Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:45 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:45 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:46 PM

Quote :

The rumble grows louder.

Light-Today at 2:46 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:47 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:47 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:48 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:48 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:48 PM

[Verdi] Sailor Saturn-Today at 2:48 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:49 PM

Quote :

The rumbling was so intense that some would start to lose their footing.

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:56 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:57 PM

Quote :

The rumbling hit a head, only for a mass of white, writhing, jumping, running bunnies to block off the entrance to the maze.

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:58 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:59 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:59 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 3:00 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 3:01 PM

Quote :

Panzer is unable to pass the entrance - Constance cannot pass the entrance.

Panzer is ripped away from Constance and is lost to the Bunny stampede.

Sailor Pluto-Today at 3:05 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 3:07 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 3:07 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 3:08 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 3:08 PM

Quote :

Panzer is carried along with the bunnies for a short time! As they careened around the first corner, she is tossed into the maze wall!

Sailor Uranus-Today at 3:09 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 3:09 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 3:11 PM

Quote :

As more and more bunnies pressed past, Panzer was driven deeper and deeper into the maze wall, where the hedge seemed to work its way around her limbs...

Sailor Mercury-Today at 3:16 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 3:17 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 3:17 PM

Quote :

Grabbing the maze wall only seemed to draw her in more, the leaves moving against her, wrapping around her...
The bunnies start to thin out at the entrance.

Bunnies appear at the end of the path the others had taken.

Sailor Mercury-Today at 3:19 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 3:20 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 3:20 PM

Quote :

The harder Panzer grabs, the more she slips in, the reaction becoming more and more like quicksand. Drawn in further and further by the bunnies constantly pushing against her, jumping off of her to make the tight turn, she soon sees more leaves and branches than their fluffy white bodies...

Sailor Neptune wrote:

So they did want the Star Catcher coins. But why? It made no sense. She was about to use her negotiating technique with them when suddenly the Lorham crew showed up, one of them claiming that she'd killed the others. What? Was she really dealing with a brute from some nowhere village? Was this the girl who had axed - no pun intended - Shashka's partner? Shashka never told her what had happened to her, but it had seemed like she didn't know either.

It did get the bow aimed away from her, so that was a plus, she supposed?

And then it fired. And there was that squelching sound again, the same one as when she'd hit the bear in the eye. Saphira was too afraid to turn and look, but soon she heard the unmistakable thud of a body on the ground. She had to look.

The arrow went through his eye, now blank and unseeing, just like the bear she'd killed. As it turned out, seeing a bear and a human being in the exact same predicament had very different effects.

The boy, no older than seventeen, was dead. Just like that. In the blink of an eye. His hopes and dreams, whatever they were, in catching the star, snuffed out in a matter of seconds. It was so easy and abrupt that for a moment she could not move. That could have been her.

That could have been her.

If they hadn't shown up...

She couldn't avert her eyes from the bloody image that she knew would always be imprinted in her mind, would haunt her nightmares for years to come if she ever made it out of here alive. It was like a wake up call that she never wanted. Who am I kidding? Why am I on this stupid, dangerous journey, leaving the comfort and safety of my perfect life for a throne?

Up until now, everything had felt like a game. Even killing that bear.

But now it all became too real.

She slowly dragged her gaze back to the men, her eyes falling on the pouches of coins on their belt. So they weren't these men's first victims. How many more teenagers had they killed? And for what?

Despite everything, she still couldn't understand it.

Everything burst into motion as the axe-wielding girl charged forward blindly, possibly getting herself killed too. Goddamn peasants. Always choosing violence as the answer first. Surprisingly, she managed to land a hit, but now Shashka was in trouble. Cursing every god that existed, Saphira grabbed her coin pouch and threw it to the ground between her and the men, not close enough that they could simply pick it up, but not too far that they'd have to take more than a few steps to get it.

"What do you want with these anyway? You can't even use them! And not everyone will even accept it as payment! If you tell me what you really want, there's a good chance I can help you. I have connections everywhere."

Sailor Uranus wrote:

DM wrote:

The Highwayman continued to widen the distance between himself and the girl with the axe, his injured arm staying as straight as it could to support his drawn bow. He moved away from the tree, shifty eyes keeping them all within his gaze, including his associate. "Connections everywhere?" he repeated lowly, a dangerous note still in his tone, "Who are y-- Torvald!" he broke off his question as the short girl with the light hair raced forward with one disgusting looking blade held and ready to attack his broad subordinate.
[BATTLE POST REMOVED]]
"Are you suggesting a truce in exchange for something more worthwhile than your coins?" the highwayman asked as Tovald kicked the young woman away.

Sailor Neptune wrote:

The other girls kept trying to attack them, even though it was obvious they had the upper hand. And a hostage. Honestly. Clearly nobody taught negotiations and diplomacy in Lorham. Frustrated that her efforts were being undermined by the other two, Saphira tried again, knowing she was at least getting somewhere with the man that seemed to be in charge.

"Yes! I have an in with the mayor in Shadeslake and numerous other high ranking officials throughout Esoria! I don't know what it is you actually want but I know these coins are useless to you. Whatever roundabout way you're using them to get your goal, I can most likely offer a shortcut. But only if you don't kill anyone else," she warned.

She figured it was unwise to actually say she was the mayor's daughter, lest they decided to kidnap her for ransom or worse.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Quote :

"Shadeslake, eh?" He replied, obviously taking a liking to the suggestion. "You've got a deal, then. I won't kill anyone else in exchange for your cooperation. Unless, that is," he shrugged and glanced at Cassandra, "They try something first. Drop your weapons, girls, and this can all be over."

Sailor Neptune wrote:

"Let her go, too," she nodded her head at Shashka. Then, she dropped her own spear and glanced at the other two girls, indicating that they should do the same. She hoped at least one of them had a spare knife or whatever they could reach quickly just in case this guy was lying - she herself still had her rapier, at least, and her cutting knife - but for now she wanted to see if she could avoid any more bloodshed. While the girls had managed to land hits before, they seemed clumsy and inexperienced, and would likely lose anyway in a straight up battle.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Quote :

"There, now, not so hard was it?" he said calmly, placatingly, "Your coins? Promised favours are nice but take time to prove; toss your coin pouches and you guarantee your safe passage, same deal as before." He pauses, then continued, as though remembering, "Oh, and release that one, Torvald, but watch her for tricks."

Torvald toss-dropped Shaska so that the young woman fell to the ground in a heap and backed up quickly, away from both Shaska and Kitty, dark eyes watching them closely.

"You two toss them to Torvald there and you can cross the bridge, free and clear, and you'll never hear from us again. You teo," he said, indicating Saphira and Cassandra, "Can leave your coins in the pile she started, and then come with me. You," he nodded to Cassandra, "to collect a wheelbarrow to get rid of the body, and you," to Saphira, "to tell me about how you can repay me for sparing their lives. Make it snappy, I dont have all day."

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

His expression softened as the Star Catcher started to cry and he quickly released his cart, moving over to the girl - confused as to the source of the tears, but experienced with what to do once they started. Without question, he softly moved in and surrounded the girl with a fatherly embrace, her resemblance to his own child still much younger than she smashing through any social barrier that might have been in place otherwise. "There there, girl," he said softly, "It'll be alright. You don't have to keep going," he said, jumping to the logical conclusion for the tears, "Your family loves you. They'll want you back. It's okay."

The other girl suddenly started to scream, and the fatherly embrace took on an edge of protection, letting Kitty decide whether she wanted to stay in his arms or not while still intending to protect the little girl from the sudden wrath of the other -- until he caught what she was saying after the shrieking insults. His dark brows narrowed with suspicion and fury as he waited for her to finish, finally catching sight of the pendant still around her neck and the standard blue-and-silver blades at her hips. She, too, was a star catcher - her cloak must have been in her pack. The idea that bandits had attacked them - and must have made a trap so none could come to their aide, angered him. He quietly repeated, "Bandits?"

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

"What were they after? You're Star Catchers for Matron's sake! They'd've done better taking goods from folks like us rather than you lot - what do you even have in your packs? Food? Right basterds, that's true!" He looked down at the small blonde head and his face softened again. He'd make sure they were taken care of. Both sides of this. "Come on to town," he suggested, taking a step back to but his hands on Kitty's shoulders in support. He bent down a little to better meet her eyes as he honestly offered, "we'll get you cleaned up and fed and give you a place to sleep for the night. I know the tavernkeeper, she'll set you straight, no coins necessary. How's that sound?"

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

They reached the small town in the late-afternoon hours, the sun still up with maybe half an hour until sunset. It was obviously a market town, the bustle and hustle many more times what Kitty had ever seen in her village, but only slightly more energetic than a market-day in Deepwall.

They followed the cart-man through the streets, past hawkers and friendly waves, to a tavern and inn made of sturdy wood. The man moved around back, paid someone to watch after his beast of burden and personally took care of securing his goods before they went back to the front of the building and entered.

The tavern was filled to the brim with people, all merchant traders ready for travel, by the looks and sounds of them. They followed the man to the bar, where he called over the owner, a tall woman with a spark of joy about her eyes. "Cartman!" she called familiarly, "Bridge still out, then? I hear they've secured carpenters for the job but they said it'd take at least --"

"The bridge was never out," he said in return, projecting his voice so it would carry. The tavern quieted near immediately as traders overheard and hit their partners to shush them so they could hear more. "I found these Star Catchers on the road; they said the bridge was never out, but was an ambush point for a bunch'a thievin' bastards what robbed 'em."

"Ambush?!"

"Thieves?!"

As the tavern immediately burst into conversation as to what would be done with the thieves, men and women already gathering their packs and their weapons and leaving coin on the tables, Cartman turned to the tavern owner and spoke quietly with her, "I promised these two some food and a nice place to stay; think you could help me with that, Tamara?"

She paused, the gravity of the request not lost on her. "For a coin?"

He shook his head, watching her carefully. She looked at them, the color draining from her face, and then back to Cartman, "You know--"

"What they could do to us - to you, yes. But I will pay for them. It will be on me."

She tilted her head to the side, looking back at the two, her eyes falling on Kitty. "She a relative?"

"No, just a girl down on her luck."

She returned her gaze to Cartman, heaved a heavy sigh, and started wiping down the bar habitually. "That bleeding heart will get you killed one day, Cartman. They can stay. I'll bill you later."

He smiled, getting the insinuation. "Thanks. I'm going to join the search party." He turned back to the pair of Star Catchers, "Take care of yourselves, and stay as many days as you'd like. If you decide to go back, tell Tamara; she'll help arrange a ride back towards Everlast."

Note~:

Sailor Uranus wrote:

The Tavern wrote:

"I had meant to find and bring the highwaymen back to face justice - " his voice raised suddenly, his motions faster as he went towards the door, "They have hostages; we should move, and quickly."

"Hostages?"

Eyes fell on Shaska and Kitty, "Star Catchers?"

Murmurs broke out, quiet voices of dissonance, of lost confidence, several voices quietly asking their companions a variation of the same thing -
"Can we help them?"
"Will we be punished for helping them?"
"If we didn't know before and it had been happenstance, we may have gotten away with it... but now that we know, we could be held accountable."
"We can't just let robbers get away!"
"I... my family depends on me, I can't..."
"How steep a fine do you think?"
"If it's saving their lives... jail time."
"My kids..."

Faces quickly turned from determined to worried to defeated...

"If you won't risk it for them," Cartman stated, his words deliberately solemn, "Then do not. Come to assist me with apprehending the bandits and leave the Star Catchers to their fate. I, for one, do not care to be tricked by any such despicable creatures again - I could have been well on my way to Caprossi by now; we all could have been closer towards our final destinations. They've cost us time and coin - nevermind the Star Catchers' plight! Come with me to see that they never bother this traderoute again!"

Quote :

Did it work?
--2
--Just Lucky I Guess~ 6

Confidence restored, the great majority left the tavern to hunt down the bandits that had foiled their travel plans.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

The cavalry arrived, all 12 of them on horseback bearing makeshift weapons, but each had the bearing of a trader meant for travel. They pulled back on the reins as they neared the Star Catchers, and one man spoke, calling out. "Star Catchers!" He was a man in his early forties with black hair and a black, well-trimmed beard, "Greetings - are you well?"

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

"We are glad you are okay and that you escaped - yes, we have seen the other two; they informed us of the bandits and your plight, though that you saved yourselves takes a great load off of our shoulders." He paused, frowning softly at the covered mass in the wheelbarrow. "You should not have to handle that alone, but we must deal with the bandits. Please, tell us where they are hiding, and on the way back we may be able to help you get to the next town."

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Cartman wrote:

"Two Star Catchers came our way - a short little thing with light hair and a taller one with a long braid; they're at Tamara's Tavern. Thank you for the information - we'll deal with them - teach 'em that trickin' traders is a once-in-a-lifetime offense. C'mon!"

The traders-turned-lawmen listened carefully, and upon Cassandra's final words, they left, racing off down the road, over the bridge, and turning down to follow the river as instructed, leaving the trio alone again.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

"Hmmm?" A deep voice hummed in response to Bastet's words, and the tree-like creature turned to face them... Only it wasn't so much a creature as a person. As it turned, they saw that what they had assumed to be a trunk was in fact a cape made of moss and tree bark, the knarled branches at its head not but a somewhat-eccentric hat made, apparently, by a hollowed out old tree. As the man turned - as it was a man, with a full beard that once might have been blond, but now lay somewhere closer to white - his bright green eyes landed on the girls kneeling before him, and he offered them a weak smile. His attire was somewhat unusual, what with the skins of swamp creatures around his waist and the claws of some ferocious beast hanging from the ties of his cape, his armlets carved with symbols and the bracelets dotted with teeth and bones and beads, but he did not feel dangerous.

"My, and there you are," he said, his voice deep and gravelly and obviously old with use. "I thought I may never find you, but fate was kind. I am sorry to disappoint, young maiden, but I am no great tree spirit; I am but an old hermit, yet still I may be of help." With his free hand, he beckoned the rest of the group over; in the other, he held a staff that may well have once been a sapling.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

His brow creased as he leaned forward, gently pressing the vials into Aegle's hands as he looked towards the compass Hemera spoke of with apparent curiosity, not answering her question at first, though it was obvious he had heard her. He seemed to be considering the object - perhaps how it worked, or how they had come by it, but was silent long enough for Alshain to voice her concerns. Looking to her, from the compass, he replied easily, his old voice sounding like it may break with gentle mirth, "Dear child, I am sympathetic to your cause. The evil in this world should be eradicated, that its people may live in peace. We are in dangerous times now, dangerous times... and so long as it is within my power to provide aide, that is what I intend to do; I only wish I could be of more help, but I am unable to directly influence events, only provide what assistance I can while I can." He smiled sadly, "I understand your hesitance; I only wish that we lived in such an age that you would not need to question gifts so freely given, for that is what they are: free, but for the unspoken promise that you will attempt to help these people with this great burden weighing down upon their planet."

His bright green eyes moved back to Hemera, choosing then to answer the questions she posed, "I have never seen a compass such as that; I would be interested to know how it worked, but I dare not keep you here for as long as that. Every minute wasted could mean innocent lives. The dangers that you may face are numerous; these swamplands are filled with creatures that see you as nothing more than prey, and there have been good people corrupted by the great evil here, their minds scrubbed clean of who they used to be, now nothing more than servants of Chaos. Please, be kind to these people - they would not wish you harm, but the evil compels them to act against you."

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:01 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:04 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:05 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:06 PM

Light-Today at 2:07 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:07 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:08 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:09 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:10 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:11 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:11 PM

Light-Today at 2:12 PM

[Verdi] Sailor Saturn-Today at 2:12 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:12 PM

Light-Today at 2:13 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:14 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:14 PM

Quote :

When Nyx turned around, she could see nothing of the world they had just exited; it seemed that this new place stretched out instead, the bridge they had just stepped off of leading instead to a wide field of wildflowers separated from them by a charming brooke with happy koi fish swimming around pleasantly in its slow moving waters.

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:14 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:16 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:16 PM

Light-Today at 2:16 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:18 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:19 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:20 PM

[Verdi] Sailor Saturn-Today at 2:20 PM

Quote :

Hadley felt.... confused? Not a confusion stemming from the flowers, but a confusion all her own. Her powers seemed to not want to respond to her.

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:21 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:21 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:22 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:23 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:24 PM

Quote :

Nix has turned invisible to their eyes.

Sam lifts Pinky

[Verdi] Sailor Saturn-Today at 2:25 PM

Light-Today at 2:26 PM

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:26 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:27 PM

Brit-chan-Today at 2:28 PM

Sailor Neptune-Today at 2:29 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:29 PM

Light-Today at 2:29 PM

Quote :

Chalybs is unable to hear Panzer's broadcast.

Sailor Pluto-Today at 2:30 PM

Sailor Mercury-Today at 2:31 PM

[Verdi] Sailor Saturn-Today at 2:32 PM

Sailor Uranus-Today at 2:33 PM

Sailor Uranus wrote:

DM wrote:

They pressed forward.

The Oort Cloud of Zhi's star was sparse compared to others that they had traversed, without a spherical icy body in sight; the small chunks of ice flew at them out of the darkness, usually avoidable... until a group of them raced through faster than speeding bullets, narrowly avoiding them as they raced around new orbital paths. As they moved inward it became apparent that something terrible had happened here; the once icy region was now more or less the aftermath of a battlefield, pockmarked with shrapnel, flotsam and jetsam of protoplanetary debris. A dark miasma permeated space, filling them with a feeling of dread.

Still, they pressed on.

They flew past no planets towards the inner system; whether they were out of the ecliptic plane or simply away from any gas giants in their orbits at that time was unclear, but as they approached the inner system they were faced with another debris field, the projectiles rocky as opposed to icy, and ranging from as large as towers to as small as baseballs.

Rather than go through, they decided to go around.

As they passed over the asteroid belt... They were attacked.

Quote :

Deep Voice wrote:

Laughter echoed in their minds as a figure with blazing red hair and hollow eye sockets rose from hiding, his hands clapping slowly and a sardonic grin creeping over his face as he finished. He wore light armor - a black breastplate and greaves - and long, wicked looking knives hung from either hip.

"Impressive," he drolled, "And here I thought I had already murdered the strongest senshi of this quadrant. You don't look like one of Zhi's girls, but I'm sure you'll die like one." He extended his hand, his palm flat towards them, and darkness gathered.

Quote :

Quote :

Deep Voice wrote:

He didn't acknowledge the cat's brave statement, simply continued to charge his attack. He swayed easily to avoid the attack from the orange one, tracked the purple's progress as she tried to sneak around, ready to avoid that, too. All the same tactics, over and over again - what did they take him to be? The war was over. The golden senshi - the only one that gave him pause - summoned a blade and joined the cat in her shield, instructing them to leave and find the Tapestry Crystal, that she'd "handle" him.

A fine waste of time that was.

He dodged the cool burst from the purple one, and the vines from the other, and judged that finally he had built up enough energy to knock the hope out of them.

He fired.