Black Crusade

Chapter Eight - Unsavoury Circumstances.

Carrus grabbed the hilt of his sword, running down the flight of stairs; several of the guards gave immediate notice. He picked Fairi up from where he was standing and whispered the words in his ear. He blinks and looks to Carrus is complete surprise, a few moments ago he was idle and waiting for the caravan to leave to Tarkus- now it's life or death. Fairi with haste trys to gather as many of his men as he could, those that didn't react quickly enough he left. One by one each Soot guard started to laugh and snigger; it only served to make things more tense.

There was no time to carry large carry sacks or the such, most were already lost but what was brought had to be abandoned. Carrus charges up the portculis to open the gate. The Soot do not stop him as he wrenches the wheel up, the chains and gears comply in opening the exit. Fairi managed to only gather a few men to the gates in time, atleast the ones that were obedient enough. They bolted out. Carrus was running down the stairs of the portculis when the castle fell under darkness, they only noise heard in and out the castle was the few dozen guards laughing. Carrus ducks- a arrow pings of the wall beside him, he runs down as fast as possible- his helmet was heavy and cumbersome but he would not risk losing it. He steps on something wet, he could tell, it splashed. It must have been the blood of fallen comrades. They were already slain, dead men. The small light of outside shimmers inticingly as he approaches with each gustful leap. He could almost hear his death touch his back, before he broke through the darkness of the wall and into the blightful land that is the Court of Black.

As he makes final few meters to the rest of the party. Fairi and Carrus look up to the walls battlements. to see the detestable Balfer sulk around the walls looking down at them with hateful eyes. Another two figures appear beside him. One the commander- the armor and the white stricken hair made that clear but the next figure...

It was palpable: fear, dread, a judgemental ominous presence lingered. The mask made it clear. The harsh ivory adorning the black robe, the robe waves and wafts as if in a calm breeze but there was no breeze to be felt- only a chill of something touching the back of everyones necks, gentle yet sinister. From distance the mask looks like some kind of animal, as all judges wear animal masks; noticing which animal though is important. Fairi could see it clearer than most of the group- he could tell that a judge had decided they were guilty... 

He could suddenly feel a sharp pierce through his body as paralysis began to set in at a ever quicking pace, he kept gasping each one dry than the next untill he finally manages the word. 

"Sapphire..."

The knight quickly realised out of the disparaged lot that she was not- quickly he presses against Fairi's ailing body. He could feel the slowing of his heart taking root as his lungs had begun to rasp and rive for air. He has been hexed by gorgon glare, a powerful forbidden spell. Carrus was tied for time, he can't revert the whole hex and save their ward; sapphire at the same time. He huffs heavily, the air reacts with a cold torrent of icey breath. Hastily and with due concern he decides to begin the recovery process, pressing harder against Fairi's chest he whispers enchanted restorative words- halfway he almost fails but the gently warmth in the elf's terrified eyes that were once still were reassuring. Carrus rampantly goes through a pouch on his belt, to his relief there is a few corpse petals. A primary ingredient in some salves, the raw effect of the petals can cause fever but also slows magical lines in the body, thus slowly the effect of the hex; Carrus hopes atleast. Fairi still had no control over the majority of his body, luckly Fairi knows the process of what his friend is doing and prepares himself.

The knight drags Fairi  a rock, placing his upright. "Okay okay, I want you to breath in very very quickly right, on one..." The elf takes a deep breath out. "Two..." Fairi traps his eyes shut. "Three." Carrus grabs his friends jaw open and puts a crumpled corpse petal down his throat, it sits near the end of his tongue; quickly he breathes in as if he were about to take his last breath- it falls down the rest of the way. Fairi coughs and pants heavily. He nods to show the all clear.

Carrus stands up, turning abruptly turning to a footman of the order. "Watch him, if he dies- you die."

The soldier quickly scuttles to the elfs side. He gets the message. Carrus quickly checks his blade before approaching the now shadowy wall. He must save Sapphire, something drives his onward to do so- only the small hunched like figure of Balfer watched atop the wall. The door layed open; a trap to be sure. None the less...

Carrus charges into the breach.