Well you better run You better run as fast as you can Cause the world tries to stop you Stop you, stop you Whenever it can You better live Like it's the last day of your life Cause the world tries to stop you Stop you, stop you As soon as you try

Sick Puppies - Run

Running hard and fast, Tasha felt sure her lungs would soon explode as they rounded the corner into a near straight shot home. The ground shook with an earthquake like force. Yet for those at a distance, it likely just sounded like thunder. Rolling to a momentary stop before she totally collapsed, the small elf didn't bother to speak to her two companions. Both had skidded into a brief pause along side her with just as much wheezing from their own exertions. She called them Dweedle Dee and Dweedle Dumb, but the actual names they went by was Brick and Jolt respectively. They had a longer stride than her, but she had a moment of clarity, realizing both of them were just as winded. Later she would giggle about that, but for now, she just struggled to catch the lost breath.

"We gotta jet Tasha. It's coming!", Jolt puffed while holding his side, looking more then a little shell shocked.

Silvery hair whipped about wildly as she glanced back at the thing following them. It was closing the distance rapidly. Pity about Jolt's Harley, the beastie had smashed it good, but she was fairly sure her's was still intact, back at the theater though. Feeling the pushing of a large hand against her back, she broke into a jog that soon increased in speed as she finally caught her second wind. Bless Luse, her dear grumpy elf that actually made her work out, or else she would have been a cute elfie appetizer for Mr. Teeth; who was in hot pursuit with a few of his buddies, who had equally quick feet but thankfully they were much smaller.

She lost count of how long they ran, but soon rising out of the mist and darkness, the gates of Onyx shimmered faintly. That particular view spurred her on and she sprinted towards them but wasn't able to yell. Her breath was coming in rapid fire pants and leaving several puffs of air trailing behind her in the cold. Once inside, Brick slammed the gates shut and peered out while a few of the house guards arrived, gazing at the wheezing trio curiously.

The large creature soon came into view; sending more than a few of the guards gaping then looking at Tasha. Just from their expressions, she knew they were wondering what she had done this time. Muttering breathlessly. "It's NOT my fault!"

"Well, it sorta is Tasha." Jolt offered for a moment with a nervous look at the creature outside, which was at the very least three stories tall, all the while gasping for air. Brick wisely kept his thoughts to himself, or he was simply too winded to actually say anything.

"YOU talked me into going to see that movie. . . That "Dinosauria" film! It sure as heck wasn't MY idea! You said it was a documentary!" A small boot slammed into the ground in a bit of temper. "Ya LIED!"

Outside the gate, Mr. Teeth had finally caught wind of the scent that had first attracted him. Unbeknownst to the Bloods watching it now, the heavenly scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies; hidden inside a certain elf's backpack, was hard for any species to resist and apparently the Tyrannosaurs was no exception. More than likely, it associated the scent to the fleeing prey, were one to actually examine the reasons.

"You need to send word to Luc. Bel ain't available and I don't think Da is either. So that means Ole One Eye is also off doing what ever it is he does. Sun might be around and I am pretty sure Luse is drinking at the dive of his." All this came out of Tasha in rapid fire as Mr. Teeth crashed into the wards of Onyx House, making her blink. "Um...maybe Indi too. Not sure if the wards can keep em out forever."

Luse was in his cabin north of Rhydin Town, in the deep woods where no one but those few he let know he'd even possessed, thanks to wards that were exchanged with the mages of Blood House in trade. Then again...trouble seemed to find him nonetheless. Resting on his back with his hands crossed over his chest, Luse seemed to be sleeping for one of the few times in his life on a cot in the corner of the small structure.

Out of the very mists of the dense forest surrounding the lone cabin, the figure of an elegant elf emerged. He curled a distasteful lip at the rather rustic surroundings, but he refrained from comment. He drifted right through the dark wood exterior and was soon inside. Peering down at Luse's prone form, he politely, but loudly cleared his throat. "Ahh humm."

Luse reached behind his pillow and, in a blur, his pistol was pointed to the intrusion. Dark eyes narrowed and his finger slowly applied pressure to the trigger.

It took him a moment to realize what he is seeing. It can't be shot. Dammit and a crow. "Too early for Christmas, Marley. Come back in a few weeks."

The pistol was returned to it's place under his pillow and Lusiphur laid his head back down, eyes half open and watching.

The sight of the gun didn't phase the ghostly form. In truth, he smirked and continued to hover a few feet from the floor. He regarded Luse with a sardonic arching of a brow. "Your hand cannon won't work on me, but you are most welcome to try to shoot me anyway. Or I could simply deliver a message instead and you can save a bullet. Which idea works best for you, Lusiphur" Oh and by the way, my name is Kasprean and not Marley. " The ghost gave a sniff, a snapping of his lacy cuff and Kaspie nearly huffed; or at least seemed to stop himself before doing so. "I hardly think I even look like a Marley."

"Deliver the message....Kasprean." A thought and a remembrance hovered in Luse's mind but he couldn't grasp it. "And don't get your powdered panties in a wad, fancy boy. Standard procedure in my humble abode when someone appears at my bedside without warning."

"Yes, yes. It is in keeping with your reputation. Mab knows I have heard plenty of tales about your exploits from Anastashia over the years to be well aware of your violent predilections." Kasprean stated simply, without any of the pompous inflections one might expect. "Speaking of Anastashia, she sent me. She has gotten herself into a bit of trouble and requires your ah. . . special talents in dealing with it." There was a hint of a smile on those ghostly features at the thought of what that trouble might be.

Well, that made Luse lift from his back. Propping his elbows to support himself, he looked to Kasprean. "Tasha's in trouble?" He was definitely paying attention now. Looking to the apparition, he narrowed his eyes once more. "Spill it."

"I am not actually certain what she did this time. I can offer a variety of suppositions but as I was not present . . ." Kaspie's voice trailed off for a moment's silence and then he added, "I can say it involves some rather large Prehistoric looking adversaries which seem to be intent upon wrecking havoc." There was a frown drawn upon the near perfect elven man's features as he continued. "All I know is that she summoned me and then sent me to find you and Lord DeAuster. I did also note that it looked as if a good bit of the residents of Onyx were already gathering."

Sitting up, Luse swung his booted feet to plant on the floor. His head turned to the apparition, "Did you inform Lucius?" His face was set in a sort of half-grin. He found it funny. Prehistoric vs. prehistoric. He was a fossil, afterall.

"I intend to collect him next." Kasprean had thought finding Lucius would be less time consuming then locating Luse, so he had gone for the grumpy elf first. "I think I need to stress how time is of the essence. It is after all one of Anastashia's calamities loosed upon the city streets."

Luse once again reached under his pillow and grabbed his pistol. Rising up, he set it down momentarily as he busied himself putting on his weapons belts. "I understand." He grabbed his weapon from the sidetable and slid it down into his holster. He stretched a hand out to his hearth, a mortared masterpiece that dominated the secluded cabin. Cinlach, his blade, was seated above in the finest warded display he could afford. The bastard sword snapped to his hand and he slipped it in to a scabbard that put the display's wards to shame.

Last but not least, he went to the chest that acted as both food pantry and closet. Kneeling down, he chose his newest blood red leather duster, stood and swung it on with speed that had the oiled material snapping. "Find Lucius. tell him Tasha is in trouble and that I will meet him at House Onyx."

Kasprean watched the activity with interest. "I shall certainly inform Lord DeAuster of your intentions, Lusiphur."

"I should warn you of course...", a hand lifted and pointed at the other Elf's gun. "You might be needing something a wee bit bigger then that. Oh yes, and good luck to you as well."

Lusiphur pulled out a simple, silver anhk from underneath his black tee-shirt. Luse half-grinned to the ghost. "Tell him to hurry. Or he's going to miss all of it." He touched the metal of the symbol and disappeared.

With those final words, the ghostly form evaporated in a swirling of mist and dust moments after Luse's swift departure. He was off to find the other man Tasha had asked for.

"The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies." - Napoleon Bonaparte

A fiery barrage of magic flowed from her small hands and bounced across the thick, dense hide of Mr. Teeth. At first, Tasha thought the spell hadn't harmed the beastie, but then he slowly turned and his glowering gaze landed on her. He gave her a good view of those sharp, pointy chompers before giving her another earth shaking roar and headed towards her.

"Uh oh.", Tasha said, blinking, having caught the sole attention of the tyrannosaurus rex.

She turned and started running again, throwing fireballs and even casting a frost spell designed to freeze him in place. It worked for a few seconds and then broke, because he was one furious, BIG critter. That and his legs were a heck of a lot longer then hers thus he was seriously closing the distance.

She angled towards the trees with another spin on a booted heel.

This was what Kasprean returned to, Tasha playing "Dodge the Dino' through the nearby forest lands. He was soon floating alongside her, offering suggestions and giving information. "I contacted both Lusiphur and Lord DeAuster and they should be here soon." He hoped that that fact was true anyway. Tasha sent another impressive array of fire and ice and even something that may have been a dust devil out at her reptilian pursuer, all of which just seemed to enrage the beast even more.

"Perhaps ye should teleport' It might confuse the creature and it will lose ye scent or whatever it is that be drawing it.", the ghostly form offered hopefully.

"Good idea.", Tasha wheezed as she paused momentarily beside a tree and used it to keep herself upright. "Give me a second so I can like think...", and even before she had fully finished that sentence, she popped out of sight, narrowly escaped the descending cage of evil teeth. This, of course, made the giant lizard just bellow more. So enraged was the beast that he even snapped at the ghostly Elf hovering a few feet away. Lacy cuffs snapping with the waving of hands at said reptile, Kasprean yelled, "Stop that you dreadful creature!"

Popping back into view, Tasha was actually able to finally catch her breath. Lifting a shaking hand, she brushed the shaggy fall of hair out of her eyes. She caught sight of Indigo, sending a cascade of celluloid flying like sparkling glitter through the air, decapitating of one of the raptors. The graceful elf's swords were spinning so fast one could barely see them as she took off after another reptilian menace.

The front lawn of Onyx House looked like a war zone. The ornate front gate was battered and hanging by a thread on nearly shattered hinges. Trees were uprooted. The fountain was smashed. The artistic marble statues that had been stationed in locations throughout the manicured green were toppled over, or worse, now. Several house members were casting spells, using bows and arrows. Some were successful, while others were not. Tasha just groaned mentally, already feeling guilty. She hadn't planned any of this. Of course, her disasters were never actually plotted out, they just happened. That was one of her many talents after all. Chaos in all its forms.

"Heads up Tasha, lass, he be a rather persistent beast!? Kasprean cried, the translucent form taking shape beside her. However, his words came just moments too late as Mr. Teeth charged in.

Tasha went flying even before he actually could reach her. The ground was shaking so violently and she wasn't exactly a large individual. Remembering what Luse taught her, however, did have her tucking in and when she hit the ground, she went rolling and tumbling over the rough, torn up ground.

Scrambling fast up to her feet, Tasha spun around and sent another barrage of flying sparks. These actually managed to blind the thing for a moment. The reptile's head was bobbing and weaving, and she turned and took off again, yanking a long box out of her pack. She didn't even notice the zipper bag of cookies that fell out from the now open flap. She started to fish gems from that flat container.

What followed was some rather loud explosions and a washing of dense smoke spilling outwards across the landscape in front of the large manor house. Oh, and let us not forget, the array of shrieks and cries from the visitors that were either howling in rage or frustration, having been now blinded and caught in that smoke bombs effects.

The smoke wouldn't last but it gave everyone a bit of time to regroup, even if only for a few minutes. While the reptilian invasion was blind and hopefully confused, she really hoped Luse and Lucius would arrive soon. She was nearly at the end of her endurance. Tasha was at a point that she was going to have to start channeling ley line energies to replenish what had been used, and that generally made matters worse. While she had learned some control in recent years, the wild magics such an action created wasn't something many could contain easily after all and the results were always, ALWAYS unpredictable.

Get up.

Get up or die.

We will not die here, so get

UP!

Jaw clenched, Lucius heaved himself to his knees, his head turning toward the large form stomping toward him. The body of the rex lowered as its jaws opened, the roar that came nearly a physical attack all its own. Lucius's reply wasn't nearly as loud as he came to his feet, but carried the same primal anger. His body rippled under the change, bundles of muscles elongating and hardening under the darkening skin. The heavy plates of armor squealed as they were shifted aside by the heavy wings that were sprouting from heaving shoulder blades. The rex paused, its animal instincts catching the?wrongness of its prey, and took a step backward as it sniffed the air.

Lucius looked upward, crimson eyes blazing as his lip curled in a low snarl before he roared again, his bottom jaw splitting to reveal an impossible maw, ringed with inward-canting teeth more likely seen in a shark's mouth. The rex responded with its own as it charged forward. Lucius pelted toward the beast, leaping upward at the last second with a heavy beat of the leathery wings. Jaws strong enough to crush a wagon snapped at his legs but missed. A second heavy beat of the wings took Lucius higher for a second, and then they folded close allowing him to land on the rex's neck.

Talons bit deep into the thick skin, taking a handhold as he tore great bites from the reptiles flesh. Gobbets were flung aside as the beast flailed about, turning its head to snap at the painful insect on its back. Staggering to the side the rex slammed its body into another tree, large limbs scraping Lucius away to fall to the ground. He charged back in immediately, but this time the heavy head of the rex caught him in mid-leap, sending him bouncing off a tree trunk and to the ground.

Glancing to either side the rational side of The Beast quickly considered its options. This was an enemy beyond his ability to handle alone, and would cause much destruction before being contained. It was, however, now focused on him, and that allowed him a modicum of control in the conflict. A desperate plan formed, blood-soaked lips curling into a smile as he scrambled to his feet and took off at a dead run. The rex lost sight of him for a second, but the breaking of a small pine that Lucius bowled over caught it's attention, and it was quickly lumbering in pursuit.

Lucius wound his way toward the edge of the trees, and more importantly what lay beyond. He skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the beach and surf below. Feeling the familiar shaking of the ground he turned and stood, arms spread in challenge to the behemoth running at him. He waited until the last second before lunging to the side, the rex snapping it him as it lumbered past, never realizing the danger until it was too late.

Lucius slowly came to his feet after hearing the heavy thud, and limped to the edge of the cliff to look down. The beast was laying at the bottom of the cliff, its tail flicking at it struggled to regain its feet. Lucius held out his right hand and felt the familiar haft slap into the leather-clad palm, Drachmel growling in time to its master. Taking a running leap Lucius plummeted down, his wings snapping out at the last second to arrest the velocity of his fall, the possessed greataxe biting deep into the skull of the rex as he landed on its broad neck. The world exploded in silver, and Lucius found himself falling again, this time only a few feet before his boots landed on the sand. He was surrounded by a cloud of celluloid, the strips melting into thin air even as he took a piece in hand to bring up and examine.

By the time he staggered back to the main fountain things seemed in hand. Lusiphur had the guards scouring the woods surrounding the gate to ensure there were no more of the smaller beasts roaming, and the spider mages were repairing the breach in the wards. Lucius leaned on his axe, The Beast again quiescent and the changes to his body now reversed. His entire body ached, the regenerative powers kicked into overtime to fix the hurts he had suffered, a heat radiating from him as a byproduct. He soon gathered the assassin and Tasha, the three leaving things in the hands of the senior elf present as they moved off to regroup and recover.



((Many thanks to the players of Tasha and Lusiphur for allowing me to write for them in this post.))