1G rolls spellcraft: (20)+13: 33
GAME: Nemori rolls spellcraft: (4)+13: 17
GAME: Dolan rolls spellcraft: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Dolan casts Flames of the Faithful. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (3)+15: 18

Dolan staggers as the force of the flames nearly bears him to its knees in fiery fury. When he struggles back up to his feet, everything around him is dead, and he just shakes his head. "We didn't force you to do shit, bitch. You did that all yourself, and now you can face Daeus' judgment for it!" He turns to face her again, and suddenly, the mighty greatsword ripples with fire down the blade. "Now. Let my blade be the tool of His judgment, and your bane."

GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (14)+6+6: 26
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom-5: (20)+6+6+-5: 27
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom-5: (8)+6+6+-5: 15
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+2: (4)+2: 6
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+2: (3)+2: 5

The area is now free, albeit at the cost of scorched allies, singed plating, and overheated capacitors. Some of which already begin to mend via rapid repair systems. "Prevent further manipulation of mana..." Whether it is advice or recounting of a primary internal directive, it lumbers up to the vampire and swings a full limb at her. Slowly, and mostly into the air in her vicinity. It may be more damaged than it was aware.

GAME: Nemori spends TWO uses of CHANNEL ENERGY.
GAME: Nemori rolls 4d6: (7): 7
GAME: Nemori casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 8 DC: 18
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (17)+6+6: 29
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+2: (1)+2: 3
GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (2)+13: 15
GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (7)+12: 19
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (15)+14: 29
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls spellcraft: (17)+13: 30

See, hiding behind people bigger than her does serve a purpose. Nemori is able to escape the worst of the fire by ducking behind Dolan. That doesn't make it burn or hurt any less... and she has to take a moment to pat out the flames on her coat.

For a moment the shadow elf's gaze lingers on the door back out of the barn. Weighing the possibility (probability?) of dying here... if she took off, would the others survive? If not, they'd not be around to explain.

Only.. that wouldn't be what her brother would do. It wouldn't be what Bob, or Jay, or Eztli would do. And besides.. that annoying cleric would probably raise Dolan at least. So she sighs, then looks back at the Vampire. She swiftly channels a trickle of divine power to soothe some of the hurts they have taken.. then summons a second rapier to attack the vampiress, and this time both blades remain in existence as they cut and stab.

The woman that is a vampire steps back from the mass of things attacking her and cast's a quick spell. Whatever the spell, it renders her entirely invisible.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+2: (7)+11+2: 20
GAME: MAC-B1G casts See Invisibility. Caster Level: 10 DC: 14

And she disappears. Dolan scowls blackly, his temper far from good and getting worse by the minute. That _hurt_. He fairly stalks over towards where the vampire was, and swings fairly wildly in the space where she was, but it's a half-hearted move, and misses entirely.

MAC-B1G's optics dim to black and brighten again immediately. "Threat employed advanced optical camouflage. Adjusting sensors to compensate." A manipulator lifts to the side of its faceplate. A small knob is depressed and then rotated with precision at odds with the size of its three digits. It scans the room as the cyan shifts down in the spectrum to maroon.

GAME: Nemori casts Invisibility Purge. Caster Level: 8 DC: 19
GAME: Nemori spends TWO uses of CHANNEL ENERGY.
GAME: Nemori rolls 4d6: (9): 9
GAME: Nemori rolls bab+wisdom: (15)+6+6: 27
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+2: (4)+2: 6

"Not today.." Nemori mutters. Having cast her lot with the foolish, she watches Dolan stride forth with purpose, swinging that oversized sword of his.. that along with Mac's warning gives her a fairly good idea of what happened. It seems she'll be relying quite heavily upon her Grand Patron today. Anover invocation of Ceinara places an aura about the shadow elf, revealing the invisible in a large circle around her. She follows this up with another surge of healing energy as she directs one of her summoned weapons to continue harassing the vampire.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21

The vampire hisses at you as you close in on her. "Had to kill them. Master's orders. Master's coming." Her eyes glow faintly with fervor. "Master's coming." Her clawed hand reaches for Mac, but hits only his armor with an unnatural scrape.

GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/religion: (15)+11: 26

Dolan roars as she pops back into view, "Well done! Get her!" Suiting actions to words, he reverses his grip on the blade and is about to strike again. "Well, both the holy Sunlord and I think you need to miss that meetup." The flaming weapon stabs into the dirt at Dolan's feet, and he holds the stylized dragon aloft, between him and her.

GAME: MAC-B1G spends ONE use of CHARGE POOL.
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (17)+15+2: 34
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (17)+15+2: 34
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (8)+15+2: 25
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (5)+15+2: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (9)+8+2: 19
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (11)+8+2: 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (11)+8+2: 21

MAC-B1G was preparing to counter the effect when fellow taskforce member unit-designate Nemori is shrewd enough to do so first. Then Dolan weakens the foe. It does not need an invitation nor cue. "Terminating threat." Power visibly diverts from its core in cerulean rivulets that energize its limbs. Limbs that promptly lift to slam into the creature in alternating repetition.

GAME: Nemori rolls cleric+bab: (19)+8+6: 33
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric+bab: (6)+8+6: 20
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric+bab-5: (1)+8+6+-5: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Nemori rolls cleric+bab: (15)+8+6: 29
GAME: Nemori rolls 2d8+4: (10)+4: 14

Nemori is more than happy to kick someone when they're down. Repeatedly. Probably even after they stop moving. She doesn't hesitate to move her second summoned weapon in on the vampiress to assist with Mac's assault upon it while Dolan keeps her controlled. Then she watches the creature closely, ready to at least attempt to block it should it try to make an escape.

The vampire though, remains cowering away from Dolan. "Master!" She cries out, steel-blue eyes searching the room. "Master!"

Dolan's flesh-and-blood eye seems to widen, although the golden gem is its usual expressionless self. _Zeke was right!_ He stays right where he is, holding out his holy symbol and seeming to pin the vampire in place with fear. In some ways, it seems unfair, and yet -

And then she calls for her master - the master of puppets pulling her strings. Best to get this done before minds get twisted. "Finish it and let's get out of here!"

GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (7)+15+2: 24
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (7)+15+2: 24
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (20)+15+2: 37 (THREAT)
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (9)+15+2: 26
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (19)+15+2: 36
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (5)+8+2: 15
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (6)+8+2: 16
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2: (10)+8+2: 20
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2+damage4+2: aliased to 2d6+8+2+2d6+8+2: (11)+8+2+(6)+8+2: 37
GAME: Nemori casts Wind Wall. Caster Level: 8 DC: 19

MAC-B1G has no information on the vampire's master. It has very limited information on undead at all. This one does appear susceptible to bludgeoning, though, and so it continues to do so. While it may or may not have pummeled a target into mist at some point in the past, the sudden explosion is wholly unanticipated. It is also less red and viscous than it would presume.

GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/religion: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/religion: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+10: 30
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (17)+12: 29

Once again, elven longevity pays off for Nemori, which probably helps fuel her sense of superiority over non-elves. Regardless, in this case it comes in the form of vampire lore... after all, she was ready with that wind wall spell. "It will not be like that for long," she says, gesturing to the cloud trapped within her summoned winds. "When she reforms... pound a wooden stake through her chest. Meanwhile... aha..." While she was talking, her eyes were roaming.. and then, her elven eyes do indeed see something. She moves past the vampire gas, running her fingers along some cracks in the wall just behind it. "Yes." Her fingers find something, and then a well hidden door swings open, revealing a hidden room with a coffin inside of it. "And that. We destroy that."

Almost as if summoned the vampire reappears as a whole fleshy body. She falls to the ground and starts crawling toward Nemori…

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1-5-2: (15)+11+-5+-2: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1-2: (8)+11+-2: 17
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+4+1d6: (8)+6+4+(6): 24
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+4+1d6: (4)+6+4+(5): 19
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+4+1d6: (5)+6+4+(6): 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls cmb: (7)+14: 21

But Dolan is faster, and he doesn't need to be told twice. "I've got the coffin!" Yanking his flaming greatsword out of the dirt floor of the barn, he storms over and makes short work of the coffin, leaving it in smoldering bits and pieces of wood in short order.

MAC-B1G watches the crawling wretch as Dolan rapidly disassembles the discovered funerary furniture per Nemori's direction. It reaches down to clasp at the creature before it crawls too far, even if it does so slowly. Slow until the construct reaches for her, when she rolls to the side.

GAME: Nemori rolls bab+strength: (7)+6+1: 14
GAME: Nemori rolls will+2+2: (12)+12+2+2: 28

They're on a short timer. Dolan's warning to hurry and the creature's repeated calls for her master hint rather strongly at this. So she finds a suitable looking shard of wood from the coffin Dolan handily smashes into kindling. Then she turns on the crawling vampire, grits her teeth, then steps into reach of the horrid thing and attempts to stab the impromptu stake through its heart.

It's probably a bad time to mention that Nemori missed many classes on how to stab things properly.

The vampire looks up at Nemori helplessly. "Help me!" She begs, but Nemori doesn't seem terribly inclined to stop trying to stab her with the piece of wood.

GAME: Dolan rolls melee: (20)+9: 29 (THREAT)
GAME: Dolan rolls melee: (20)+9: 29 (THREAT)

"You don't need any help, except to get to the Gray Halls where you belong," Dolan snarls. He drops his greatsword to the ground, grabs a crossbow bolt out of his quiver, and with a quick *jerk* snaps it over his knee. Booted footfalls spell an angry doom for the creature, and his strike is straight and true, spearing the creature straight through the heart.

He watches in satisfaction as the thing crumbles into a pile of ash, but that satisfaction is short-lived. He's quite a nasty-looking sight - pink skin, broken nose, a forming shiner - but he leans over, grabs the greatsword, and tells the other two, "Let's get out of here before that master shows up. If it's who I think it might be, we don't want to be here when he gets here. Come on."

Nemori certainly has no desire to remain behind to meet a creature that would be called master by this one, so she doesn't argue. She doesn't offer a single word... she was already tempted to leave earlier. With Dolan giving the suggestion, she immediately.. even swiftly.. crosses back across the barn floor, doing her best to ignore the charred corpses everywhere until she passes through the doors. Through the doors and on a course straight for the horses. Running.

"Acknowledged." MAC begins to move , giving the interior one final scan on the move before it exits. There are none remaining to salvage, to repair. Their misery is ended, as was previously advised. All directives completed. Whatever master arrives will find nothing remaining.

Dolan wastes no more time than Nemori did, pausing only to grab the leather harness that holds his greatsword to his back on his way out. Despite his vision not being the best right now, and a pounding headache, the direction of _out_ is evident enough, and he beats feet in that direction, not even looking back at the charred corpses left behind. They've been ended, as has the threat.

That will have to be enough.

In the darkness of the 'barn' a single, solitary individual picks his way through the charred corpses, a small smile played out across his lips. He moves through them like a puppet drawn on strings more than a man might. All the way to the secret back room where he kneels by the pile of ash. Long, slender fingers of white touch the ash, and green eyes narrow. A deep breath is taken of the room's scent. "I know you were here my amber-eyed one."

The green eyes lift and the small smile becomes a grin. "I think it is well past time that we played."

-End