The Darkest Day

[Agrias Oaks]

"You speak for holy knights, but all I hear is darkness spewing from such sweet lips!" She growled, gripping the hilt of her sword, "As said before, Lady Beatrix, I shall naught hand my sword to thee, for it seems you are being filled with lies and delusions of a third party!"

She saw things clearer now...

She took another step back, but her sword would remain in its sheath, "... Lady Beatrix, please, fight the shadows, for this is not ye!"

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]She was now growing angry. "If your loyalties truly lay in the light, Lady Agrias, you would be wise to hand over your blade this instant."

She inched closer again, this time making it three feet before Agrias' eyes. "Darkness..."

She held out her hand. "If you would. How you can even demand to sputter anything against me, hah...foolish."[/glow]

[Agrias Oaks]

"...Lady Beatrix..." She whispered under her breath, having Beatrix so close, but for all the horrible intentions. Yet, she knew she was somewhere in there, blanketed by a sheet of darkness. The light was still somewhere in her eyes, she had reason to believe so... it wasn't just denial!

She closed her eyes momentarily, "...I am... always loyal to Lady Beatrix..." she spoke, as if the one in front of her was an impostor. She removed the sword from its sheath, and held it a moment, glancing to it... the blade, just as confused as the wielder. With a heavy heart, she extended her hands to her, closing her eyes, and offering her sword.

"I shall... entrust Lady Beatrix... with mine sword, shield, and life..." she vowed, her eyes opening, seeming strong as she stared at the woman's evil-filled eye.

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]"Very wise, Agrias," she said, yanking the sword clean from the knight's loose grip and holding it up for examination. "But also very foolish. Hmph."

She carelessly tossed the blade aside, listening to it grind when it his marble and slid across the room. "Take her now," she called out, and the soldiers threw themselves from the collumns and surrounded Agrias, all six grabbing her from all sides in the form of a hexagon.

"Hahahahaha!"

When secured, even lightly, Beatrix moved very close until she was an inch away from Agrias' face and smirked victoriously. She opened her mouth and out came something very silent, yet very mocking:

"Agrias...I win."[/glow]

[Agrias Oaks]

At the sight of Save The Queen being tossed so carelessly, she moved forward, getting close to Beatrix, and six soldiers where not enough to hold her back. "Grraah!!"she would shout, her war cry sending a few shivers to some of the soldiers there, having them lose their edge. It now took 10 soldiers, then 20 soldiers to hold her back, and still she etched closer towards the woman.

"Beatrix!!" she shouted, pleading, "Stop this madness!! Lady Beatrix!!" she cried out for that light within the General.

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]Each time Agrias moved closer with the full weight of twenty soldiers, Beatrix took a step back, laughing hard at the situation. She seemed to be glowing with a black fog-like aura, and after a while this little scene grew old.

"Just give up, Lady Agrias," she said, bee-lining forward until a foot away from her. She grabbed onto one of her shoulders and with her other hand turned into a fist and drove it home fast and hard into the Holy Knight's stomach.

If the girl was crippled by her punch, she would have the knights of Alexandria take her away.

"The highest tower sounds nice. I'll be up to get rid of the door shortly."

She turned away and moved back to where the tall glass doors and windows stood, folded her hands behind her back and stared out at the brewing storm. Glowing yellow dots began springing forth on the landscape. This world was falling into darkness.

"And please, release the beast. Make sure it's...somewhere the others are. I'm sure Lexia, Lilith and Nexus won't be a problem, but finding them and getting rid of them myself will take too much time."

Hesitantly the knights saluted the general and, again, if Agrias had been knocked prone, dragged her off and went to fulfill her next order.[/glow]

[Lilith]

Lilith meticulously watched the events unfold from the shadows eventually ending up melding into the shadows of the ceiling high above the ball room.

after everyone had left but Beatrix a sound came from up above.
"too much time, eh?"
every word came from a different part of the ceiling.
"I thought you'd be up for it? that's what the darkness does"

a slight cackle could be heard, underlying each word as the shadows spoke.
"or deep down are you..."

the last word came from directly behind the general a slight breath dancing down on the back of her neck.
"conflicted"

[serpentoflore]

Sarah sat in the den again, her mind exhausted along with her body. She had played all of the festival and then played for Beatrix's plan. Her eyes were halfway closed, her thoughts on Acteur. She probably should ask Beatrix for a cup of tea or something. She couldn't afford to rest while the plan was in action. The image of the Hawaiian beach came to mind, running from what seemed to be black shadow like creatures.

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrix lunged forward and threw out her leg, using her metal boot to dig into the marble as she swooped around in a quick, hasty turn; when she saw the shadows forming and recognized the voice echoing from it to be Lilith's, she growled. Bolting through the shadows before the vampire fully manifested, she ran to the place where Save the Queen stood and collected it, as well as grabbing Agrias' blade.

She holstered the twin blade into her own sheath while directing her own upward at whom she thought would be Lilith, her face scrunched into a scowl.

"So the beast won't be enough for you, then? Very well, vampire; test me, and see just how well you fare."[/glow]

[Lilith]

the vampire was nowhere to be seen.
"your in my element now general... general, does that title still befit you?"

Lilith appeared in the middle of the ballroom, she looked over her shoulder at the traitor.
"your scent is outstanding at the moment general, like two flavours intertwined"

she slid back into the shadows.
"and I cant wait to get a taste"

[The Alexandrian Army]

The Alexandrian Soldiers working throughout the castle were quick at securing the newly-transformed staff, who had taken to turning into household objects. One soldier--Katherine--collected up a screaming candlestick whom she recognized as Lumiere and brought him to a holding room in the dungeon, tossing him in like a common piece of scrap.

Other soldiers were off searching for the guests, some prepared weaponry taken off the ship, and several even worked to hold down the beast in a chamber where they would await the orders of General Beatrix.

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A group of five Alexandrians rushed past a broom closet where inside hid the steeple-hatted Black Mage Vivi, who had just split up with Lexia--who wasn't far behind him, hiding herself--the moment they heard the women coming, shouting their warcry.

When the soldiers passed his door he clicked it open and peeked out his head, whispering out Lexia's name. When he found her scent he would creep over and gently knock on the door to the room she'd taken refuge.

"Lexia..." he whispered. "They're gone. Come on, we've gotta go!"

He ran fron the door, tapping down his staff lightly, leaving black scorch marks for Lexia to follow in his path. He slid down the railing leading down to the main foyer and hopped off the side at the last minute as soldiers burst through the large double doors wielding torches and strange, cannon-like weapons in their arms.

Hiding behind a lamp he waited until they passed by and toddled quickly into the den, where awaited him the laying Sarah Appleton. Eyes wide he sprang forward and shook her violently.

"Miss! You need to get up! The Alexandrians--I think Beatrix is attacking this castle--we've got to escape! Lexia! Where are you?" He began pulling at the girl's wrists. "Please, piper...come on...we've gotta go..."

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]"Tch." Beatrix simply glared down the vampire, considering this new threat, who was not to be taken lightly.

"Such arrogance, Lilith Andres," she breathed, snickering. "I never thought such a being of your ultimate darkness would even consider betraying something as black as what I bring here to the table." Shaking her head she sighed. "But I always knew that the fools Agrias hired couldn't be trusted to make the right decisions. Shouldn't you be helping your other friends right now? They're about to meet a gruesome death very soon, and I'm sure you'd like to rescue them, seeing as they're quite precious to you, hm?"[/glow]

[serpentoflore]

Her eyes widened, moving diagonally to dodge the creature. She had no time to make sure her parents were okay. People were being attacked left and right, her survival becoming the most important. She kept one hand near her glasses, knowing that she wouldn't be able to see if she dropped them. The grip was tight, not caring what was up ahead. She only needed to escaped.

Sarah looked at Vivi, uncertain of why he was making such a fuss. Her body remained in place as she stared at the mage.

"Welcome earth-human!" the voice said in a deep almost russian sounding accent. Screens would turn on to show a wide-faced, multi-eyed alien speaking with a huge grin. "Space vessel is ready for take-off, for eager to explore human type. Please to be inputting destination?" he asked, seeming amused that he was enabling a human to just take off to space.

She stood up, moving towards the exit of the den. She knew little about the locations of the castle, so she turned towards the West wing, her mind wandering in random directions. She had no idea that she was choosing the wrong direction.

[nexus]

Outside the Ballroom, gripped to the outside wall, peered two sets of slanted eyes, staring in the ballroom. A puff of smoke left the dragons mouth, and if Nexus could have done the same he would have. The eyes stared into the ballroom, eyebrows furrowed.

Nexus hasn't been on this world long , and known the people here even less. He looked on as Beatrix played at what had looked like a long drawn out plan, with this as her wanted outcome. "Take her to the tower." Beatrix told her men, with the orders that she would follow soon.

Now that Lilith had made her presence known, Nexus thought that this may be the best time, while she was distracted, to help if he could. "Airinose, she said the tower, lets go" Nexus told her while lightning strikes and thunder flashed and rolled behind him. The rain had started as Arinose pulled her claws from the wall and leaped into the wind.

Circling the first tower and seeing that no one was there , they moved onto the next to see fires and light appearing in it. "There girl , that tower, land softly alright."He told the dragon. Airinose approached the tower with a couple flaps of her wings she steadied herself before gripping onto the wall digging her claws in. The duo slowly climbed up the side of the tower to the top room, clinging outside the window, Nexus waited till the guards, were done with bringing Agrias into the room , leaving afterward.

"Lady Agrias.......Lady Agrias.....Are you alright M'lady, it's me Nexus, Are you ok?" he asked slowly leaning into the window looking at her.

[Lilith]

Lilith's grin grew across her face once more.
"your joking right? I'm gonna leave the big bad to get away just so you can come back?"
Lilith laughed.
"I wouldn't pick you for someone to use something as cliché as that"

she cocked her head to the side.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world"