Allasticus' charge was met in collision with the King and for a moment it looked as if he were to skewer the man in two, but the flash had him wince and fall back. Lazrael, likewise, cringed as the light washed over them. The source drew from the Patriarch as he moved in a slow, methodical pace. His hood was drawn up, masking his face in shadow while the rest of him radiated with a blazing hue of energy. He moved towards Allasticus and the King and then seemed to look between them. With a hand he snapped it forward, gripping the King by the jaw.
Then his voice sounded out in the King's ear. The words clearly only meant for him. "You are children... fighting over toys... nothing more." He then pushed the King back, the force baring the feeling of ten men his size. "Go" his voice sounded out again, this time loud enough for all to hear.
Teriaan continued to fight to get Sarinna back, even if he was blinded. Even if he was fallen. Meanwhile, the King was stumbling around until he felt the strong grip on his jaw. His eyes remained tightly shut, unable to move. He truly feared at this point and it was enough to stop the defiance within him for a moment. He heard the Patriarch’s voice and as much as he wanted to say something back, he felt the hand around his jaw tense up and push him away. The King flew back many feet, crashing into the nearest building. In that split second, he heard the bellowing “Go,” chaos, and Sarinna’s scream calling out for him desperately.
She was horrified as she was dragged away, but even in that fear of being taken, she screamed at the sight of her King lying on the ground. “No! Melaeth! Melaeth!” Her tears were plentiful, unable to do anything to help him or herself.
Teriaan ran after Sarinna before turning to see the King fly into the building. The Flea blinked right by him and to the King’s side, checking for vital signs. The screams seemed distant and the King was not responding.
Damaka had picked up Mora and tossed her over her shoulder and was jogging back to the main house. It was when the orc was flung forward out of nowhere that Mora screamed as they hit the ground. Damaka tried to curl around Mora. The Doll was surprised but angrier. She had been yelling at Damaka to let her down the whole time while she was struggling and fighting to get out of the orc's grip.
Damaka didn't know what had happened, she sat up and everything was slightly swaying, she could see the soles of Mora's feet as the small woman ran back, back towards the Rat King. Mora quickly slid by her King, "Melaeth wake up!” She started to cry out at him and smack his face, "Wake up! You have to wake up now!” she started to yell at him and the Flea was next to them in an instant. "Help him! Help him now!" She had gotten up, stupidly, and started to run to Sarinna, "SARINNA!" she called out desperately knowing that the night elf could not leave. Sarinna had to stay.
"LAZRAEL!" she called out even if it would buy some time for Teriaan, something, anything she had to try to stop them, because there was nothing else she could do.
Allasticus lunged towards the King, eager to finish him off. However, several hands grasped his arms and body hauling him back. The Elite were no longer his to command as they took the silent order from the Patriarch to haul Allasticus back. "NO!" the Warrior bellowed out, struggling against his "restraints" but eventually being dragged back.
Lazrael turned away and began pulling Sarinna back. The chains were slung over his shoulder, his grip firm and absolute. Mora’s cry caught the Deathknight’s ear, but he registered it with just a quick glance and a glare. He shook his head, visage clear with disappointment before he began pulling Sarinna more. The Elite responded in strategic fashion as Lazrael moved. They surrounded both Deathknight and his prey, circling around them.
The Patriarch's head turned as Mora began to charge towards the group. His plated fingers then gripped the hilt of his weapon and then lifted it briefly before bringing it down hard. The ground cracked and caved in on itself. The earth splintering ran fast between Mora and her destination. Then, from the small fissure, a harsh blaze of fire burst from within. Bright and yellow, this holy flame burned and singed away the undead hands that still clawed at the air.
The Flea ran after Mora and when the ground cracked, he fell back, only to get up and see if Mora was fine. The King had lost one already; he could not afford to lose another. “Mora!” he called out.
Mora stumbled back, her hands hit the floor and she stopped herself from falling into the crack as it illuminated with fire. “Fuck!" her sweet features did not match the langue that so easily came from her mouth, She quickly got to her feet again, the robe and most of her upper body covered in the dirt of the Kingdom. "SARINNNA!" she called back out, her cries had fallen on deaf ears or the undead brother, something she would not forget as the pit between Laz and Mora grew more then what the patriarch had left between them. “Flea…,” she had looked back and Damaka ran up to help with the King. "We have to get her…" but the Doll's eyes fell over her King and Sarinna was lost.
From the rear of the fighting, several portals split the air and opened. Dark arcane magics swirled in the rank air as those portals brought out the magi who summoned them. Elves in white and red robes briefly surveyed the scene before turning their attention towards the portals that were conjured. Their hands moved to infuse more of the arcane into them, keeping them open. The Elite began their retreat on cue, filing into each portal and vanishing from sight. The last sight of Allasticus that could be seen was him struggling to get at the Rat King before vanishing into one of those portals.
"Move him now, He is the KING! Get him off the floor and take him to this throne" the anger and raw rage in the former undead's voices sounded eerily familiar. "GET this fire put out" she had started screaming at nearby Ratz who dared to cower when the shit hit the fan. "Terrian!" she called out for the lead champion, not caring how he would feel. Her king was down, and her friend was being taken right in front of them, all this chaos came but not from the rat kingdom and it was enough to kill.
"Gather up the inner circle, I want everyone at the house NOW. " Damaka leaned down and scooped up the king, his limp body caused a lump to form in Mora's throat, but she gathered up his hand and looked back through the fire as the invaders simply started to disappear. Her beautiful scowl catching would be the last look Allasticus would see.
One by one the portals closed and the magi that opened them followed suit. One lingered as a group of Elite fended off a few Ratz trying to claw their way towards Sarinna and Lazrael. The Deathknight pulled the struggling night elf behind him and soon, both disappeared through the portal. It was then that only the Patriarch and a small handful of Elite remained. The Patriarch gave a sweeping gaze of the smoldering husks of remains that were now corpses as well as the burnt huts and breached walls. He then turned his attention towards Aman'thil. The shadows that covered his face were pierced as twin orbs of holy light flared to life. The Patriarch's "pupils" stared at Aman'thil with a glare that would not soon be forgotten... and then, he turned on his heel and vanished into the remaining portal which snapped shut once everyone was through.
Teriaan turned to Mora and he simply walked to the King. He was about to pick the King up when the orc took him instead. Teriaan nodded and protected them as they went home. The frightened Ratz began to find a way to get the fires eliminated. Evan walked behind Teriaan, his sword drawn in case someone attacked. Vixxy ran back, hoping to find out what was going on. The Flea placed an arm around Mora, protecting her and comforting her while he led her back to the main house.
Her brief look to Flea begged for an answer to what she should do, but Mora said nothing as she gripped his suit tightly and walked with him to the main house, that was all the falling apart she would let out, even if her wet eyes didn't agree to it. She watched as the Ratz ran around the group and started to put out fires, or even moving the dead to the middle of the Kingdom, they would not go to waste. "I want him to wake up. Why won’t he wake up?” she asked the Flea through gritted teeth as she fought hard to keep herself from falling apart. The commotion was too much for this new body, and the closer they got to the house the more she seemed to lean on the Flea.
"Put him down carefully. Don't you fucking harm one hair on him.” Her voice rose as Damaka gently set the King down in his chair, resting his head back as delicately as her thick fingers would let her. Mora had moved from the Flea's arms and over to her unconscious King, "You must have something for him, Jhonthan. Please, look!” She had watched as the rest of the inner circle had come in, all but Goldie and Aman'thil. "I said I wanted them all here. Where is that … You!” She pointed at Vixxy, "Go collect them! If you see them running the wrong way, put an arrow in the back of each leg."
The Doll growled out, another turn of her head had her checking on Evan, "Are you injured? Did he infect you?" she asked cautiously approaching the other champion. "If you are fine, stay close to the front of the house. Watch the gnome if she has trouble.” She then looked to Teriaan. "Make this right.” She barely had time to say before her legs started to give out. "You make this right. You bring her back. You figure this out.” Her hands caught on the throne as she stood with its help. "You have to do what he would want you to do. He will want Sarinna back. Now.” She wasn't yelling or threating, but it was clear she believed it was his job. It was his responsibility.
Vixxy began to walk out but turned to look at Teriaan. They all looked at Teriaan as if he were the verification they needed to follow Mora’s orders. He nodded. “Go, Vixxy. Evan, you okay?”
Evan nodded, rubbing his neck. “I don’t think I got infected.” He gestured to Vixxy and he followed her out the door. The Flea scratched his head and sighed.
“I don’t have anything. Sarinna was the only healer side from Kelah we had,” He sighed and walked over to the crates where Sarinna usually sat.
Teriaan paced in front of the throne. He heard Mora speak and he shook his head. “I know. I know.” He was deep in thought, glancing at the King on occasion, wondering why he wasn’t waking up.
Mora kissed her Kings lips and rubbed his face trying to get him to come to, "Smelling salts?" She looked back at Flea. She was small enough to sit with her King. Maybe she felt that if she were close by at least he wouldn't get hurt. Maybe she was scared that he wouldn't wake up, but she was tired, so Mora sat next to him at rubbed her eyes as her anger fought to keep her awake. "Please, wake up,” she mumbled into his vest. She hadn't thought ahead to what it would mean when he was awake. Her eyes darted to Teriaan as she watched him pace.
"If you have to, perhaps you should summon Kelah,” she spoke to Teriaan. "I think it would be what our King would need, what say you, nnn?" Her fingers tangled softly into the King’s fur vest. "Perhaps while you might do that, you would want to question someone who was close to that family, someone who would know …a protocol they follow after such events. They seem to be creatures of habit, beasty" She looked from Teriaan over to the Flea, a look that suggested he back her because she was fading.
Meanwhile, Aman'thil had surveyed the battle from afar. On the outskirts of the Kingdom, his arm around Goldie he looked at the chaos unfolding. "We need to go…," he whispered to her. "Nothing will placate this. Nothing but my head upon a spike and that won't be enough…” Aman'thil shivered slightly as the Patriarch's gaze washed over him.
Goldie was in tears as she saw Sarinna get dragged away, the King unconscious, and the mess below. She shook her head and held her face in her hands. “No…no we can’t leave! We’ll look guilty and this was not our fault…” She shook her head again and sighed, “This was not our fault, Aman’thil. We need to go down there. They need us…”
Aman'thil gave Goldie a grim look. He took her hand in his and then nodded. "I know..." he whispered, "but we’ll... no... I'll look guilty if we go down there. The King will look to blame someone for this. Who else but me? Who will be safe from his rage?" He released one of her hands and then gestured to the chaos before them. "The B'andtherion's found the Kingdom, how is that possible? I don't even know, but I do know that if I were the King, I would be looking to the one person who was linked to them..." He closed his eyes and then lowered his head "I'll be branded a spy... and he'll punish you in front of me because of it. I cannot let that happen.” He opened his gaze and brought her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I love you. I understand that is unwise to say, but it's true... and I'll never leave your side, no matter the consequence. So if this is what you want… we'll go back, together.”
Goldie looked at Aman’thil and her eyes watered. “You…you do?” She smiled a bit and tears rolled down her cheek. “I love you, Ama, and I will not let him do anything to you. Teriaan won’t let him hurt you. And if he hurts me, it’s ok. I’m…I’m used to it. I promise it will be okay, but we need to go now.”
"Come on then..." he said, pulling Goldie with him "lets head back and see the damage done." He moved with her until he saw the gnome. Vixxy had her bow drawn and was deadpanning both of them. Goldie glared at the small woman and refrained from saying anything.
“S’about time you two showed up. We’re meeting inside,” she called out in her small voice. She gestured for both of them to get inside the main home.
Aman’thil gave a wave. "We're here. Just surveying the damage is all, how is the King?” They entered the building, followed by the gnome, who kept her arrow aimed at both of them. She simply didn’t trust this man.
Mora’s words enraged him. She was supposed to at the King’s side and she knew nothing of the Kingdom. He laughed when she spoke of needing her. Regardless of how Mora felt, Teriaan reached for her arm and grabbed it tightly, pulling her to him. “Don’t you fucking threaten me, Mora. You think you know it all because you fuck the King? When I say we’re not loyal to you, it doesn’t mean that we’re looking for a fucking queen to be loyal to. It means we’re loyal to the Kingdom. That is where the true loyalty lies. And your King is loyal to the Kingdom just as much as we are.” He released her arm, pushing her toward the couch.
“You don’t know anything about your King, about me, about Sarinna, about the Kingdom.”
“I know that your King is your King!” Mora shouted, rubbing her arm as she curled up on the couch. She pouted but glared angrily at Teriaan. The dark-haired elf laughed and stood before her, arms crossed at his chest.
“You’re fucking blind. Haven’t you realized how the Kingdom is run by now? It isn’t just the King, Mora. There are three of us: Melaeth, Sarinna, and me. We keep each other in check. The brain, the conscience, the brawn. We are the Kingdom, Mora. Not just Melaeth. Not just Sarinna. Not just me. But together. With Sarinna gone, the Kingdom is vulnerable and you are the closest one to the King. You can calm him. You see how he is and how he gets. And instead, he sent you away.” Teriaan scoffed and shook his head.
“If he isn’t the fucking Kingdom, why do you follow his orders? Why do you obey him?” Mora asked, sneering as she processed the information. “I don’t fucking believe you.”
Chuckling, Teriaan turned to Mora. “Because he hasn’t been wrong. There’s something about him...everything he comes up with turns to gold. He hasn’t failed us and he gives me my place.” He softened a bit. “Like the other Ratz would say, he gives me purpose. I don’t know how he fucking does it, but he does.” Teriaan shrugged. “Believe what you want, but you know as well as I do that this little banishment was not permanent. It’s not like you’re carrying his child or anything.” He chuckled and shook his head. He walked toward the door and stopped.
“You should be safe. I doubt the guard will find you, let alone recognize you. Like I said, hurry up with this stupid game and get back. We haven’t found Sarinna yet, but we will. We have our ways and we’re getting closer. The King is changing a lot of things. It may benefit us and make us stronger. And you need to be there.”
